Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Review – A Timeless Classic, Perfected

by

Being a longtime fan of strategy games – I’ve played almost every notable (and not-so-notable) tactics RPG out there – and a lifelong Final Fantasy enthusiast, Final Fantasy Tactics has always been a gap in my gaming experience. I knew it had a fantastic reputation, but I never actually played it. So, the announcement of Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles was really exciting – a well-made update to the beloved classic that would finally give me a chance to experience what so many people still enjoy today.

Like many older games revisited years later, I expected to enjoy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, but also to find flaws in its gameplay or story that had been improved upon by newer games in the genre. So, I was surprised when, in 2025, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles actually stood out as potentially the best game of its kind currently available.

What really made this game special, though, was its writing and how the story was told – particularly when it first released.

It’s not an exaggeration at all – particularly considering how much this classic has been refined with the Ivalice Chronicles update. This update includes many quality-of-life improvements without altering the fundamental gameplay, and Final Fantasy Tactics’ enduring quality becomes clear right away.

As a huge fan, I have to say that Tactics just feels better to play than most games in the genre, even now. It’s all down to the amazing level design – the way you move around and use the high ground is so unique. Plus, the characters and classes are perfectly balanced, and the job system is incredibly flexible. And, it really pioneered a lot of the mechanics we see in these types of games. Honestly, the strong map design lets you think on your feet, and combined with that incredible balance in the core gameplay, it makes Tactics one of the most challenging and engaging tactics games out there.

Honestly, what *really* made this game special, especially when it first came out, was the story and how it was written. And The Ivalice Chronicles is just mind-blowing in that regard. They’ve definitely improved the script over time, adding a lot more content and polishing what was already there, but the heart of the original story is still incredibly strong. It’s that solid foundation that lets all the new additions and extra details actually *enhance* the writing and make it even better.

It’s fair to say that Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, in its current form, is among the most well-written games ever created. The recent localization is a major factor – the writing, as I’ve consistently praised, is flawless, allowing the game’s world to feel truly vibrant and effectively building tension as the story and plot unfold. Ivalice Chronicles increases the original game’s script by 60%, but surprisingly, this isn’t due to new cutscenes, content, or chapters – it’s entirely the result of more detailed dialogue.

Adding to the issue is the voice acting – a new feature in the Ivalice Chronicles – which isn’t quite as strong as the quality of the writing and dialogue itself.

This game features a lot of dialogue – if you dislike lengthy cutscenes, with characters exchanging witty remarks and debating complex ideas for many minutes on end, it might try your patience. Adding to this issue is the voice acting – a new addition to the Ivalice Chronicles series – which unfortunately isn’t quite as strong as the quality of the writing and dialogue itself.

Many characters come across as unengaged, missing the vocal variety you’d anticipate in their situations, or sounding as if they’re just reciting their lines. They don’t react to other characters or the events around them, and lack emotional depth. Interestingly, this doesn’t appear to be a budget issue-the voice actors for the main characters are excellent and fully capable of delivering outstanding performances. The problem likely lies more with the direction than anything else.

If the voices bother you, you can skip the dialogue, but I recommend listening to it because the story is so good. Besides that, Ivalice Chronicles has added many other enhancements, such as faster battles, improvements to the user interface and quality of life, and updated graphics and presentation.

It’s great that this package includes the classic game in the version that most fans remember and enjoy, making it easily available to play.

It’s a bit of a bummer, but these improvements are only available in the Ivalice Chronicles mode. If I want to experience the amazing War of the Lions script and translation that everyone loves, I have to switch to the “Classic” version. That means going back to the older version of the game, and it doesn’t just remove the new translation and voice acting – it takes away all the other updates too!

It’s great that this package makes the classic game so readily available, preserving the experience that many fans originally loved – it’s exactly the approach I’d like to see more remasters and re-releases take. However, I wish there was more customization, like the ability to combine updates and improvements – for instance, letting me use the War of the Lions translation alongside the gameplay enhancements.

So, those features aren’t actually in the game as it released, which is a bit of a bummer. I guess getting them to work properly would have been a huge undertaking – way more work than they wanted to put into just a re-release. It’s entirely possible it would have taken a ton of extra development time and resources, and they probably figured it wasn’t worth it. Honestly, I can understand that, even if I wish they were included!

There are also a few drawbacks. Although I still believe Ivalice Chronicles is currently the best tactics game available, it could have benefited from features found in other games of this type. For example, an undo function – allowing you to replay just one turn instead of the entire battle – or a basic dialogue history (to review any conversations you might have skipped) would have been really useful.

Considering how solid and complete the main gameplay experience is right now, this is one of the simplest and most straightforward games I can recommend.

Okay, so there are a few small things that bug me – the voice acting isn’t always amazing, and sometimes the game throws a *lot* of text at you. But honestly, those are just minor gripes. What really stands out is the story – it’s seriously the best story the Final Fantasy franchise has *ever* told. And it’s not just the story, the gameplay is incredible too – it’s easily one of the most fun and engaging tactics games I’ve played, maybe the best ever. It really just all comes together so well.

I used to believe the story and writing were enough reason for any fan of games as an art form to experience this title – few games tell a story as well as Tactics does. However, with the gameplay being so solid and complete now, it’s become one of my simplest and strongest recommendations.

Are you someone who enjoys compelling narratives in video games? Then you really should try this game. Do you appreciate strategy, tactical gameplay, or turn-based systems? You should definitely check this game out. And if you’re a fan of Final Fantasy? Absolutely, you have to check this game out. Final Fantasy Tactics attempts a lot – and, even almost thirty years after its release, it consistently stands out as one of the very best at almost everything it tries to achieve.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Read More

2025-09-29 19:15