Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles Review (Switch 2)
▼ Summary
– Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is a new version that offers two modes: an enhanced edition with new features and a classic version with minor quality-of-life changes.
– The game removes content from the previous “War of the Lions” version, including new characters and jobs, but incorporates some of its story elements into a retouched narrative.
– Major enhancements include full voice acting, a cleaned-up script, improved visuals, and new pre-battle features like free character placement and job management.
– Gameplay improvements feature a tactical top-down view, a visible turn order, the ability to reset turns, and an updated UI that shows predicted hit damage.
– The release includes new difficulty settings, the option to skip random battles, and quality-of-life additions like a story recap feature and restored “sound novels” for lore.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles arrives on the new hardware as a compelling new way to experience a beloved classic. For many fans, this tactical RPG stands as a pinnacle of the entire Final Fantasy series, offering a rich narrative and deeply strategic combat that has aged remarkably well. This new release presents a thoughtful, if somewhat revised, version of the game that aims to please both newcomers and veterans alike.
Many players, myself included, hold Final Fantasy Tactics in the highest regard. It delivers a powerful story following Ramza Beoulve’s journey from nobility to rebellion, set against a backdrop of political intrigue. The game masterfully combines this epic tale with tight, grid-based tactical battles that remain incredibly satisfying. While this new version, The Ivalice Chronicles, does not include the additional characters, jobs, and animated cutscenes from the acclaimed PSP remake, The War of the Lions, it smartly integrates some of that version’s narrative essence. The result is a package that feels both familiar and thoughtfully refreshed.
The most significant and impressive upgrade is the inclusion of full voice acting. The cast delivers a stellar performance, with Ben Starr among the talents bringing the script to life. This addition does more than just modernize the presentation; it elevates the emotional weight of the story, making the dialogue more impactful and easier to follow. The script itself has been polished for better flow, ensuring that the complex plot remains engaging. Visually, the game enjoys a subtle but effective glow-up. The graphics are now crisp and clear, with lovely environmental details like sunbeams and floating dust particles adding atmosphere without compromising the original’s distinctive style. Performance is flawless in both docked and handheld modes on the new console.
Gameplay enhancements are substantial and focus on improving the player’s strategic control. Before battle, you can now freely position your units on the map, inspect enemy details, and manage jobs and equipment. This pre-battle phase allows for much better preparation. Once the fight begins, a new tactical view eliminates visual obstructions, and a turn-order list on the side of the screen provides crucial information. The ability to reset a move after a misstep is a fantastic quality-of-life addition. The interface now displays predicted damage, and the enemy AI behaves more intelligently, creating a more dynamic and challenging experience.
Other thoughtful tweaks include reduced random encounter rates, with the option to flee from them entirely, which helps maintain story momentum. Modern conveniences like fast-forwarding through enemy turns and dialogue skipping are present, making the game perfectly suited for portable play. The introduction of three difficulty levels, Squire, Knight, and Tactician, caters to different player preferences, with Knight offering a well-balanced challenge reminiscent of the original. For those who need a refresher, the “State of the Realm” feature, borrowed from Final Fantasy XVI, provides an excellent story recap and lore database.
Despite the absence of The War of the Lions content, The Ivalice Chronicles is a superb package. The core game’s strength, its incredibly flexible job system, shines as brightly as ever. The freedom to experiment with classes from Thief to Samurai ensures immense replayability. This version makes enjoying that deep, tactical combat smoother and more accessible than ever before. For anyone new to the genre, it stands proudly alongside greats like Triangle Strategy and XCOM as an essential play. For returning fans, the missing content is a noticeable loss, but the sheer quality of the improvements and the timeless nature of the gameplay make this a journey well worth taking again. It remains, without a doubt, a masterpiece of tactical RPG design.
(Source: Nintendo Life)
