Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions arrived on mobile platforms in 2011 as a port of an acclaimed tactical RPG classic that Square Enix originally released for the PSP as an expanded version of the legendary title from PlayStation in the nineties. The player commands a group of mercenaries on isometric battlefields divided into a grid, where unit positioning, terrain height differences, and the turn order of individual fighters based on their speed all matter.

Bringing a complex tactical system to a touchscreen was no small challenge – the game offers both touch controls and a virtual D-pad with buttons, though precise unit placement on a phone's relatively small display in particular takes some getting used to and care. The extensive job system with dozens of classes, the elaborate work system for gradually improving characters, and the dark, politically charged story from the fictional kingdom of Ivalice all remain preserved in full in the mobile version, without cuts.

It's one of the most substantial and demanding titles of its time on mobile, aimed more at players willing to invest dozens of hours in careful strategy than those looking for quick entertainment on a commute. The port made this respected game accessible to a new generation of players who never owned a PSP and knew the classic only by reputation. The English localization of War of the Lions also brought a reworked, more literary translation of the dialogue compared to the original PlayStation version, something appreciated even by players familiar with the older game.

Why play it: ideal for fans of deep tactical RPGs willing to adapt to touchscreen controls in exchange for one of the best-written strategy games of its era.