Categories: Final Fantasy Tactics
Released on September 30th, Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronciles, also know as Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster, is a modern enhanced version of an all-time fan favorite classic. But is this game worth your time and money to play? In this article, we explain the core mechanics of the game, its history, who should play, and who should avoid the legendary classic turn-based strategy game.
What is Final Fantasy Tactics?
Developed by Square Enix, Final Fantasy Tactics was originally released on the Sony PlayStation in Japan in 1997 and America in 1998. The game was a spin-off to the hit Final Fantasy series. It was released right around the time of Final Fantasy 7 and even includes Cloud Strife as a playable character. Unlike the main Final Fantasy games, Tactics uses a grid-based, isometric tactical battle system. While not entirely dissimilar to Baldur’s Gate 3, it plays slow, methodical and requires a lot of planning and foresight in order to beat even the most basic of battles.
The game’s story is set in the world of Ivalice, think of it as a medieval Game of Thrones type of world with multiple factions and characters all vying for power. The main protagonist is Ramza Beoulve, a highborn noble and his best friend Delita. You get caught in a kingdom wide civil war, mystery, and are trying to uncover a plot to take control of the throne.
At the heart of the story is the difference in social classes. The dialogue implies Ramza is a illegitimate child, and thus friction from his own family is seen at the outset. Meanwhile, Delita is a commoner, and is the treated as such throughout the introduction of the game. No spoilers here, but what makes the story so compelling is how these characters developer, collide and the ultimate conclusion which was left to the players to form their own conclusion.
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Core Mechanics Breakdown
Before we discuss what made the game so successful, it’s important to know the depth and complexity the original FFT had. Even though it was late 90s tech, you can still play the game today on mobile or via desktop with BlueStack. Even compared to modern games, the depth and quality of the class (jobs) customization and story holds up. While the graphics and pacing is a bit outdate, it’s somehow still fun to play in modern times, similar to FF7.
The biggest difference between FF turn based and tactical is the grid-based combat system. In this system, you have initiative, speed, and Charge Time (CT gauge). Combat starts by setting units into spaces and fielding a party. Your individual units have various jobs which are classes, abilities, innate movement speed and so on.
The easiest way to explain this to someone that’s played Baldur’s Gate 3 is it’s somewhat similar movement style, except that instead of feet or meters, you move spaces. Instead of actions and bonus actions, you have actions. Instead of concentration you have cast times. All and all, it plays somewhat similar, taking slow methodical turns, where you calculate each action.
Job Systems
Another part of the core game mechanics is the job system. Think of jobs as classes, as you level, you earn experience points (EXP) that increases your job progression. You start out as either a Squire which is the path for physical damage dealers, or Chemist which is the support and healing path.
After you reach job level 2, you can change into another job with more specific abilities. However, instead of gaining abilities, your job earns Job Points (JP). So, you have two progression systems, EXP and JP. JP is used to unlock abilities after earning JP via battles and you get freedom to choose to save up for more powerful abilities or just buy the first you see on the list.
What makes the system complex and fun to tinker with is your current job uses your active ability set. However, you can have a secondary ability set from any job you’ve learned previously. Thus, you start to customize a focused build and with over 15 to choose from, it can get complex. For instance, a Black Mage and Summoner combo uses elemental damage and huge AOE to make them powerful spellcasters. Meanwhile a Monk and Knight makes a front-line melee tank. Each turn, you can use either you current jobs abilities or secondary equipped abilities, and thus you come up with fun and cool builds.
Abilities Explained
That’s not all the complexity and uniqueness of FFT, you also have different abilities. Action abilities are those you can take actions with, cast a spell, attack with your sword, etc. However, you have reaction abilities that are automatically triggered like a counter attack. Then, you have support abilities which are passive bonuses. Lastly, are movement abilities which are pretty self-explanatory.
What’s so fun to experiment with is the support and secondary ability set. This is really what makes your build. Even the starting jobs have some mega powerful abilities like Auto-Potion from the Chemist automatically heals you when taking damage. Thus, you don’t just rush to the end-job like Ninja or Calculator. You must methodically plan out your job path, progression, specific abilities, otherwise you’ll waste your time, JP, and your unit will be dramatically weaker. Our you can check out our builds below!
Difficulty
There is so much to explain about the core mechanics in FFT, but the point is, players who love complexity will love this game. Players who loved playing Baldur’s Gate 3 or any other game on super high difficulty like Honour Mode will also love Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster. The normal base game was known for its absurdly brutal difficulty and this game is no different.
In fact, you can switch between multiple difficulty modes including tactical which is sure to give even the sweats difficulty. However, the developers realized the modern gaming might be shocked by the original difficulty, thus there is an enhanced mode that ramps up gradually overtime rather than a brutal start.
What Made the Original Successful?
The combination of the story and complexity made the original FFT so popular. You had over 20 classes, all that you could experiment with and create super complex and meta builds. The story was dark, mature, and different than your typical Final Fantasy narrative. Political and faction intrigue with huge plot twist and social commentary on the cast system. And lastly, the depth of each playthrough was many hours, 50+ for playing recently on BlueStack.
Now let’s shift to what’s new with the Remaster and it’s a lot!
What’s New in the Remaster?
The most important upgrade for FFT Remaster is fully voiced dialogue. The original game was purely text based, and now you can hear the story and cutscenes, giving you a much more immersive experience. Moreover, the script and translation has been updated, so expect some of the dialogue to flow more naturally, including improve clarity. If that weren’t enough, there is said to be more conversations and dialogue likely expanding some individual stories and maybe the ending though that’s speculation.
The gameplay has been dramatically improved as well. Firstly, you can pick between multiple versions of the game, classic and enhanced. If you want the original game feel, you can have it. Or, you can enhance your experience and as mentioned previously a new tactical difficulty for those who love a challenge.
The combat flows a lot better with a improved tactical view that you can control during combat. The previous system was clunky and you couldn’t see terrain and units due to trees or objects. You can now easily see turn order like BG3, so you can calculate what the likely next action might be. Moreover, you can now fast forward combat or speed, increasing the pace of the game dramatically. And if that weren’t enough, auto save has been added, because lets say many playthroughs were stuck on boss fights that required you to save just before the encounter with no way to exit!
Who Should Play FFT Remaster?
So, who would love FFT Remaster? Any players that love slow methodical combat. Think Fire Emblem, XCOM, or Baldur’s Gate 3. You don’t need to be a first person shooter sweatlord with perfect reaction time and reflexes. With a modified difficulty setting, FFT Remaster should appeal to a wider audience that doesn’t want to spend countless hours grinding to reach the deep dungeons conclusion.
Even if you’re not a fan of slow methodical combat, the story is well worth a playthrough. What’s most appealing is the huge shocking twist and turns from early characters you meet and who’s ultimately behind the scenes manipulating the kingdom. The cast system is also interesting and the family dynamic has an interesting plot twist mostly seen on Netflix and not too often in RPGs.
Also hardcore fans, streamers, and creators looking for something rewarding and challenging to sink their teeth into. You have tons of content to push through, but also a deep dungeon with 10 levels and a special secret boss that is difficult even at level 99.
But this game isn’t for everyone and you might be listening and wondering if that’s you.
Who Might Want to Skip It?
If you love fast pace action oriented games where you dodge, block, and use your reflexes for combat power, steer clear of Final Fantasy Tactics remaster. This game is methodical, no need to block perfectly, or a rush a decision relaying on your gut instances. Instead, you hand craft your builds and deploy units tactically each and every battle.
The original game, and likely the Remaster is a bit grindy as well. Even if you’ve played two or three times, you’re likely to spend some hours “auto grinding.” Leveling up jobs, earning JP with JP Boost, just farming for the optimal build can be annoying. Moreover, it’s not as straightforward, you’ll need to micromanage units though there is now an improved AI mode that allows units to take actions and sort of auto pilot your way through combat.
If tactical shooters are your thing, this game ain’t for you! But that’s okay, FFT isn’t for everyone.
Final Verdict
It’s shocking playing the original game on BlueStack thinking, this game is over 25 years old and it’s still fun to play. Is this a commentary on modern gaming? Yes, there’s a reason we see more and more remasters. Some of the old content and IP is so well made, that tweaks and modern enhancements bring them into a brand new audience to experience.
And Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster is Definity in that category of games that modern RPG and turn based fans will love. The story, gameplay, and quality make it still the best tactical RPG ever made. If you love RPGs, you should give it a try, you won’t regret it.
FFT Remaster FAQ
What is Final Fantasy Tactics?
Final Fantasy Tactics is a tactical RPG first released on PlayStation in 1997. It blends grid-based strategy combat with Final Fantasy’s Job System, allowing players to unlock and mix over 20 classes. Its deep political story and complex mechanics set it apart from other RPGs of its era.
How long does it take to beat the original Final Fantasy Tactics?
A standard playthrough takes 40–60 hours depending on grinding. Completionists who unlock every Job, character, and secret battle can spend 100+ hours.
What made the original game so successful?
- The Story: A mature tale of war, betrayal, and class struggle in Ivalice.
- The Gameplay: Tactical depth with the Job System letting you customize characters endlessly.
This combination made it stand out among RPGs in the late 90s.
What is included in the FFT Remaster: The Ivalice Chronicles?
The remaster adds:
- HD graphics and updated UI
- Full English & Japanese voice acting
- New tactical camera view
- Auto-save and faster load times
- Accessibility and difficulty tweaks
- Option to play in “Classic Mode” for a retro feel
Does the Remaster include War of the Lions content?
Not fully. The remaster draws on War of the Lions’ improved script but doesn’t include all its extra characters and jobs. It focuses on the original PS1 game’s content with enhancements rather than adding every PSP feature.
How does combat work in FFT?
Combat takes place on a grid. Each unit acts in order based on Speed (CT gauge). You move, choose an action, and face positioning matters (back attacks = more damage). Terrain, elevation, Brave/Faith stats, and Job abilities all influence outcomes.
Is the Remaster beginner friendly?
Yes. compared to the original. The remaster smooths difficulty spikes, improves UI clarity, and adds auto-save. But the game is still slower and more methodical than most RPGs, so newcomers should be ready for deliberate, chess-like battles.
