A fully voice-acted Final Fantasy Tactics remaster with new scripts by the original director is on the way, but fans may be disappointed by what’s missing.
Around the beginning of this month, we got to know that Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, a beautiful new take on the original 1997 game, is coming to Nintendo Switch 2. Later this month, Square Enix confirmed the long-awaited Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster.
The long-awaited Final Fantasy Tactics Remaster will finally come out on September 30, according to Square Enix. This will bring back interest in what many people consider one of the best strategy RPGs of all time. This updated version has some notable changes, but it also makes some people curious, especially longtime fans.
First, let’s talk about the good news. The remaster will have full voice acting in both English and Japanese, which is a big change from the 1998 version of the game that didn’t have any voice work. This alone takes a story that was already loved and makes it even more immersive and sad.
More importantly, the original director of the game has reviewed and expanded the script, which means that the story and dialogue will be enhanced. Early reports say that there will be new conversations that weren’t in the original version. These conversations will help to build the world and the relationships between the characters.
The remaster also has a number of improvements that make the experience better, although the exact features have not been announced yet. Modern UI changes, faster battle animations, and better save features could be made to make the notoriously challenging game easier for modern players to understand.
The controversial part is that this version will not have any of the new features added in Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions. That re-release, which first came out on the PSP and later on mobile, was known for its localization in the style of Shakespeare, animated cutscenes, and a number of new job classes.
A lot of fans wanted an “ultimate” edition that would have the best of both worlds: the old-school gameplay and the improvements made in War of the Lions. Some people are wondering why this remaster wasn’t marketed as the definitive version, as it lacks certain content, especially the extra jobs and cinematic scenes.
Still, Square Enix seems to want to give us something new while still staying true to the original. They might still be able to make a version of Final Fantasy Tactics that both old and new fans enjoy by updating the look and making the script tighter while staying true to the original creative vision.
If you missed the War of the Lions extras, that’s okay. For many, the voice acting, revised dialogue, and possible changes to the quality of life will be more than enough reason to play Ivalice again this fall.
