Remaining Fantasy Ways might be, all issues thought-about, my favorite Remaining Fantasy. As somebody who is not actually an enormous online game lore particular person at the most effective of instances, as in I neglect most of it as a result of my mind wants the cupboard space for recollections of meals, in my eyes it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with a few of the greatest within the mainline collection.
It is a sport that offers me the tight, strategic fight repair that I would like, you see, while delivering a world, characters and story that match into the general Remaining Fantasy vibe extremely properly, with out requiring a level in finalising all recognized fantasies to know or totally get pleasure from. The narrative, which sees you slip into the sneakers of Ramza Beoulve as he drops the Aristocracy for revolt, is an epic one, make no mistake. It is bought all of the twists and turns you’d anticipate, and some extra moreover, making it simpler to get into the groove of.
In serving up its unbelievable story in such a direct and efficient means — you may chill out, I am not gonna spoil something — and in delivering the fight items (after which some) upon its beautiful little miniature, rotating battlefields, this sport is only a winner in each conceivable means. I assumed it was good in 1998, and I beloved returning for The Battle of the Lions PSP model in 2007, an improve that added new characters, plot factors, and jobs to proceedings. It is simply a kind of extremely moreish, versatile and deep turn-based efforts, the form of factor you may replay many instances over simply to check new…properly, techniques.
After all, I am citing The Battle of the Lions awkwardly right here, as a result of the stuff that it added, all the great things that I’ve simply listed, is lower from this new model. Nicely, I say “lower”…I imply, sure, it has been lower, nevertheless it has additionally had a few of its essence (purely by way of its story, I ought to clarify) massaged gently into points of the retouched narrative of The Ivalice Chronicles. So that you are shedding all of the stuff you have been nervous you’ll, however you might be additionally getting a model of the sport that appears and feels as if it has been tightened up and smartened throughout the board in ways in which make it very exhausting to criticise in any other case.
So let’s begin with what we do get, relatively than what’s lacking. Remaining Fantasy Ways: The Ivalice Chronicles offers you two variations of Remaining Fantasy Ways to play with; The Ivalice Chronicles, or ‘enhanced’ model, affords you all the new options that I will dig into in a second, whereas the ‘basic’ model presents the unique sport with solely minor QoL modifications. Easy sufficient. Nonetheless, there’s extra to it than that. There at all times is.
The basic model right here truly makes use of the Battle of the Lion’s script, you see, while the improved version settles on a hybrid affair. You continue to do not get any of the brand new characters/jobs from Battle of the Lions again, however enjoying by the improved model, I have been impressed by how a lot work has been put into what’s been finished. This isn’t some lazy, slapdash, cut-content affair. Everyone knows the sport has been painstakingly rebuilt on account of points with the supply code and whatnot, however with the addition of full voice-acting — simply the most important and greatest addition right here by the way in which — there’s additionally been a lot of intelligent tinkering with the dialogue. It now flows higher, it has been cleaned up and made simpler to parse, and to carry out, I am certain, for the expertise concerned.
They usually’ve gone all-out on this regard; they’ve even bought that Ben Starr lad in. It actually cannot be overstated what a distinction it makes to listen to the phrases not simply acted out, however acted out so rattling properly. Even for somebody like me who offers over a lot of their mind storage to ideas of meat, I’ll keep in mind all the things that occurred this time. It is emotional! And it drives residence simply how nice a job they did first time round in giving us a wealthy and absorbing spin-off.
By way of The Ivalice Chronicles’ different noteworthy modifications, you get delicately enhanced appears to be like, now splendidly crisp and clear, and it is a delight to see little touches comparable to the daylight pouring by a window, or mud and different little bits of volumetric enjoyable floating round within the air while conversations and battles happen. It is nothing that is going to make your jaw hit the ground — there is not any work for Ray Tracing or any of his buddies right here — nevertheless it delivers precisely what it intends to in a means that does not mess with the basic vibes. And it performs superbly in each docked and handheld whereas it does so.
On the subject of gameplay, the most important modifications have occurred pre-battle. Right here you at the moment are free to pick characters and drop them into place on the map, a map which you could additionally now cursor round freely, hovering over enemies for particulars and so forth earlier than the motion kicks off. It is due to this fact a lot simpler to get the lay of the land. You can even change jobs, swap tools, and be taught new skills within the pre-battle interval, which makes an enormous distinction in how issues movement into the meat of the sport.
In battle, the significant modifications proceed, with a brand new tactical top-down view letting you get a learn on issues at any time with out surroundings getting in your means (presumably the one factor that ever aggravated me enjoying the primary one). Flip order being highlighted down the left facet of the display can be an enormous change-up for the higher, as is the flexibility to reset your flip do you have to transfer to the incorrect place.
Alongside all of this, the UI additionally now reveals you predicted hit harm, so that you’re taking a look at scraps that offer you extra data extra readily and permit for rather more experimentation earlier than working strikes consequently. The enemy AI has seen enhancements, too; there’s extra vary to how they react whenever you’re attempting to flank and mess with them.
Little touches comparable to improved aiming, simpler manipulation of the battle enviornment to view angles, markers to affix to enemies so you may maintain monitor of them, and so forth, add as much as a sport that feels genuinely brisker. It is a notable enchancment on one thing that was already unbelievable, and that is saying one thing.
The frequency of random battles as you journey has been lessened, and you can even freely skip out of those, selecting to flee relatively than have interaction, which is nice for gamers who simply need to get on with the principle thrust of issues, relatively than understanding {that a} play session will power additional encounters on you that maintain significant progress again.
We additionally get all the auto-play, fast-forwarding by enemy turns, and skipping dialogue and cutscene choices you’d anticipate these days, so the momentum of the sport could be managed to a larger extent right here – which marries very properly with Swap 1 and a couple of bringing all of this to you in moveable type. It is simply a neater sport to play in bursts, particularly given it can save you at your leisure now. Should you’re questioning about touchscreen implementation, there’s no, sadly.
Oh, I ought to point out — and once more with out spoiling something essential, I hope — that one character, who was form of ruined in how late they confirmed as much as the social gathering within the authentic, now will get launched extra shortly, alongside their weapon, which was a complete ache within the arse to come up with the primary day trip. Excellent news. And if you recognize what I am speaking about, even higher information!
The place there was just one problem setting to select from in Remaining Fantasy Ways of previous, The Ivalice Chronicles offers us three: Squire, Knight, and Tactician. I’ve performed by the sport on Knight, which is a smoothed model of the unique problem, and it feels barely much less irritating, slightly simpler than I keep in mind it being, so when you’ve performed earlier than, you may need to bounce to Tactician right away. Though make no mistake, this sport continues to be exhausting, even for returning people. And so it is good that the simpler mode is there to remove a few of the gruelling points of battles for FF followers who need story over all the things else.
Lastly, this new model additionally brings again a bunch of “sound novels” which did not initially make it to the Western launch, giving tons extra lore and worldbuilding to dig into. That is nice, in fact; nonetheless, it is the addition of the State of the Realm characteristic from Remaining Fantasy XVI that is been impressing me most. It is like they have been considering of me all alongside. I can bounce in right here and take a look at the story, the characters, the timeline, and the terminology at any time. I can get a re-up on my data, thus enabling even probably the most forgetful amongst us to enter battles with a full consciousness of why precisely I am there. Actually priceless.
And so, what we have right here, ultimately, is a superb port of a really unbelievable tactical RPG — severely my favorite of all of the Remaining Fantasies I’ve performed — that makes having fun with the thrilling tactical, turn-based fight at its core simpler than ever. It tweaks issues to make them smarter, it offers you extra choices to cease and take inventory, and I personally love the way it’s hybridised issues (to an extent) with the story.
Returning to the sport some eight years because the final time I performed it, too, I have been totally impressed another time by the pliability, and replayability, that is built-in by the fantastic jobs system. Even with out the stuff that bought added for Battle of the Lions, when mixed with the on-field technique, the checklist of jobs right here; from Thief to Samurai, Lancer, Dancer and/or Geomancer, the liberty it offers you to change out and check out new strikes, spells and approaches to powerful scraps, is as dreamily engrossing in 2025 because it’s ever been.
For newcomers, I’ve bought zero reservations in recommending what’s right here. It sits fortunately alongside Triangle Technique, Valkyria Chronicles, XCOM — all of the tactical titans of this style — as a must-play, and it is an journey that is misplaced none of its affect through the years. Information.
And but, I am unable to ignore that, for returning gamers particularly, the excision of the Battle of the Lions content material (particularly the characters and new jobs) can be a unfavourable. Nonetheless, what a sport although, eh.
