Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles - Switch 2 Review

Originally released in 1997 for the PS1, Final Fantasy Tactics was the first in the turn-based tactics subgenre of Final Fantasy games. With Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Square Enix has brought us a remake of the original for the modern-day consoles, once again telling the grand story of warring kingdoms in the land of Ivalice through the medium of grid-based battles.

The Good

While previous ports of the original (for PSP and iOS/Android) made some updates, this is a true remake from the ground up. Graphics are updated while still lovingly evoking the original pixel style, the sound design and music are remastered, and most notably and pleasingly, the game is now fully voice acted, with script updates to suit. All these cosmetic changes really help to enhance the impact of the storytelling and the overall plot itself – a terrific, epic tale of warring kingdoms, feuding families and class struggles. 

And for those purists who want to experience the original in its 90s pixel glory (it was only ever released in Japan and North America after all), then the original version is also included in the package as a separate game.

Perhaps even more appreciable than the presentation updates are a myriad of quality-of-life changes that focus on the accessibility and fluidity of the game. From small things like autosaves, equipment management or undoing movement misclicks, to larger overhauls of the interface and controls, these updates all make FFT:TIC feel more in line with today's standards and much more pleasant and straightforward to play (especially for newcomers).

All of these updates and retextures sit on top of a turn-based tactics system that didn't need any updating in the first place. The battles themselves, taking place on small isometric grid maps, require careful planning and execution – weather, elevation, star signs and more will all have an impact on your choices. The job system, a Final Fantasy staple, leads to a huge range of strategic possibilities to explore mixing and matching skills and party comps. It also incentivises you to invest in your characters across the vast playtime, making the threat of losing a character (there's perma-death) much more scary.

TL;DR

• Classic Tactics gameplay still excellent 
• Many useful quality of life enhancements
• Remastered visuals and sound

The Bad

It may be more accessible than before, but FFT:TIC is still a complicated game: it has a lot of complex systems and is also hard as nails. Even at normal difficulty, to beat the tougher stages, you'll have to both grind to level up your party and master all the interacting systems in battle. It is a game that requires an investment of time and brainpower and may cause some to bounce off the game before they can get fully into it.

A prior remake of FFT, 2007's War of the Lions, did include extra content – cutscenes, characters, and job classes – not in the original game, and for reasons unknown, they are not included here. While the lack of War of the Lions’ multiplayer mode is reasonable, excluding the gameplay content feels a bit churlish for what could/should be the ‘complete’ edition.

TL;DR

• May be overly complex and difficult for some
• The remaster doesn't contain previously released content

Final Score: 9/10

Already a stone-cold classic of the genre, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is now the definitive version of Final Fantasy Tactics. The quality of life improvements and modernisations make it accessible for modern-day newcomers while not compromising the deep, tactical gameplay the series is known for. A loving and reverential remaster, fans of the original won’t find much new, but it’s better to play than ever.

Thank you for checking out our Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Switch review, thank you to Square Enix (via Bandai Namco AU) for providing the review code and thank you to our Patreon Backers for their ongoing support:

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