Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles brings back an absolute classic for a new generation

Final Fantasy Tactics lived only in lore and legend when I was a child. A victim of the Pal vs NTSC analogue tv technology era, the game was never released outside of NTSC territories, making it nearly impossible for my tween hands to get a hold of in late 90s Australia.

And so the myth and legend of Final Fantasy Tactics took root in my brain, a turn-based strategy epic set in universe of Final Fantasy, one of big decisive battles, world-shaking plots involving corrupt kingdoms and powerful religious institutions plus chocobos, shiva snapping her fingers and a job system that included the dragoons, black mages and other staples.

While FFT was eventually released in PAL territories with the 2007 ‘War Of The Lions’ remaster for PSP, it has remained a cult hit bubbling away at the base of the RPG discourse pool, whispered about amongst fans of turn-based and RPG games for the better part of two and a half decades.

Perhaps it’s this longevity and love for the game that makes this new remaster Final Fantasy: The Ivalice Chronicles (known lovingly amongst fans as TIC TACS) feel so special.  At last, the game is widely available for everyone, no longer banished to an ageing portable console or the domain of modding and emulators.  

So does it hold up to the expectations, and does the remaster do justice to the original experience?

For the purists who want to experience the most close-to-original experience, TIC TACS offers an ‘original’ edition of the game, complete with lo-fi graphics, and most of the balance changes and tweaks of the remaster taken out. 

The only difference from it’s PS1 counterpart is this version of the game uses the updated and vastly improved PSP translation for the story script.

For those wanting a fresh coat of paint; TIC TACS’ remastered option features full voice acting, updated graphics and some intriguing balance changes to certain under performing classes (hello archer, I’m looking at you).

The voice acting stands out as one of the most impactful additions, bringing a theatrical, almost stage-play performance to the proceedings. Remember those British accents from FFXII? Well they’re back along with an excellent performance from FFXVI’s Ben Starr (aka Clive), in a particularly hammy role.

It's the gameplay that really shines brightest however, with an addictive strategic combat and character building system taking centre stage.  Tactics’ battles are small in scale, with the player often fielding out only 5 units (with the occasional extra guest/npc along for the ride), which means investing in building a core band of party members who can flexibly answer multiple problems that arise on the battlefield.

The game’s job system allows for a mix-and-match approach to building your army, letting characters equip passive skills, reaction moves and skill-sets from other jobs alongside their main class. Want a ninja who punches everyone to death with their fists or a dragoon who leaps into battle only to steal your opponents armor? There’s endless options for building out your squad of main heroes.

There’s also a deep monster poaching, breeding & combat system to play around with ( field creatures  in battle if you so choose, or chop them up and sell their bodies for rare items) and some true crunchy depth to the game’s faith and bravery mechanics and stats. 

It all rewards a player’s increasing knowledge of the game's systems with the ability to break open the game’s battle system and combat in new, exciting ways.  Perhaps this is what’s allowed Tactics to have such longevity over the years.

It’s also hard not to compare TIC TACS to Yasumi Matsuno’s other beloved strategy series, Tactics Ogre and its 2022 remaster re-release, Tactics Ogre: Reborn.  Indeed, the two projects seem born with the same goal: to rejuvenate interest in Square Enix’s flagship tactical rpg series and introduce them to a new generation.

While Tactics Ogre focused on larger scale battles (fielding teams of 12 units in most bigger battles), TIC TACS’ mix of familiar classes from final fantasy lore and smaller scale-fights makes it an immediately more accessible affair for those wanting to dip their toe into the world of strategy RPG games.

While there’s no new content in TIC TACS, and this remaster is missing a few elements from the War Of The Lions PSP edition, the fresh coat of paint and reverence treated to capturing the original energy of the game makes this a fantasy epic well worth diving into.

A copy of Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles on PC was provided to SIFTER for the purpose of this review.