If a lot of that description sounds acquainted to fashionable politics and tradition, Matsuno would agree. The conclusion of his put up reads: “Now in 2025—a time when inequality and division are nonetheless deeply rooted in our society—I provide this story as soon as once more.”
We Can Rebuild It
The Ivalice Chronicles could keep the look of the unique recreation, however it’s a re-creation builders needed to full from the bottom up. The grasp knowledge information and the supply code don’t exist anymore; it didn’t change into frequent observe in recreation growth to carry on to these assets till later, which means its workforce needed to rebuild these core items. Maehiro says the workforce listed out the methods the primary recreation felt “a bit clunky or much less intuitive,” then reconstructed these components with enchancment in thoughts. A part of that features tweaks to the way in which battles play out, like a transparent fight timeline for gamers to see whose flip is subsequent.
The director says that the workforce thought of alternative ways to modernize Ultimate Fantasy Techniques, together with following within the footsteps of Sq. Enix’s huge, multiyear remake of the unique Ultimate Fantasy VII. “It was an choice on the desk that we thought of—to provide [Final Fantasy Tactics] a full remake, as we did for FFVII,” he says. It’s one strategy to successfully revive an outdated recreation, he says, and it made sense to reinvent FFVII because it exists in the present day. As soon as a single recreation with an bold plot, the expertise has been damaged out into three particular person titles to do the unique story service. Its blocky, PS1-era solid has been remodeled into high-fidelity characters roaming an enormous world. The primary recreation, Ultimate Fantasy VII Remake, for instance, takes place fully in Midgar—a metropolis gamers the place spent solely a few hours within the authentic.
For The Ivalice Chronicles, nevertheless, Maehiro vetoed that concept. A part of the attract of the unique he says, was “the very charming pixel fashion paintings, in addition to the 3D isometric maps you’re on for battles. I felt these have been issues that gave Ultimate Fantasy Techniques its id.” Maehiro didn’t need to lose that.
Different variations of Ultimate Fantasy Techniques have been ported over or made for older consoles. That features Ultimate Fantasy Techniques: Conflict of the Lions, a 2007 title made particularly for the PlayStation Transportable. Notably, it added new jobs and additional playable characters, akin to Balthier from Ultimate Fantasy XII. As a result of these options weren’t a part of the unique recreation, Maehiro and his workforce opted to go away them out.
“Our firstly purpose right here actually was to recreate the unique recreation,” Maehiro says. That being mentioned, he is aware of followers need options launched in Conflict of the Lions. Maehiro says that whereas he “can not make any guarantees,” there’s a chance the workforce will discover including extra content material if the sport does nicely.
Greater than that, Maehiro says, it might result in extra video games down the road. “If [The Ivalice Chronicles] have been to change into successful,” he says, “I do really feel that that may then result in discussions round probably bringing out sequels, for instance, or newer tactical RPGs.”
