When Square Enix unveiled Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, expectations were sky-high for War of the Lions to make its long-awaited PS1 debut on modern platforms. Instead, the announcement centered on a pure remaster of the original 1997 release—no Onion Knight cameo, no expanded PSP quests, and certainly no Balthier hamming it up. For veterans who cut their teeth on the PSP edition and for newcomers eager to dive into Ivalice’s tangled politics, that decision raises an obvious question: why bypass War of the Lions in favor of the first outing?
Rather than cherry-pick every addition from subsequent ports, director Kazutoyo Maehiro and his team opted to “preserve the authenticity of the first PS1 experience.” In developer interviews, Maehiro stressed that revisiting the original codebase allowed them to present pixel art and battle sequences exactly as they appeared nearly three decades ago. Fans of the PSP’s expanded job system, rebalanced difficulty and anime-style cutscenes may feel shortchanged. Yet the team believes that unfiltered nostalgia has its own appeal, especially for players who missed the title back in the PlayStation era.
To satisfy both archival purists and gamers accustomed to today’s conveniences, The Ivalice Chronicles ships with two distinct modes:
Notably absent from both options is the War of the Lions’ additional content—no Machinist job, no generic guest characters, and no fresh English localization. It’s a deliberate choice that highlights Square Enix’s gamble: some players will celebrate the crisp, unvarnished vision, while others may lament lost extras.
One of the key perks of the remaster is its PC launch on Steam. No longer must fans wrestle with emulators or track down vintage hardware to replay Ivalice’s saga. Supported by Steam Workshop compatibility, it even opens the door for community-made mods—font fixes, quality-of-life tweaks or unofficial translations—though those remain outside official support. It’s a win for accessibility, even if it sidesteps the PSP’s richer campaign episodes.
Community reactions have been mixed. On forums, die-hard purists praise the decision to avoid modern narrative retcons, arguing that the original’s political intrigue and high-stakes betrayals play better in their raw form. Meanwhile, completionists and newcomers who enjoyed the PSP version’s tutorial adjustments and humor-laced dialogue have voiced concerns on social media. Will Square Enix ever patch in optional War of the Lions content? The development team remains noncommittal, hinting only at possible DLC down the line.
Beyond resolution and UI, the remaster boasts improved load times, customizable keyboard and controller layouts, and a scalable soundtrack that lets you toggle between PS1-era MIDI renditions and newly remastered orchestral tracks. Performance benchmarks show consistent 60fps on midrange GPUs, a stark contrast to the original’s cruise at 30fps on aging consoles.
For historians of gaming, it’s a fascinating case study: preserving flawed classics versus packaging an overhaul that spans multiple versions. The Ivalice Chronicles leans decidedly toward the former, inviting players to revisit—and reassess—the tactical mastery and narrative depth that made the original a genre-defining landmark.
By focusing squarely on the 1997 release, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles offers a choice between historical fidelity and modern convenience. Whether you slot into Classic Mode to relive the PS1’s cramped save system or jump into Modern Mode with autosaves and HD visuals, this release cements Ivalice’s legacy on PC without rewriting its history. Fans seeking War of the Lions extras will need to keep playing the PSP edition—at least until Square Enix decides that even more Knights and cameos deserve a seat at the strategic table.
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