Re-releasing a classic game isn’t as easy as you might think. People often talk about preservation, but in many ways, that issue has been largely solved. You can just download a ROM. In fact, *Final Fantasy Tactics*—the subject of longtime fan demand—was a ROM you could pay for if you had a PlayStation device, for years.
But that doesn’t count; it’s the remaster that fans really want to show up for. But is that really preservation? When you add bells and whistles, move things around, or make changes— is it still the same game?
### A Tale of Two Tactics
*Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles* is here, giving one of Square Enix’s most renowned stories the red carpet treatment for the first time—since handhelds and mobile platforms sometimes don’t count.
I sound a little bitter, because *The Ivalice Chronicles* leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I’ve been having a great time revisiting one of the greatest of all time (GOATs) in a new form, but something feels off. There are caveats I find hard to excuse in 2025, and head-scratching decisions I’m forced to both acknowledge while still feeling disappointed.
This doesn’t really feel like the kind of remaster I’ve grown to respect Square Enix for, especially considering how they’ve treated titles like *SaGa*, *Star Ocean*, and even earlier *Final Fantasies* (I think the Pixel Remasters are great—fight me).
### Enhanced Mode: Modernization or Misdirection?
*The Ivalice Chronicles* is split into two options: **Enhanced** and **Classic**.
With **Enhanced**, you get a bunch of tweaks and changes meant to—well—enhance the experience for a presumed audience wielding “modernized” like a giant hammer from a *Looney Tunes* bit. This includes voice acting, a brand-new localization, difficulty settings, a totally new user interface, widescreen visuals, and more.
However, you also get a gag-inducing filter on all the old art assets that smudges all the lines and detail into oblivion—for what, exactly? I’m honestly not sure.
Adding mouth animations to the character portraits is especially jarring. It reminds me of those old late-night TV bits with a human mouth superimposed onto a still image. While it may not look that bad technically, it conjures a specific cringe-worthy feeling.
I continue to puzzle over why we still treat old pixel art so cruelly in projects like this, especially in an age where pixel art is widely embraced—you can even find it on t-shirts at Walmart. Yet, here we are, repeating the same mistakes.
That said, there is plenty to like about the Enhanced version! The voice acting is quite good and justifies the script changes, which were mostly done to make listening to actual humans sound more natural. The new UI offers a wealth of information, making planning, menu navigation, and maximizing the game’s systems in battle a far smoother experience.
Difficulty settings are a godsend, too. *Final Fantasy Tactics* features an inconsistent level scaling system and some gnarly mechanics—such as permadeath and equipment breaking—that likely worried Square Enix when considering how to introduce the game to newcomers.
As an older player revisiting this story, I appreciate the option to experience it with a little less pressure. I still wish I could turn off the ugly filter, but *Enhanced* is my preferred way to play.
### Classic Mode: Preservation or Compromise?
Then there’s **Classic** mode, which—frankly—ruffles my feathers again. If it were purely a ROM of the original game, that would be fine. And if you read Japanese, it kind of is.
But for some reason (licensing issues, perhaps?), the original English localization is almost entirely replaced by the *War of the Lions* (PSP) rewrite—albeit with some changes borrowed from Enhanced mode.
So you get the unfiltered visuals and original UI, but *not* the original 1997 script. If this mode is meant as an option for history buffs and preservationists who dislike the Enhanced filter, it feels kind of insulting.
Especially considering that *War of the Lions* itself only appears here in this limited form, with its own unique content missing from both versions.
### Comparisons and Missed Opportunities
It’s odd to have such a scatterbrained and locked-down remaster, especially when compared to projects like Square Enix’s own *SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered*, the *Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster* series, or other companies’ efforts like GungHo’s *Lunar Remastered Collection*.
Those projects display more confidence blending old and new, or at least aren’t afraid to offer CRT filters as options to properly smooth out dated visuals.
*Lunar* in particular does what *Ivalice Chronicles* attempts, but in a far more elegant way that shows tangible respect for the original and for players who might want to experience it—warts and all.
### Still a Banger
To be clear: despite my complaints, I’m not calling this a disaster. There are missed opportunities that feel significant to me personally, but they don’t compromise what *Final Fantasy Tactics* is at its core.
If you’ve never played this game before and you’re a fan of SRPGs like *Fire Emblem*, you’re in for a real treat.
This game features **real writing**: storytelling that has something to say and isn’t afraid to say it. At its heart, this is a political story about the damage class division inflicts on people born on the wrong side of the equation—and about the very real sacrifice and pain it takes to fight against that injustice.
Characters have complex motivations and flaws. The ending doesn’t feel “good,” but it leaves a lasting impression.
That’s all here—no filter can take that away.
### Final Thoughts
*Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles* feels like a massive ship that’s undergone a bizarre restoration process: half reasonable repair work, and half gaudy attempts to improve what didn’t need fixing—sometimes making things worse.
There’s also a lack of user control that’s frustrating, especially compared to simpler, more affordable remasters by other companies.
This isn’t quite a remaster, port, or remake. Instead, it’s the classic video game equivalent of *John Dies at the End*’s opening line.
This is the triumphant return of a life-changing experience many young nerds had on the PlayStation circa 1997. Is that true? Maybe, maybe not.
But *Final Fantasy Tactics* remains brilliant—even in 2025.
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*Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles* releases on **September 30, 2025**, for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S. A PC review code was provided by the publisher.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146061/final-fantasy-tactics-ivalice-chronicles-review-score