I by no means owned a PS1 myself, however an in depth good friend down the road did have one, and that’s the place I first performed each Closing Fantasy 7 and fewer than a yr later, Closing Fantasy Ways. To say that I used to be smitten with each is an understatement, but it surely was the problem, story and customizability of the latter that caught with me for years. Whereas I loved them, Closing Fantasy Ways Advance and A2 didn’t fairly hit in the identical means, and so I’ve eagerly awaited a brand new incarnation of the collection. Extra than simply one other within the lengthy line of Sq. Enix remakes and remasters, Closing Fantasy Ways – The Ivalice Chronicles seems like a worthwhile launch for this basic turn-based RPG, which hopefully conjures up a real sequel someday down the highway.
Throughout PAX West 2025, I had the chance to demo a handful of upcoming Sq. Enix RPGs, the primary of which was The Ivalice Chronicles. When the sport was first revealed, my preliminary impression was one in every of slight disappointment; I had hoped for a extra full makeover for the just about 30-year-old title. Having an opportunity to go hands-on with it compelled me to alter my tune fairly shortly. For one factor, the added voice appearing imbues the gravitas of the primary story and its particular person character moments with an excellent better depth and resonance. An early instance of this was the scene involving Ramza’s father on his deathbed, the place the voice actors actually accentuated the drama and grief of the second. One other standout from the demo was the work of Paul Panting within the function of Gaffgarion. I’m excited to see this compelling narrative dropped at life by the efforts of its succesful voice forged.
The improved, trendy model of Closing Fantasy Ways that’s included within the bundle seems to supply a trustworthy however polished expertise. Whereas it doesn’t embrace the Warfare of the Lions content material, there’s added aptitude and presentation components that can be welcome to each newcomers and veterans. A small introduction scene performs every time a visitor character joins your celebration, and one thing comparable occurs when an ally turns traitor, which was enjoyable to see. The menus, world map, and fight environments are all simpler to navigate by way of controls and look. A brand new fast-forward mechanic makes it simple to hurry by character dialogue and extra importantly the battles with maybe foregone conclusions, just like the random encounters that may pop up when touring between map factors. On condition that I’ve performed by the sport a number of occasions, together with on PS1 and by way of the PSP model on Vita, I’m pleasantly shocked that this 2025 launch manages to really feel contemporary and modern inside a way more crowded tactical-RPG style.
I recall with frustration the lag and slowdown that plagued The Warfare of the Lions launch on PSP, and so it’s already a fairly large win to see how easily Closing Fantasy Ways runs on trendy platforms. My demo included time with the PS5 model and the Change 2 model in handheld mode, and the expertise was completely comparable on each, notably by way of efficiency. I’m anticipating that Change 2 house owners received’t need to make any main sacrifice in the event that they wish to take the sport on the go.
I didn’t have time to take a look at the Traditional Mode included with The Ivalice Chronicles, which makes use of the mechanics and graphics of the unique 1997 launch however with The Warfare of the Lions script and an added auto-save characteristic. Nonetheless, what I may play of the Enhanced Mode has completely pushed Closing Fantasy Ways – The Ivalice Chronicles increased up on my record of fall and winter games-to-play. It jogs my memory of taking your favourite blanket out of the dryer on a chilly day; it’s snug, heat, and acquainted, but it surely additionally manages to really feel like new. Better of all, we don’t have lengthy to attend earlier than we will get our turn-based, job class swapping repair. The Ivalice Chronicles launches on September thirtieth on Nintendo Change and Change 2.
