Ultimate Fantasy Techniques – The Ivalice Chronicles remakes one of many best techniques video games of all-time, including to it quality-of-life updates, a brand new visible fashion, full VO, and extra. When it was revealed in June, I used to be thrilled – it is not the simplest sport to legally play today, a problem emphasised by Sq. Enix famously dropping the sport’s supply code after rewriting over it when bringing the sport to the West after its Japanese launch. However I wasn’t essentially thrilled about a few of the modifications.
The most important change is the brand new visible fashion, which, whereas trustworthy to the unique pixel artwork in a manner, would not maintain a candle to mentioned authentic artwork. I had all the time dreamed of an HD-2D remake of Techniques, and the reveal of The Ivalice Chronicles in June killed that dream.
After taking part in the sport for about an hour in Cologne, Germany, throughout Gamescom 2025, I am nonetheless left wishing this was an HD-2D remake – I simply do not suppose the brand new visible fashion does a lot for me. You’ll be able to, luckily, swap to the unique visible fashion of the sport, however not with no main caveat: the trendy upgrades, high quality of life modifications, absolutely voiced characters, and up to date UI are a part of the improved model of Techniques, or in different phrases, the visually redone model of Techniques. The brand new cutscene fashion is unbelievable, although.
I am nonetheless not offered on the absolutely voiced characters, both. They sound nice at occasions… and never so nice at different occasions. I am going to admit: I really like Techniques and have imagined totally different characters in my head and maybe my dissatisfaction stems from VO not matching what’s all the time performed in my head. That mentioned, I hope the solid grows on me extra within the full launch.
The remainder of The Ivalice Chronicles, nonetheless, is unbelievable, and that is largely as a result of Sq. Enix has made some good quality-of-life modifications to an already implausible sport. The in need of it’s that The Ivalice Chronicles performs amazingly (not less than within the hour I checked out) and that is as a result of it is the Techniques you recognize and love.
Fight feels nice, and navigating the battlefield, planning strikes, and fixing the varied encounters, which really feel like mini-puzzles to determine, is nice enjoyable. New options embrace a “tactical view” that makes scouting the battlefield simpler, a better method to verify flip order, fast-forward choices (just like Sq. Enix’s different remastered Ultimate Fantasy releases like Ultimate Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age), auto-save in battles (a real lifesaver), and extra. It is not laborious to see how these options will improve the sport after one hour of making an attempt them out, and so they mean you can higher focus your time and efforts into issues just like the job system, get together technique, and extra.
Sq. Enix says The Ivalice Chronicles consists of extra conversations and dialogue, however I did not discover something revelatory – a con of only one hour with a sport, little doubt. That mentioned, I am barely anxious in regards to the new dialogue as Techniques options a wonderful story. Does it want extra dialogue? Want is a powerful phrase, but when what’s new can match what’s already there, then I am all for it.
After its reveal in June, The Ivalice Chronicles shot up excessive on my record of most anticipated video games launching in 2025. After taking part in an hour of the sport, it is nonetheless excessive up on that record. Although I am not offered on the brand new visuals and VO, I can not deny how thrilling it’s to have a brand new excuse to leap into one of many style’s finest.
Ultimate Fantasy Techniques – The Ivalice Chronicles launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Sequence X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Swap 2, Swap, and PC on September 30.
