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Live an untold legend. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles launches on PS5, PS4 Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S and PC on September 30th. You can pre-order it HERE.
Few titles loom as large over their respective genres as Final Fantasy Tactics. Arguably the seminal tactics game, the 1997 PlayStation title emerged into a market already a decade into Square Enix’s Final Fantasy RPG series, almost immediately establishing itself as a classic with fans and newcomers alike.
Lauded by critics at the time, and going on to be featured on several Best Games of All Time lists by leading publications, Final Fantasy Tactics’ legacy can still be felt today, its synthesis of narrative and complex mechanics informing countless other titles in the tactics genre. The game also marked a milestone in storytelling for the genre, setting a high watermark with its rich cast of characters and nuanced political tale of a fantasy realm ravaged by warring factions.
After years of fan anticipation, Square has finally announced a modern remaster of the game, the first since its initial remake on the PSP back in 2007, which was rocking one of the coolest subtitles in gaming history, The War of the Lions. Now, The Ivalice Chronicles (set for release on September 30th), is pulling together the best of the original game, the acclaimed translation of its PSP remake, and a host of new improvements into a single, lovingly crafted package helmed by leaders from the original creative team.
Operating as both a remake and a preservation of the original experience, The Ivalice Chronicles will allow players to engage with Final Fantasy Tactics in two distinct versions, Classic and Enhanced. Sporting a complete reworking of the game’s UI and a whole host of improved visuals, the Enhanced Version is the perfect mode to get newer tacticians in on the fun.
The original pixel art has been polished for modern displays, with everything from battles to levels now more intuitively explored via streamlined UI changes and the new Tactical View, which gives players quick access to a broader view of the battlefield.
And while the original was praised for its challenging and deep combat, The Ivalice Chronicles is giving players tools to better customise their experience. The game can now be geared around one of three new difficulty modes, but no matter which of these you choose, you’ll still have access to the plethora of new options during combat. A new battle speed accelerator lets you swiftly move through opponents’ turns and animations, but should you find yourself backed into a corner too quickly, you’ll be able to reload autosaves that will now periodically happen even during combat. This greater level of control is best exemplified by the game’s new UI, a clever reimagining of the original into a sleek and informative overlay. At any moment, you can easily glance at the turn order to inform your next move, and when you do land on a target, a submenu will break down for your foe’s defences, dodge capabilities, expected damage, and much more.
Square is keenly aware of fans’ desire to experience the original game again too, as The Ivalice Chronicles is also packing a Classic Version. Folding in the beloved translation from the War of the Lions remake, as well as a handy new autosave, Classic Version aims to preserve the original experience in all its pixel glory, just now slightly more accessible.
While this faithful capturing of the original is a huge win for game preservation, the laundry list of new and improved content added in Enhanced Mode makes it essentially the definitive way to play. Director Kazutoyo Maehiro, alongside writer Yasumi Matsuno, have returned to helm the remake, keeping it aligned with the original artistic vision while making adjustments for approachability.
When playing in Enchanced Mode, players can enjoy a fully voice-acted experience, from cutscenes to previously text-only conversations between characters. Battles have been better tied into this reworked focus on voice acting, too, with brand new dialogue written and recorded to play between your party during conflict, allowing room for additional banter and battle cries.
These new conversations allow for entirely new perspectives on these characters, a rare chance for the original writers to return and infuse new life into a beloved cast. The Ivalice Chronicles is keenly interested in expanding our understanding of not just its characters, but of the world itself, introducing a new State of the Realm feature like the one featured in Final Fantasy XVI. Navigating to the menu, you’ll be able to track the flow of the story via a sprawling map that shows you where, and what, everyone is up to at any given moment. This is paired with an in-depth encyclopedia of everything from terms to historical moments, ensuring the world of Ivalice is always at your fingertips.
It pairs beautifully with the new line recordings too, making for a more complete look at the events of the story. Based on what we’ve heard so far, the quality of the performances matches the game’s iconic narrative.
Gregg Lowe’s Delita is immediately captivating, playing beautifully off Joe Pitts’ naive Ramza. These performances, alongside returning favourites from the Final Fantasy VII remake, are primed to deliver this tale in a refreshed but reverent way. All of this is backed by the original soundtrack, Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata’s sweeping score returning in full force.
Regardless of which mode you choose to play The Ivalice Chronicles in, tried and true tactics techniques will still help you best the game’s challenging combat encounters. If you’re just looking to experience the narrative without much trouble, you can jump right into the Squire Mode (one of three difficult modes), which is geared toward streamlining battles for newcomers.
For everyone else, Final Fantasy Tactics will require inventive cunning when crafting your squad of heroes, offering 20 Jobs to take on and hundreds of skills to mix and match. While the raw power of a knight or Black Mage can help you in a pinch, smart tacticians will deploy a White Mage for healing, or even a Time Mage for boosting comrades and impeding foes. Our personal favourite is the Summoner Job, magicians with the power to call on godly creatures to turn the tide of battle.
No matter who you take into the fray, or which mode you choose to play in, Final Fantasy Tactics The Ivalice Chronicles is shaping up to be a beautiful remake of a genre classic.
Live an untold legend. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles launches on PS5, PS4 Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S and PC on September 30th. You can pre-order it HERE.
