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Square Enix was in attendance at this past PAX West, with the cinematic opening of Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles in tow.
The epic begins again
If you were a Final Fantasy fan back in the 90s, then you likely at least looked into Final Fantasy Tactics. The first turn-based tactical spinoff to take advantage of the Square Enix JRPG classic, Final Fantasy Tactics was stylish, epic, and a totally fresh addition to the franchise’s legacy.
That was 1997 though, and now here in 2025, we’re right on the edge of seeing that original title re-forged. Square Enix has made a host of improvements for this new run too, including “refined graphics, a newly enriched script, full voice acting, and a suite of quality-of-life updates designed to deliver a modern gameplay experience.”
And while we’ve seen some of the game in action to date, PAX West gave us a look at the gorgeous intro cinematic. That came by way of a panel with Director Kazutoyo Maehiro, Art Director Hiroshi Minagawa, and voice actor Ben Starr. The latter served as the host, delivering to fans that first look at the initial moments of Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles.
You can check out the complete show in the video below, or head to 44:38 if you’d like to skip right to the cinema.
A lasting legacy, with plenty of new content too
What’d you think of the presentation? We were immediately enraptured, by everything from the incredible score to the rebirth of the signature FFT look. Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles of course comes with the aforementioned pedigrees, but also includes fresh elements.
While it sounds like the gameplay should strike familiar for those who played the PlayStation original, the rest of the game sounds like it’s set to present plenty of newness. According to Square Enix, Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles has a “revamped and enriched script”, plus full voice acting. That’s something that the original somehow lacked, so it’s particularly great to see it enacted now.
Naturally, fans can expect updated looks as well, plus “significant quality-of-life updates”. Those will affect both the game’s combat and its progression system. The publisher says that the revamps will open up the game for all players as well, and will include user-interface updates and an auto-save. While ‘modern’ updating can sometimes ruffle feathers for legacy fans, nobody should be complaining about auto-saves. And hey, it’s not like you can’t play without any of the new stuff.
That’s right, while Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles will ship with all of the niceties that we just went over, it’ll also include the classic edition. So if you want to play a version that’s more like the original, but still tailored for new platforms, you’re also good to go.
Fans can look for Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles to arrive for the Switch 2, Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Steam and playable on Steam Deck) at the end of this month. Look for it to land on September 30th.
