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The beloved tactical RPG FINAL FANTASY TACTICS is making its return to modern gaming platforms, director Kazutoyo Maehiro, who also worked on the original 1997 game, recently shared details about the ambitious project. With a comprehensive overhaul that aims to introduce the classic to new players while satisfying longtime fans.
The development team faced an unusual challenge – the original master data and source code no longer existed. This wasn’t due to poor management, but simply because keeping such data wasn’t standard practice in the 1990s. The team had to rebuild the game by analyzing existing versions and sometimes relied on playing the original to figure out how certain elements worked.
“The entire process was the result of cumulative hard work,” Maehiro explained. “On one hand working to implement new features, while behind the scenes our work was similar to porting an old arcade game to the NES.”
The enhanced version includes several major improvements that modernize the classic experience. The game now features complete voice acting throughout, with original script writer Yasumi Matsuno helping to adjust the dialogue so it works better when spoken aloud while maintaining the original’s distinctive feel. The team also updated the visuals by increasing resolution while carefully preserving the original’s distinctive sprite art and warm visual style, focusing on maintaining what made the original special while giving it a fresh look for modern displays.
The Ivalice Chronicles includes both the enhanced version and a classic version. The classic mode preserves the original experience but adds quality-of-life improvements like autosave and fixes various bugs. This version uses the improved translation from The War of the Lions release rather than the original 1997 text.
Despite considering additions from later releases like The War of the Lions, the team decided to focus on the original game’s content. Maehiro believes the original Final Fantasy Tactics was already complete from both gameplay and story perspectives, and major changes would only hurt the experience for both old and new players.
FINAL FANTASY TACTICS – The Ivalice Chronicles will launch on September 30, 2025, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
