Final Fantasy Tactics The Ivalice Chronicles | REVIEW | PC/STEAM

''A RETURN OF A CLASSIC''

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Developed: Square-Enix

Published: Square-Enix

Genre: Tactical RPG

Release Date: Sept 30th, 2025

Platforms: PS5/Xbox Family/PC/NSW/NSW 2

*Review copy provided to me by Square-Enix

Final Fantasy Tactics The Ivalic Chronicles is a return of a classic that is developed and published by Square-Enix. It seems like Square-Enix nowadays is only capable of releasing hit after hit from big budget to small budget titles and now they decide its time to revitalize another classic for all fans to enjoy. But is this one of those titles that shouldn't be touched no matter what? or another one ready for the win column? Only one way to find out, so lets go!

''I CAN SHOW YOU THE WORLD''

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GAMEPLAY:

How many outright bangers has Square-Enix come out with just in the last few years? I've lost count at this point because its just become absolutely absurd. Square-Enix's rise and their fall and then their resurgence has been a thing of beauty to watch and reminds me a lot of the same trial and tribulations that Capcom went through many years ago before finally getting their act together and then they too began their huge comeback with nothing but banger after banger after banger to show for their efforts. Unlike me who is sitting here late at night doing this review thinking of nothing but BURGER AFTER BURGER AFTER BURGER...man I could really go for some McDonalds right now... but its way too late to stuff my face, so I should really just concentrate on Tactics review instead. Its been 28 whole years since Final Fantasy Tactics first graced are screens in 1997 and ever since then, for the most part, its never really left our brains or our core memories since then. Sure we've had other games similar to it either by Square-Enix themselves or by other companies capitalizing on the nostalgia it brings by mimicking its game play, but even while similar, it still wasnt OUR Final Fantasy Tactics. I mean we've had Square-Enix themselves attempt to recreate the experience we had with the original experience in 1997 by giving is War Of The Lions on PSP in 2007, but still, even a bit updated with some new characters added, it still, at least for me, didnt scratch the itch I watched from a Final Fantasy Tactics title. But then again, I'm not a big hand held person, so I can't say I spent a ton of time with it on PSP or even titles like Grimoire Of The Rift on Nintendo DS. I'm mostly just a console and PC type of girl who prefers leaning back like World Of Warcraft guy from South Park, eating my chips and relaxing in my chair to play a game, rather than staring down at a hand held for over 3 hours and then my neck getting stiff as a board like someone accidentally getting Viagra stuck in their throat. The original Final Fantasy Tactics game gained notoriety for several reasons, obviously its addicting strategy gameplay was one of those reasons, especially for me who loves tactical rpgs, but its expansive story as well went outside the realm of what you'd expect from a tactical game, making it very unique at a very interesting point in time since that same year, Square-Enix was also busy breaking ground in the storytelling department with a juggernaut you MIGHT have heard of, a little something called Final Fantasy 7. Two two different styled of RPG's, both having extensive story sagas? that's some work of Black Materia if I ever saw it, DID SEPHIROTH DO THIS!?.

At its core here in Ivalice Chronicles, the title retains that classic tactical gameplay, class system, maintaining the strategy mechanics of the battle system of your grid fighting combat, but also at the same time, adding in new things like quality of life changes that increase fluidity of the gameplay. Such as saving being way less of a chore considering random encounters can be a nuisance in the original and stop you when you at least expect it, and at the same time also adding in additional side tasks to hold of, so now when you obtain a new recruit, skills are heightened to a level above what they were in 1997 as well. The point? simple, better skills way quicker that allow you to form better builds EARLY rather than spending those same early hours grinding your butt off and potentially getting bored and want to stop playing, like many other RPG's of that generation tend to do. Thankfully I don't care about the grind as I'm a masochist who grinded for 12 hours straight in Final Fantasy 11, only to die one time and lose over 1 million EXP and de-level down to my previous level, completely negating the progress I made during those 12 hours. So what I did I do? break my keyboard? nope, smash a vase? nope, drop kick my neighbor down the stairs again? nope, well I mean yeah, but that was un-related to this. Instead I just got up, grabbed a soda and chips and sat back down... and did it ALL OVER AGAIN... and like Lloyd Christmas says, ''YOU ARE ONE PATHETIC LOSER''. Thatssss meeeee. Everyone is not me though, you all merely adapted to the grind, I was born in it, molded by it. However, don't get it twisted, just because its more streamlined in the skill department and quality of life areas, does not mean its easier than normal, cause trust me, its not, you're still going to get your ass kicked left and right due to how hard some the ''boss'' fights are or making the wrong strategic move that ended up costing you the game of tactical combat chess. That's where using your actual brain comes in, its not a game where you can just mindlessly over power yourself to win the day and instead use your grid management to your utmost advantage to think about where to hit your enemy from, when is the right time to heal someone, what distance to keep your weaker characters and where to position characters who have skill sets that may be a bit better from a distance, the list goes on and on because no battle you face will be the same as a previous one and it constantly forces you and challenges you to think outside the box like a real strategist trying to get the upper hand in a war - and I think that's what makes this game not only addicting, but why even nearly 30 years later, still remains on top as one of the greatest tactical games of all time, you just cant go wrong with it in the game play department. Its not all rainbows though, some people had reservations about this game even getting a remaster or update at all because the old sprite system is so endearing and honestly its perfect in its own right, and in some respects, I kind of agree with them as sometimes I can be a bit of a purist, just see my reactions to the plot ghosts in Final Fantasy remake series. THOSE. STUPID. DUMB PLOT GHOSTS. I HATE YOU.

Honestly though, the new graphics updated in this version aren't bad at all and still retains that cute aesthetic that we all remember, but if you still want to cry till you throw up because of it, then you'll be happy to know that you can still get your pixelated goodness on via the original game itself being bundled into the mix, allowing both fans of modern takes and engines to get their fill in the updated version and then long time veterans and purists to able to have their preference play out as well, even though the old school style still holds up great with the coloring and sharpness brought to the modern version that still pays great homage to the original games aesthetic.. but hey, at least you have an option... which Square-Enix has been great out recently in recent remakes and remasters at giving us the player. Another thing purist might find annoying but I actually found awesome, is the games voice acting and overall dialogue that not only serves to help people that ''hate'' to read during RPG's with mountains of text, now are able to listen to full fledged voice acting that immerses the player even further due to the quality of the voice acting. It makes what was great in the original, amplifies it and makes the story and context of the story even greater than it was 28 years ago, vastly improving on its playability because of it. Those are some of the ''perceived'' negatives that I feel people COULD dislike due to purist attitude, but some stuff that even non-purists might dislike is abandonment of things related to War Of The Lions that people tended to enjoy such as adding in special characters like War Of The Lions did or specific plot related quests that opened up the game further for players enjoyment, those staples of the PSP title are not present here in Ivalice Chronicles, but for me personally, doesn't hurt the overall game itself when its all said and done and the credits start rolling.

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''EAT LIGHTNING AND CRAP THUNDER!''

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OVERALL:

At the end of the day Final Fantasy Tactics The Ivalice Chronicles ends up a fantastic time, barring the negatives some purist might have or the reduction of some War Of The Lions features, however with engaging tactical combat that makes you use your wits, option to choose between new and older graphical style with bundling in the original game, superb voice acting that immerses the player more in this world, faster and earlier skill system that helps players ease into the title quicker rather than making you grind, difficulty that keeps you on the edge of your seat, etc etc - everything when adding all the positives up just reinforces how good not only the original title was in 1997, but further proves that even in 2025, with Ivalice Chronicles, that Final Fantasy Tactics still belongs squarely on top of the list as a top tier tactical RPG. So with all that having been said, my verdict is clear, GameNChidk says BUY NOW

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