Final Fantasy Tactics: The Underdog RPG That Finally Got Its Magical Glow-Up
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles breathes new life into a beloved cult classic, enhancing its deep job system and dark narrative while retaining the challenging, tactical gameplay that made it an outlier in the FF series. It's an underdog story finally getting its well-deserved moment in the spotlight.
Right, so remember that one mate in school who was brilliantly quirky, deeply intelligent, but just a bit... misunderstood? And everyone was obsessed with their super-popular, brooding older sibling? Yeah, that's been Final Fantasy Tactics for decades, standing in the long shadow of its '90s superstar brother, FF7. It stuck to its glorious pixels while everyone else was chasing janky 3D polygons across multiple CD-ROMs. It was notoriously difficult, a proper kick in the teeth in those early battles, sending many a chancer packing.
But here's the kicker: that formidable difficulty, coupled with an intricately deep job system that practically begged you to experiment, allowed it to evolve into an absolute cult classic. A true outlier, like finding a perfectly brewed potion after accidentally turning your cat into a newt. Now, with *Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles*, it seems our beloved underdog is finally getting the grand entrance it always deserved. This new version, somewhere between a remaster and a full-blown remake, has spruced things up with fully voiced dialogue, adjustable difficulty settings (bless 'em!), a much more forgiving battlefield camera, and enhanced graphics that, importantly, still feel true to the original's spirit. Honestly, after trying – and frankly, failing – to get a proper handle on the PS1 version back in the day, I'm starting to understand what all the bloody fuss was about.
This isn't just a pretty face, mind you. *Tactics* plunges you into the boots of young nobleman Ramza Beoulve, who, as nobles in video games often do, finds himself knee-deep in a messy conflict between two rival lords vying for control of the Kingdom of Ivalice after the suspiciously convenient demise of a musty old king. What unfolds is a delightfully convoluted tale of political intrigue, backstabbing, and betrayal that makes Westeros look like a friendly pub brawl. And speaking of *Game of Thrones*, it's fascinating to see how *Tactics* was truly the *Final Fantasy* series' first proper delve into proper dark fantasy, long before *FF16* made it vogue.
The *Ivalice Chronicles* adds a super handy 'State of the Realm' feature, cribbed from *FF16*, which overlays the conflict timeline on a map. Makes keeping track of Ivalice's shifting alliances and double-crosses a fair bit easier than trying to decipher an ancient scroll in the original. Trust me, even after all these years, some of the twists – involving family, mates, and even 'trusted' members of the clergy (because, '90s RPG, innit?) – genuinely surprised me. Plot armor? Nah, mate, doesn't really exist here. Ramza learns pretty quickly that Ivalice is a harsh mistress, especially to those outside the nobility. And to women. And to people outside the church. Honestly, it's pretty unkind to almost everyone, which is, ironically, part of its charm.
Now, a small caveat: while the story's a cracker, there's a *whole lotta yapping* going on. And the dialogue, bless its Shakespearean heart, leans a tad heavy on 'fain' and 'mayhap.' Even with an excellent voice cast, it can feel a bit long-winded. You can fast-forward dialogue, sure, but after your fourth or fifth crack at a particularly brutal battle, you'll be wishing for a full 'skip scene' button, like a wizard trying to fast-forward through a poorly narrated spell chant.
But here's where *Tactics* truly breaks the mold: forget the timeworn RPG cliché about 'the real adventure is the friends we made along the way.' Most *Final Fantasy* games thrive on that emotional tether to a lovable cast, your Tifas and Vivis. *Tactics*? It's a solitary affair. Ramza's journey isn't exactly a party. Most of the main characters aren't even *in* your party; they're family, corrupt priests, pompous lords. Your plot-relevant teammates get a line or two, maybe need rescuing, then largely recede into the background.
Sounds like a criticism, right? But fair dinkum, it absolutely isn't. By de-emphasizing those core character relationships, *Tactics* practically shoves you headfirst into its phenomenal job system, which is where the real magic happens. We're talking two dozen unique character types you can swap between and combine however you fancy. Everyone starts as either a Squire or a Chemist, but you're actively encouraged to bounce between branches. Each job offers unique attacks, reaction abilities (hello, counter-attacks!), passive perks, and movement skills. You can mix and match offensive skills from two jobs, and then pull secondary abilities from *any* job you've learned. It's like having a bottomless bag of wondrous items, each one with surprising synergies.
Want to be a Dragoon leaping across the map, but also capable of slinging powerful summoning spells? Or a sword-wielding healer who can dish out damage while mending wounds? No combination is off-limits, provided you've put in the hours to rank up. Those generic fighters you recruit from a random tavern? They'll probably become your absolute favourites because you literally forge them into *your* ultimate warriors. It's a level of player agency that feels incredibly liberating, like a digital wizard's lab where every experiment yields delightful, destructive results. The balance between job types is immaculate; every one feels genuinely useful with a bit of dedication. I honestly reckon I haven't seen a strategy game do it better, not in nearly 30 years.
Now, about 'leveling up,' you'll be doing a lot of it here, probably more than in recent tactical RPGs like *Fire Emblem: Engage*. Navigating Ivalice's top-down map sees you hitting story points (yellow dots, naturally) interspersed with optional random encounters. This is your playground for job experimentation, for figuring out what team compositions really sing. And yes, it's not truly optional – you *are* expected to grind, even on normal difficulty. You can't just hand-wave the small stuff here, mate. But thankfully, battles are usually short, sharp affairs, with small groups clashing in confined spaces. You're usually commanding four or five units, so there's no dithering about; you're straight into the thick of it.
The small scale means grinding for job experience rarely feels tedious; it feels like thoughtful preparation. It also means if you *haven't* thoughtfully prepared, story battles will promptly hand you your backside. More often than not, a challenging battle just needs a do-over, or a quick rejig of your team's jobs and abilities. I even dropped to the easiest difficulty for a brawl or two where I was completely out of my depth, and even then, it wasn't a cakewalk. This is a phenomenally absorbing strategy game, still unforgiving at times, but utterly brilliant.
Even for a series famed for breaking its own rules, *Tactics* remains a deeply unconventional *Final Fantasy*. But it's one that every fan of the series, and honestly, any strategy RPG enthusiast, ought to experience. And *The Ivalice Chronicles* looks set to be the absolute best way to do just that, releasing on September 30th across Nintendo Switch (and its rumoured sequel!), PlayStation, Windows PC, and Xbox. Prepare to lose yourselves in Ivalice, mates. It's a wild ride.
Tags: Final Fantasy, Tactical RPG, Remake, Gaming News, Strategy
Original article: Polygon