If you happened to have lived and experienced the golden age of the original Sony PlayStation, chances are you played its stellar catalog of video games – which includes some very memorable Japanese role-playing games that have remained ingrained in the minds and hearts of gamers and fans. Among these highly acclaimed titles is Square Enix’s tactical RPG called “Final Fantasy Tactics” – which is a subseries set outside of the mainline Final Fantasy games and the first to introduce fans to the fictional world of Ivalice. Developed and directed by legendary game designer Yasumi Matsuno and produced by Final Fantasy series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, FF Tactics became a critical and smash hit – and would go on to sell really well following its initial release in mid 1997 in Japan and early 1998 for North America and the rest of the world for the PS1.
Fast forward to nearly three decades later, and FF Tactics is still fondly remembered and cited as one of the greatest video games ever made. The game received an enhanced port for the PlayStation Portable in 2007 called “Final Fantasty Tactics: The War of the Lions” to coincide with the “Ivalice Alliance” initiative Square started that had its games set in that fictional world which included Final Fantasy XII. That version showed potential for expansion and improvements that would help modernize the experience for newer players, and today that idea is further realized with the release of Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles – a stunning remaster that further enhances a certified JRPG classic.
Featuring an updated script, full voice acting in English and Japanese, and enhancements to the gameplay experience, The Ivalice Chronicles is a complete new package that was made to not only modernize a beloved JRPG but also make it accessible to the new generation of gamers who have never played the original game as well. Set in a middle ages styled world where two factions oppose one another for the right to rule the kingdom, tactics follows Ramza Beoulve – a member of a high class family of knights who finds himself embroiled in The War of the Lions and its events that leads him to clash with several forces and individuals while trying to put an end to the conflict. Players primarily follow Ramza on his journey, where he upholds a strong sense of justice despite facing numerous challenges – including crossing paths and ideologies with his childhood friend and fellow knight Delita Heiral.
Much like the original, FF Tactics is played as a turn based strategy game – where players have to navigate through an RPG world full of wonder, exploration, and storytelling. Exploring Ivalice is done through the world map and the progress of the story is determined by players accomplishing main tasks and quests. Battles are done through square tiles and isometric fields in which the player has to strategize and decide on their party’s moves based on the character’s skills and job class. Successfully defeating enemies nets players with experience points and job points – which can be used to upgrade characters and learn new abilities that top up job classes and are mastered to their fullest potential.
Overall, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is a welcomed modernization and rerelease that gives fans new and old a chance to play this classic on PC and modern consoles. While the new gameplay enhancements and voice acting are a big plus that immerses you deeper into this turn based role-playing game experience, players also have the option to play to play the PlayStation Classic as it was – with an autosave function added along with some other modern day fixes to make things more mainstream and convenient. Fans who have always wanted to dive into this gem definitely have no excuse now on how they want to experience this classic. It’s a very solid JRPG package, and it’s readily available physically and digitally for almost every system that’s out there and known to man today.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is available for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 1, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
