Seriously, they're like Borg nowadays. "We will add your distinctiveness to our own," mumbles Square-Enix, shambling towards our favorite franchises and classic titles. Then the leatherly paw extends and -- well, you know the rest.

I'm really stoked for Final Fantasy Tactics A2 on the DS; I loved me some Final Fantasy Tactics Advance almost more than the original, so any more love coming in a similar scope and style as the GBA's series reboot makes me a happy bunny. But after months of new announcements, big Square-Enix parties, and over thirteen Final Fantasy titles in development, I feel a wee bit anaesthetized to the thrill and rush of discovering a yet-unreleased Final Fantasy title. But let's put that aside and hope for the best, yeah? Ivalice is the best thing Square-Enix still has going for it.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is poised as a sequel to the original Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, set in a sort of storybook Ivalice, as opposed to the rape-murder-deceit-pillage Ivalice of Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story and FFXII. The first shots revealed for FFTA2 reveals a similar battle system and visual style to its predecessor, highlighting specifically two lead characters, Adel and Luso. The new races introduced in FFTA make a return with Bangaas and Vieras in tow, but it's likely to assume that some new anthropomorphic allies will be hurled into the mix by the game's release -- maybe lobster-men who walk upright, I dunno.

Hit the gallery for the high-res scan.