Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles is finally happening. It’s been four years since the massive nVidia leak that resulted in a laundry list of game releases, and with the exception of a few holdouts, most of the list has come to pass. Those few holdouts were some pretty big names. But I’m very happy to announce that Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles is another leak on that list that came true.
Isn’t it beautiful? Nearly 30 years after the initial release on the PlayStation 1 and nearly 20 years since War of the Lions was released on the PSP, a modern port for modern consoles and an actual PC release are finally here. The release isn’t just a port though. Square-Enix is calling this a remaster and taking it seriously, I might add. Featuring both enhanced and classic versions of the game, the enhanced version will have an updated UI, a ground-up graphical overhaul, and fully voiced characters.
Something for everyone. If you want the original Final Fantasy Tactics from 1997, that option is available.
Is Final Fantasy Tactics Political?
Look, this could be a teachable moment for many. All art is political. Apolitical art is informed, influenced, and created under politics, so there’s no escaping it. The chudliest out there will wail about how pushing an ideology or an agenda is the downfall of modern art, and you can safely ignore them. Because they’re fools. Matsuno doesn’t take the opportunity to dunk on anyone, but in his contextualization of what the conditions of his country were like when he penned the game, he reminds us that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.
Nearly 30 years ago, the collapse of Japan’s bubble economy engulfed the nation’s financial institutions in mountains of bad debt, triggering a wave of corporate bankruptcies, a sudden and extreme rise in unemployment rates, and stagnation of Japanese society as a whole. It was an era when many were robbed of hope, when dreams were measured by their price tag.
Against this historical backdrop, I crafted a story. It was the story of Ramza, a young man who fought tirelessly against the entrenched social class system. It was the story of Delita, who sought to take advantage of htis confusion and despair to advance his own social position. It was a story of a peculiar destiny, in which friendship and betrayal intertwine.
And now, in 2025—a time when inequality and division are still deeply rooted in our society— I offer this story once again.
The will to resist is in your hands.
The will to resist is in your hands. This is already such a well-written piece, but it speaks to just how incredibly timeless this particular story is to humanity. Our constant struggle with classism, and outright evil men seeking to reach the top above all others. I imagine after penning the initial script, Matsuno had hoped he’d never have to write this follow-up.
Now, that said, I want to point out that many of the memes you see floating around the internet with leftist talking points in Final Fantasy Tactics speech bubbles are mostly fakes. That doesn’t mean you can’t share them; it doesn’t make them not funny, but keep that in mind if you’re aiming to play Tactics for the first time. Tactics has more subtle writing than those memes, although not much more subtle.
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles Key Features
- Challenging, Tactical Turn-Based Battles — Experience the addictive tactical turn-based combat and deep character progression system that made the game an instant Tactical RPG classic. Players will test their battle acumen against a host of powerful enemies, and use the various terrains, characters, and customizations, as well as their strategic thinking, to achieve victory.
- Customizable Job System with Dynamic Character Progression — Players can master a robust roster of over 20 jobs—including black mage, dragoon, geomancer (who can use the environment against foes), summoner (who can call forth the iconic FINAL FANTASY moogle and other espers), time mage (who uses time magick), thief, and more—and over 300 character abilities to strategically build endless party combinations.
- Enhanced Gameplay Features and a Faithful Classic Version — The enhanced version features a revised script and fully voiced dialogue, offering a new level of enjoyment to this classic story. Additionally, a brand-new UI, improved graphics, as well as additional character conversations and dialogue create a new level of immersion. Additionally, many new features have been added to make the game even more approachable including the ability to confirm unit turn order with the press of a button, scout the battlefield from afar with the tactical view feature, speed up battles with fast forward, auto save during battles, adjust game difficulty to match your play style, and more. The classic version faithfully recreates the 1997 release of FINAL FANTASY TACTICS alongside the acclaimed War of the Lions translation—perfect for fans who wish to relive the original experience.
Don’t get me wrong, Matsuno’s call for resistance is killer and will keep me afloat until the release, but there’s something so wholesome about Maehiro’s enthusiasm. Just talking about the new things they’re doing, how they were a member of the original team, and just excited to bring it to everyone. Who could be mad?
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles Pre-order Bonuses
Per usual, there are some bonuses, and try as we might, sometimes we don’t always break them down in the easiest to understand way. There are two versions of the Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles, both the regular edition and the Deluxe Edition. We’ll break it down as best we can.
- Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles – Regular Edition
- White Equipment for Ramza
- Weapon: Mythril Knife
- Accessory: Spiked Boots (Increase a unit’s Jump attribute while equipped)
- Consumable items: High Potion x10
- Consumable items: Ether x10
- Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles – Deluxe Edition
- Weapon: Akademy Blade (Raises a unit’s speed attribute slightly while equipped)
- Headwear: Akademy Beret (Prevents the Charmed status while equipped)
- Combat Garb: Akademy Tunic (Grants Shell while equipped)
- Accessory: Ring of Aptitude (Boosts JP earned while equipped)
- Consumable Items: Phoenix Down x10
- Black Equipment for Ramza
- Red Equipment for Ramza
There are some caveats, apparently, I’ll post them below.
*An internet connection is required to receive the bonuses.
*Bonuses can be obtained from the Options section of the main menu once it becomes available after starting a new game.
*Ramza’s alternate equipment colors can be applied from his status screen under the Units section of the main menu.
*Certain bonuses can also be obtained by playing through the game.
*Bonuses may be distributed to players or made available for purchase at a later date.
Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles will release on September 30th, 2025, for PC via Steam, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 1/2. With an extra boast from Square-Enix that the game will be playable on the Steam Deck, which means I might double-dip. There are no demos or anything available, but Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles is up for wishlist on most of the available platforms. Stay tuned to MonsterVine for ongoing coverage of all things Square-Enix, Final Fantasy, and more specifically, Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles.
