Every year, we hear rumors that Final Fantasy Tactics is getting a big remake or remaster for modern systems, and it never comes out. With the popularity of Fire Emblem, you'd think that Square Enix would capitalize on this with a Tactics re-release, but it has yet to happen. The company re-released Tactics Ogre but hasn’t done it for this series, despite numerous requests.
The lack of news is even sadder because an excellent version of Final Fantasy Tactics is ready for a re-release; it’s just stuck on PSP. It’s an excellent version of an already great game, and the fact that it hasn’t gotten a major re-release yet is baffling. Many thought the recent rise of PSP re-releases would lead to one, but it hasn’t happened yet.
What’s the best version of Final Fantasy Tactics?
The best version of this acclaimed PS1 RPG is Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions.
click to enlargeReleased in 2007, War of the Lions is the same great game as on PS1, but with many improvements. New cel-shaded cutscenes with voice acting were added, giving fans a new look at these beloved characters. A proper retranslation was also done, though beloved mistakes like “spoony bard” were kept in because of fan reception.
Gameplay-wise, nothing changed because you don’t need to improve on perfection. This is a classic tactical RPG through and through, which is what fans loved about it. Of course, the beloved class system is there, with Onion Knight and Dark Knight added for variety. Small changes, sure, but fans didn’t mind because the gameplay was still excellent.
The only time this version got a re-release was on mobile devices, and that's cruel. Fans deserves to play this port of Final Fantasy Tactics on a controller or handheld device.
Why do fans want a Final Fantasy Tactics re-release?
It’s an incredible tactical RPG, and we need more of them.
Beyond Fire Emblem and niche games like Marvel’s Midnight Suns, there aren’t a lot of big tactical RPGs coming out anymore. Occasionally, fans get a new Disgaea game or that good re-release of Tactics Ogre, but nothing else. Some indie titles stand out, but none of them have that sauce Final Fantasy Tactics has.
Maybe it’s the Ivalice setting that Final Fantasy 12 used, or those timeless sprites that keep fans coming back. It could also be the bevy of unlockables fans can miss in a playthrough, like adding FF7’s Cloud Strife to your party. There’s just a lot here that fans love, and it’s easy to see why fans want a remaster or re-release of this particular spinoff.
Only time will tell if we eventually get that heavily rumored Final Fantasy Tactics remake fans have been begging for. We’d also like a re-release of The War of the Lions, so this series isn’t stuck on dead hardware or Apple devices.
The PSP version is already great; it just needs a good resolution upgrade, and fans will be happy. Sure, it's on mobile, but playing this game on a touchscreen just doesn't feel right.
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