On PS5, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles launched recently, and from ultimate marketing jargon, it’s retro and modern rendition of the old tactical RPG onto the current-gen consoles. The gaming community remains divided on issues concerning graphics, nostalgia, and the unsolicited gender-pertinent changes made in this much-loved title from 1998, contrary to the PlayStation-issued announcement.
So funny, really. Final Fantasy is really back. PlayStation announced that Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is available on PS5 right now and has both the 1998 original and the modern flavor. They even showed a side-by-side comparison of the pixel-perfect original and the just-polished remake, and well, the reaction… has been rather strong.
An opening question of which version looks better stirred the scuffle. Protski went on to boldly declare “Old graphics are better,” jptr_00 also said that the “original just has so much sauce,” and then you had this Guy Incognito aka prettz_strife rhetorically asking the crowd, “Why are people happy to play blurry games now days?” Ouch. Then Matthew Federico came in on a different thread and argued, “New looks superior to the original!” So, you get the whole scene.
Let’s see, what was I saying? Oh yeah, with the graphics debate, that’s easy. Now, the shuffle happened somewhere in between really heated discussions around the gender changes in the remake. There was a long thread that was co-authored between HonorboundRyoma, QuickZooms, MartineXIII, and WormholeMaster debating whether Square Enix “removed gender” from the game. Apparently, HonorboundRyoma was disgusted: “I find it weird a company is systematically removing gender from my childhood games,” to which QuickZooms replied, “Gender literally doesn’t change a thing.”
Apparently, the uproar is over changing the gender symbols during recruitment? But Kenshin MacLeod clarified, “It’s the same characters and genders you had in the original. They change to male or female versions of all the jobs. Literally no difference in the end just how you select them.” In other words, the jobs are still gender-locked as ever, just a tad different presentation-wise. Guess people are really passionate about those pixel gender symbols.
There have been changes to the gameplay: “No exp pop up after actions? Damn…” FaytCross said, meaning for those who know, the very satisfying little pops ever since FFTThe. That’s a detailed observation.
Such a fun nostalgia overload! Nexa_Cards screamed, and Gro3_ joined the chorus, “Timeless classics never fade.” This tactically strategic game is supposedly among the best ever made in mechanics and having it on modern platforms for all strategy RPG fans is indeed a sight for sore eyes.
At that point came comparisons with others in the genre. MrRindow entered the debate: “I love Triangle Strategy, but in my opinion FFT is the best game in that genre of tactics RPG games,” while mr_hated fired back with, “This game is more complex, I like Triangle Strategy slightly more.” The conflict, then, has already gone beyond just which version of FFT is better, to which tactics game is best.
And of course, the good old drama around the platform does tend to creep in. Mr_hated spreads in that “Give it a few more months it will be FREE on PC. They usually remove DRM after 6 months” because nowdays, anything is PC. So, while that goes on, PS5ers are already enjoying both versions.
Interestingly, so many people thought the bottom screen was the remake. Catch admitted, “i thought the bottom one was the remake for most of the video,” which almost tells you something about either the strength of the original’s art direction or the delicacy of the modern changes. The new version is upscaling-and-filtering, according to Trimint_123, who elaborated the difference by saying, “Because it was upscaling filtered.”
This response from the entire community just steeps into the show’s 27-year history. Review Game Drops said, “THIS IS HUGE NEWS,” while Welshy974 went on to personally invite everyone to join them playing. There is mixed excitement mingled with trepidation about the changes-and that pretty much applies to any revival of a dearly beloved franchise.
Another pleasant win for all gamers is seeing Final Fantasy Tactics on present-day platforms. It is true that whichever version one goes for, be it the pixel-perfect and vintage and original or the modern one with the smoother-down look, very little else separates them as far as the core gameplay is concerned, which equally merged itself so deeply into the wonderful memories of most of its applicants. The job system, the uproariously political storyline, and the deviously hard difficulty spikes-all still exist. And so, the endless debates can continue. What needs to be said is that Final Fantasy Tactics has been rescued and is ready to swallow up anybody’s life for hundreds of hours.
