How does one start a review for a game that opened up a whole new world so many years ago? Maybe it would go something like this…

A story as old as time. Or at least as old as anyone born in 1997-1998. When news of the remake surfaced, I was in shock. Shock, joy, and overwhelming nostalgia if we’re being fair. This was the first sort of Tactics RPG I had ever played. This was the game that opened up so many doors for the types of games that I would play. Also the first game that my friends would tell me I was weird for playing but they just didn’t understand why it was so good. So of course, with these memories and emotions, I was nervous. Would they somehow ruin the game I loved so much or would they do it justice? Would some of the issues be resolved or would I still hate some of the camera angles? Does Argath still suck or was that my naivete as a child coming through?

Well let’s answer some of those questions shall we?

Some overall good…

This Final Fantasy Tactics review was completed on Steam. It’s worth mentioning because the game ran so incredibly smooth, it felt like the game was always meant for Steam. At no point were there strange unexplainable glitches or game breaking bugs. I did play just a bit with mouse and keyboard but quickly went back to controller. You’re welcome to play however you feel best doing so, but it still did feel like a game for controller.

There were no crazy loading times and I could keep going from one thing to the next with little to pull me out of the moment. With a game like Final Fantasy Tactics, it feels important to maintain a state of flow. Getting into the right groove during combats is important as you have to be thinking at least two steps ahead. This is true for both the combat and the party upgrade system.

It’s not perfect…

That doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. What can, and sometimes did, pull me out of the story telling was one strange enhancement I would’ve expected to be there. The fact that the auto-advance on dialogue, especially in the Ivalice Chronicles version did not stick. Each time the scene would change, you’d have to turn on the auto advance again. This seems like a strange mechanic to not include in 2025 when most games allow you to choose this pretty early on in the game.

Another bit when it comes to the story scenes was there was no option to skip dialogue you’ve already seen. Your only option was the fast forward through the scenes, although some would still be fairly lengthy. Especially if you’ve done your grinding and are just ready to take down Wiegraf and his annoying crew of beasts. If you know, then you know the exact fight I’m referring to.

What was frustrating was some of the angles to place your characters and actions on. Why are we still locked into four angles? Can we not just nudge the camera ever so slightly to see a better vantage point? Yes we can see from above, which is fine when there isn’t an overpass or a bridge. It would also be great if it wasn’t viewing it from somewhere in between these angles. This isn’t a huge complaint, but occasionally there are buildings and boxes and other items that make it slightly annoying. Again there are the ways to view from above and the sides but its not a perfect system.

The Voice Acting

This was one of the big changes with the Ivalice Chronicles and for a moment I wasn’t sure how to feel. Would I miss giving the characters voices in my own head? When Ben Star spoke would I only be able to hear Clive and feel transported to the wrong Final Fantasy? Thankfully, my concerns came and went as quickly. All of the voice actors seemed to fit the roles of the characters they portrayed. I didn’t hate any of the voice actors in fact they brought the characters further to feeling real than my imagination ever could.

That also meant hating Argath even more early on. Having played the game upon its first release I remembered which characters got under my skin. He was one. Of course I also felt for Delita, played by Gregg Lowe, as he navigated a world he was a part of but didn’t quite belong and now saw himself against our hero Ramza, his once friend. Ramza is voiced by Joe Pitts who is a relative new comer to the scene. This is Pitts third role in a video game and it seems he’s a natural. He holds his own against Ben Starr’s version of Dycedarg (Ramza’s brother) and veteran Timothy Watson as Orlandeau.

Of course, Starr and Watson aren’t the only ones returning to another Final Fantasy franchise. When the opportunity to recruit Cloud appears, Cody Christian gets to make another appearance as Cloud Strife. Whether you recruit him or not, you do get the opportunity to meet him in game if you are doing all the sidequests. Cloud isn’t the only Final Fantasy VII character to make an appearance. You’ll meet a flower peddler as well and that voice actress is of course Briana White. So yes, Aerith somehow exists in this universe as well. A few easter eggs for fans of Final Fantasy overall.

What’s Missing

For those who had a PSP, they were able to play Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions. Consider this a more enhanced version of an already great game as this brought in new jobs and more characters. Unfortunately, this is missing from the Ivalice Chronicles. This is truly an upgrade to the vanilla version of Final Fantasy Tactics. However, this also makes it feel like an incomplete “complete” edition.

Perhaps that was the point and we’ll see another update or remake in the coming years with more content. This wouldn’t be unheard of in the JRPG sphere as Final Fantasy VII had Remake and then Intergrade come out as the enhanced version. While I hope this won’t be the case, I’m not sure I’ll be proven wrong. As someone who never played that, it isn’t the biggest deal. However, it would have been nice to have the additional bits.

Of course if they had included War of the Lions content, we would’ve had an opportunity for Balthier from Final Fantasy XII to appear. Instead, we only get Cloud and Aerith. I’m not complaining, but it might’ve been nice to have even more cross over.

In an interview on the Square Enix website, Square Enix and Creative Unit III’s Kazutoyo Maehiro shared that “the original version of Final Fantasy Tactics is a very complete game both from a game design and story perspective. If we were to make major changes, it would only be a loss for not only fans of the original game, but also those new to the title.” I’m not quite sure that I agree it would be a loss, but do feel the option to have it all in a game that feels almost definitive would have been ideal. There easily could’ve been a third option to include War of the Lions when choosing between the two options on the main screen.

So Gameplay and Story?

It’s always interesting trying to review a remake, as the game play and the story hasn’t quite changed since it’s initial release. Although there are some improvements such as the before mentioned being able to view the field from above. While you can’t skip cut scenes you’ve already seen, you can speed up battles with a fast forward button. You also won’t need to worry about always restarting a battle if you make one wrong move. The game will have an auto save during battles feature. Yes, that means you may have quite a few saves along the way but all meant to be helpful!

The tactical or chess board like game play is what may people remember. Find the best spot on the field for your next move, anticipate what the enemy will do, and set yourself up for success. Having a variety of classes on the field is usually a good strategy. Alternatively, perhaps you’ll find that a group of beasts and monsters are more your style instead of humans with different classes. No matter what you bring onto the battlefield, you’ll notice that the game play is a little bit slow. It does take time for the characters to walk over and take their actions. Even when pressing the fast forward, the movement is still a bit slow so be sure to set some time when you get into battles.

Throughout the game if you want to level up different people in their classes without bringing them into battle, it’s good to visit each town and take on any errands at the tavern. This is the best way to get some of your other characters job experience without randomly running around the map. Granted, it will not be a ton, but it will be helpful through the game to have a variety of classes as you run through.

You might also want to add some non-human companions to your line up. This is still a viable option just be sure to be mindful of your capacity for recruits. With Chocobos laying eggs just about every four days, you’ll have way more chocobos in no time. While playing and just trying to get through some errands, I found myself with about 15 chocobos very quickly. Keep an eye on your recruits and make sure you’re maximizing your options.

The story is unchanged from the original game: lies, deception, family gone wrong, and stones that lead to unimaginable power and often corruption. After the fifty year war, Ivalice is trying to recover. Unfortunately, it’s not easy. After the death of the ruler of Ivalice we find ourselves with two candidates for the throne. Of course, that means there are two groups looking to get their chosen candidate on the throne. We find ourselves then dealing with the two sides at war and our main character Ramza is stuck somewhere in the middle. After throwing aside his ties to nobility, he begins his journey which leads him to find quite a cast of characters. Once you toss in the idea of Zodiac Stones for ultimate power and a Church that lies, just know that nothing is ever the same for Ramza.

While this reviewer is well aware the story is almost 30 years old, we won’t be spoiling the story for anyone who has yet to play. The story at times can be confusing if you’re not paying close attention. Who is in alliance with who, what are these factions, who is a traitor? Yet overall, it’s a great story. Draw yourself a chart if you need to, just keep in mind there are a lot of names and a lot of characters.

Some Things You Should Know

If you want to play the vanilla version of the game, that is possible with Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. However, its worth noting you can only get the achievements by playing the updated version. I do think it is fun to see how far the graphics have come. You can also see the tiny tweaks with some of the AI in the game. Also, there are difficulty levels in the version that feel more in line with what we’d expect difficult levels to resemble.

You’ll want to be sure you have plenty of time to get through the game in it’s entirety. A quick run can still easily take you about 40 hours, but if you’re a completionist, it could even be close to double. When I say completing it, that is not only the side quests but also leveling up plenty of characters to their final class, collecting each time of monster to join your ranks, and every errand available to you and your party at the tavern. Some people may also choose to have Ramza or another character master every class. This is also an achievement.

Overall

My first playthrough took about 40 hours to complete. This included a few side quests but not having someone learn all the classes. So for those who are achievement hunters, expect to spend easily another 10 hours of game time. This isn’t a bad thing, it just is a bit grindy as many JRPGs tend to be. However, the grind doesn’t feel too bad as it also means time to potentially recruit new characters, send characters on missions to find treasures and make money, and just enjoy the combat. Of course, the game isn’t perfect as it would be quite difficult to be perfect but it is a fantastic game worth your time. If you haven’t had the opportunity to dive into Final Fantasy Tactics because it was “old” or “didn’t look good” graphically, now is the time.

The story is still quite good compared to it’s initial release. The small tweaks to the localization with the addition of voice acting adds a nice layer of immersion to the story as well. Overall the game is as good as this reviewer remembers. With an entry like this, one can only hope that perhaps Final Fantasy will revisit the Tactics IP and perhaps even give us a brand new game in the series.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles was released September 30, 2025 on PlayStation, Switch Consoles, Steam, and Xbox. For purposes of the review the game was played on PC (Steam). Gamer Social Club would like to thank Square Enix for the review code.