Final Fantasy Tactics has been due for an update for modern platforms, and Square Enix set to deliver with the release of Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. From visual enhancements, the addition of spoken dialogue and more, the company went all out with this new release. Fans have also been loving it - the game has already surpassed one million units sold worldwide as of December 31, 2025. Is this updated version of the classic something that’s just for hardcore fans, or is this something that anyone can enjoy? We get into all of that and more in this review. Let’s get into it.
Note
With this remaster of Final Fantasy Tactics, Square Enix has not only opted to deliver a cleaned up version of the game with better graphics and voice acting via the Enhanced version, they have also included a somewhat cleaned up version of the classic game. For the purpose of this review, while I did tackle the classic version just a little bit, my main focus here is with the Enhanced version.
Story
Just as the name suggests, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles takes place in a world called Ivalice. Being told from the perspective of a historian looking to uncover the untold story of the land, Tactics revolves around the exploits of Ramza Beoulve, a young nobleman who is working his way to becoming a knight alongside his childhood friend Delita Hyral. The world has just seen the end of an extremely long war and is on the brink of more chaos. Tactics tells a tale of political conflict, religious fervor, societal strife, class warfare, friendship and more. Without giving anything away, the story beats here are top notch with complexities that are hard to come by in games nowadays, let alone one that was originally released in 1997. The dialogue between characters is well thought out, the concerns of the people of the realm understandable and the political scheming believable. In an era where “mature” games mainly meant blood or sexual innuendo, Final Fantasy Tactics turns this on its head with a believable, deep story (with some fantastical elements) that stands the test of time.
Gameplay
I’m pretty sure that most of you out there already know this, but just in case, Final Fantasy Tactics is a turn based/grid-based strategy game. Players will have to make use of the various abilities of their characters to defeat their enemies in battle. Being a Final Fantasy title, a lot of familiar abilities, creatures and naming conventions are present. You’ll see chocobos, black mages, goblins, thieves and many others. It’s a great mix.
For beginners, it will take a little bit of time to get used to battles. However, there are a few things to keep in mind if you’re more used to traditional Final Fantasy titles. First up, after the battles, your party will be completely healed and will no longer have any status effects. Additionally, on the battlefield, actions or movements won’t be locked in until after you confirm your action for your turn. This is great for trying to see what kind of range you have for movement, magic or other attacks. Terrain and weather also play a part in battles. If your unit’s jump ability is too low, for example, you may not be able to reach your opponent directly and have to opt for a more roundabout route.
Death is at every turn in Tactics, even if you know what you’re doing. If you go into a battle too hastily, you can find yourself down and out pretty quickly. Your party members can even be killed permanently, though the game can be pretty forgiving with this aspect. If one of your party members dies in battle, you will have four rounds to revive them or they are lost for good. The same also goes for enemies.
The job system in Tactics is one of the best elements of the game. Being an RPG, leveling also plays a part in Tactics. Not only this, but outside of the base character level, each of the jobs will also earn Job Points (JP) which levels up the job in question and provides what is essentially currency that can be used to learn new abilities. Additional jobs can be unlocked by reaching certain levels in your current job class. Although you can only be assigned one job at a time, you are able to assign a secondary ability correlating to a previously learned job class. Not only this, but you can also carry over abilities learned in previous jobs and equip them as you please on top of this. There are some really great combinations that can be crafted here, so playing around with multiple job classes is key.
A world map is available in Tactics but it is unlike most world maps you find in Final Fantasy titles. Players are limited to moving to towns and various points via preset points on the map. Cities and towns are also places where you can visit shops, check out the latest rumors, recruit new characters and a few other things. Missions are clearly labeled on the world map so you’ll always know where you need to go next. As you make your way around, you will occasionally run into random encounters. In this enhanced version, you can choose to tackle these head on as they come up or, alternatively, skip them entirely. You are also able to initiate them by yourself by selecting one of the nodes on the map - perfect if you are looking to grind JP or gain levels. Purists may dislike that you can skip the battles, but I think the flexibility is great as you can play the game on your own terms.
Tactics is an extremely dense game and if you’re looking to get the best out of your team, you will likely be in the menus quite a bit outside of battle. I found this quite enjoyable as you really have to think about how you want to craft your team in terms of abilities and jobs. When you make an absolute powerhouse soldier, it can be extremely satisfying. If you’re feeling lost or looking for advice, the game even has sections in the menu that provides tips for various aspects of the game.
Errands & Side Quests
Starting in Chapter 2, you will gain the ability to run “errands” from the taverns throughout Ivalice. These ask for up to three members from your party to take on a variety of tasks to help folks out. This requires that these members be away from your party for a certain number of days (days pass by moving in between towns and areas), which might make it tough if you don’t have a large number of party members. Even with that said, skipping the random battles or just avoiding story related elements of the game altogether when doing this (which is what I would suggest) is a way to avoid being overwhelmed. Purists may hate this, but I think the flexibility is great.
The harshest result for these is failure, however, this will not kill any members of your party or anything like that. Even if you do fail, you can always try the Errand again. Taking on and completing these is a great way to earn some JP and work on unlocking new jobs. Not only this, but some of these are pretty interesting or even a bit humorous at times. On top of these, even later in the game, “Side Quests” also appear that can bring in new party members and offer more challenging battles. Both the Errands and Side Quests aren’t necessary, but the benefits of bringing in more JP to unlock new jobs or bring in new characters can clearly help prepare you for some of the more challenging battles in the late game sections.
Difficulty
For the enhanced version and as a way to appeal to both hardcore fans or entice new players, three difficulty levels (Squire, Knight, Tactician) are on offer. This can be changed from the in-game options menu while you’re on the field. Regardless of the difficulty level played, the content will remain exactly the same. I’m nowhere near familiar enough to try out Tactician mode, but I played the majority of Tactics on the base Knight difficulty, but did kick it down to Squire (easy) to see the difference. Basically, your units will hit harder and take less damage, which can make some of the fights quite easy. Some people might complain, but I think this addition is a great way to appeal to gamers of all skill levels and encourage more to not only try it out but also complete the game.
Bonus Items for Pre-order or Deluxe Edition
I picked up a physical version of Tactics on the Nintendo Switch. This is sold as the “Deluxe Edition” and offers a few extras AND since I picked it up early enough, I also got the pre-order bonuses with the game as well. If you get these, you can get them implemented into your game by first entering your code on the eShop and then going to the main menu in-game and activate them there. These are mostly cosmetic, but a few pieces of equipment are also available.
Visuals, Audio & Presentation
Just like the original release, The Ivalice Chronicles features 2D sprite characters inside of 3D environments. The enhanced version looks considerably better, with sprites and environments featuring more detail and even offering a light depth of field effect (on by default, but can be toggled off). Although many (myself included) were wanting to see games featuring cutting edge polygonal visuals back in the day, I really enjoy seeing this mix of 2D and 3D, even more so now. It’s not the only game to feature such visuals, but the style is something that is great to see and helps set the game apart visually. On top of this, the game runs at a very solid framerate on the Nintendo Switch 2 in both docked and handheld. I did play Ivalice Chronicles a little bit on the Switch 1 (as I have a physical Switch 1 version and opted to get the free Switch 2 upgrade), and things were more or less the same. The only difference I noticed was that the game would sometimes stutter from time to time. Even with that said, it wasn’t a big deal and likely won’t bother too many gamers.
Sound is also a strong point of The Ivalice Chronicles. I do wish that there were a bit more variety with the soundtrack, but what is on offer is still very good. Even better than the music are the phenomenal voice acting performances. While I did initially start playing the game in Japanese, I changed it to English early on and didn’t look back. The game in its entirety is fully voiced and just fantastic. Whether it be impassioned pleas from Ramza, scoffs from Gaffgarion, the pompousness of the Beoulve older brothers or some of the more sinister deliveries from enemies later in the game, the voice work is fantastic.
The cutscenes that were included with the PSP release of the game can be found in this remaster. Having not played that version of the game at all, I was pleasantly surprised to see these. They take the great art style that was originally made for the game and bring them to life in animated form. These are few and far between, and unfortunately can only be activated after the in-game cutscene takes place, which is one of my few complaints with this game. Still, it was awesome to see these here as they help to solidify The Ivalice Chronicles as the definitive version of the game from a visual standpoint.
Collector’s Corner
Since I enjoyed Tactics so much, I went ahead and tracked down the Japanese versions of the original PlayStation version from 1997 and PSP release from 2007. Currently, these are pretty easy to come by and are relatively inexpensive. My PS1 copy of the game comes with everything, including the original case, manual, bonus disc and a special Ramza card. My PSP version is the standard version here, and doesn’t really come with anything special. Also, given that the PSP instruction manual/leaflet tab is so narrow, the manual has been slightly damaged. Still, things are in great shape. These will likely be a bit more expensive if you’re looking to collect North American or European versions, but the Japanese versions are a great add to any collection if you have the means to acquire them.
Conclusion
The awesome story, solid gameplay, great voice acting and quality of life improvements make this version of Final Fantasy Tactics THE version to own. Sure, this game might not appeal to everyone out there, but if you have been on the fence on trying out Tactics over the years like I was, are curious about the game, or are looking to go back to a bonafide classic, this is the most accessible version out there.
But, let’s turn things over to you guys. Did you play a lot of Tactics back in the day? Did you pick up this new remaster? What character from the game do you like the best? Personally, I really thought Gaffgarion was a great character and am torn on him and Orlandeau. Sound off in the comments down below. We’d love to hear from you.
Final Score: 9.5
by Danny Bivens
No comments:
Post a Comment