The ‘Ultimate Fantasy Ways’ Refresh Provides Its Class-Conflict Story New Relevance

If a lot of that description sounds acquainted to trendy politics and tradition, Matsuno would agree. The conclusion of his submit 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 might keep the look of the unique sport, nevertheless 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 turn out to be widespread follow in sport improvement to carry on to these assets till later, which means its group needed to rebuild these core items. Maehiro says the group listed out the methods the primary sport felt “a bit clunky or much less intuitive,” then reconstructed these parts 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 group thought of other ways to modernize Ultimate Fantasy Ways, 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 present [Final Fantasy Tactics] a full remake, as we did for FFVII,” he says. It’s one strategy to successfully revive an outdated sport, he says, and it made sense to reinvent FFVII because it exists at this time. As soon as a single sport with an formidable 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 unlimited world. The primary sport, Ultimate Fantasy VII Remake, for instance, takes place completely 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 model art work, in addition to the 3D isometric maps you’re on for battles. I felt these have been issues that gave Ultimate Fantasy Ways its id.” Maehiro didn’t need to lose that.

Different variations of Ultimate Fantasy Ways have been ported over or made for older consoles. That features Ultimate Fantasy Ways: Conflict of the Lions, a 2007 title made particularly for the PlayStation Transportable. Notably, it added new jobs and additional playable characters, equivalent to Balthier from Ultimate Fantasy XII. As a result of these options weren’t a part of the unique sport, Maehiro and his group opted to go away them out.

“Our firstly objective right here actually was to recreate the unique sport,” Maehiro says. That being mentioned, he is aware of followers need options launched in Conflict of the Lions. Maehiro says that whereas he “can’t make any guarantees,” there’s a chance the group will discover including further content material if the sport does nicely.

Greater than that, Maehiro says, it may result in extra video games down the road. “If [The Ivalice Chronicles] have been to turn out to be a hit,” he says, “I do really feel that that may then result in discussions round probably bringing out sequels, for instance, or newer tactical RPGs.”