Does it suck that this doesn't come with the content originally available in War of the Lions? Yes, absolutely. But I refuse to think that the lack of that content is at all a hamper on what is otherwise an incredible game.

True to the award it won at the Game Awards this year, FFT: The Ivalice Chronicles is the single best strategy RPG I've played in years. The gameplay rewards thinking 3 turns ahead and taking advantage of turn order and synergy among your deployed party first and foremost, and it does so by taking you through a story that continues to be relevant even now, and will undoubtedly continue to be relevant years later.

The additional voice acting, both in English and Japanese, add a layer of texture that helps to paint the singularly immersive world of Ivalice, and was nothing short of an incredible introduction to this world. Ramza Beoulve remains the most compelling protagonist, willing to continue to rise up against the odds that have been stacked against him and keep fighting for what he believes is right. I can't speak to how the balance changes have impacted the game, as I have not played the PSX original. But with the exception of a few specific instances, classes never feel like they lose relevancy.

If I had to pick gripes to have, I have two:
1. $50 is a bit of an ask for what is a remake of a PSX game with minor balancing changes and a fresh coat of paint. I personally had no trouble paying that upfront as I had never experienced FFT prior to this, but I feel as if this could be a slap in the face to people who have already bought the game on the other platforms it was on. Granted, you do get both The Ivalice Chronicles and the PSX original, coming in at $25 per game, but your mileage may vary on whether or not this is worth it to you.

2. Sword Saint and its offshoot Divine Knight feel almost explicitly designed to break the game in half, especially when compared with the other main tanking class in the game in the Knight. Crush is a ludicrous skill, and it often trivializes many fights in the late game. This wouldn't be an issue if they were explicitly end game classes, but the point at which you receive your first Sword Saint is near the end of the mid game, prime real estate to snap the game in half.

If $50 is nothing to you, or you haven't dipped your toes into the world of Ivalice prior to this, FFT - The Ivalice Chronicles cannot come highly recommended enough, nor can Final Fantasy Tactics as a game in general. With highly rewarding strategic gameplay backed by a story that had my jaw drop at multiple points, FFT very clearly has earned its award as Best Strategy Game of 2025.

I first played FFT back on the PS1 when it first released and got so sucked into the story, gameplay, and art (I even have the black and white mage character designs from the game tattooed on me) that I didn't even give up after learning my lesson the hard way to keep multiple save files and having to start the game over after getting blocked at a now notorious difficulty spike. And then I played it again suffering through the atrocious slowdown on the PSP remaster. And I even tortured myself playing the Android version on my tablet with touch controls (to be fair, it's a decent port).

All I ever wanted for ages was a full featured, modern port with no glaring faults and some qol touches. So you can imagine how hyped I was when The Ivalice Chronicles was announced. And now it's out and I've played through it can I say it lives up to my lofty hype? Pretty much yes! The only things (and this could be a big thing for some people) is the lack of the additional WotL PSP port content and a, let's say, clarification made to the ending. Not having the WotL content didn't bother me and while I would have preferred sans clarification, it didn't ruin anything.

I liked the updated graphics. They do look different but still keep the vibe of the original, and the original is in the package should you want to go that route. My only major gripe is that there wasn't the option to just get original graphics with all the enhanced changes.

So, if you're a returning FFT fan and can live with the lack of the WotL extra content, this is a great remaster. The voice acting is so well done and really breathes even more life into a timeless gem. Worth returning just for that!

If you've never played FFT, you should totally play FFT (and remember to keep multiple save files). It's not only one of the best FF games, but one of the best games in the medium. Still feels fresh even 25+ years later!

-Characters, especially Ramza
-Story
-Job System/Class System
-Gameplay, tactical RPG

-Missing content from the War of the Lions version from the PSP version of the game.
-Lack of endgame content.