The possibility of a Final Fantasy Tactics remake or remaster is something that has been circling the rumor mill for years now, with some of the earliest signs originating from the infamous Nvidia GeForce Now leak of 2021. Since then, fans have had a steady stream of conflicting information regarding Square Enix’s plans to remake the PS1 classic, with reliable industry insiders claiming a Final Fantasy Tactics remake was a sure thing, while creator Yasumi Matsuno was quick to downplay that possibility. Regardless of Square Enix’s current plans, it’s safe to say that a Final Fantasy Tactics remake or remaster would go over well with fans, and while that creates the potential for improvement, there are a lot of elements that could stand to stay the same.
Imagining what a Final Fantasy Tactics remake or remaster might entail isn’t too difficult given Square Enix’s penchant for combing its back catalog and reimagining classic titles, with 2022’s Tactics Ogre: Reborn potentially serving as the most likely example of how the company might approach the project. While there are plenty of quality-of-life features that would make a Final Fantasy Tactics remake an exciting proposition, there’s also a counter-argument for the title being near-perfect as-is. Should Square Enix actually be in the process of remaking or remastering the game for modern hardware, there are specific things most fans would like to see updated without changing Matsuno’s original vision.
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The Case For and Against a Final Fantasy Tactics Remake
The long-rumored remake of one of the most-beloved Final Fantasy spin-offs warrants examination into whether an update is even necessary.
What a Final Fantasy Tactics Remake Needs
An Update to Final Fantasy Tactics’ Visuals That Retains the Original’s Aesthetic
One element of Final Fantasy Tactics that would potentially see an update in a remake or remaster would be the game’s visuals, but it’s an area where Square Enix would need to tread carefully. The original’s mix of 2D character sprites and 3D backgrounds holds up incredibly well, even in a modern context, and there’s something about Final Fantasy Tactics‘ unique visual style that helps to define the experience, enough to where the later Final Fantasy Tactics Advance games opted to not deviate much from the original’s art direction. A potentially perfect middle ground, then, would be for the Final Fantasy Tactics remake to adopt the HD-2D visual style used by many other Square Enix remake projects, maintaining the iconic character designs from Akihiko Yoshida while bringing their fidelity and the game’s backgrounds into the 21st Century.
A Final Fantasy Tactics Remake Should Introduce New Jobs
There’s a strong case to be made that Final Fantasy Tactics‘ almost perfectly balanced tactical gameplay doesn’t need much of an update in a remake or remaster, but such a project would open up the opportunity for Square Enix to introduce some new jobs. The War of the Lions version of Final Fantasy Tactics serves as a good resource since it manages to add in 4 new jobs (2 general and 2 special) without upsetting the game’s difficulty balancing or progression. The inclusion of special new jobs or character cameos from later Final Fantasy games would also be a welcome addition, such as having a “Dominant” job that transforms into summon monsters a la Final Fantasy 16 or perhaps a Noctis-style “Prince” job referencing Final Fantasy 15.
The Story, Music, Menus, and UI Should Remain Untouched in a Final Fantasy Tactics Remake
For all that a potential Final Fantasy Tactics remake might change, there are several elements of the original PlayStation version that should remain consistent. Paramount among these are the game’s story and music. Yasumi Matsuno‘s original script could probably just stand to receive a new translation in a remake, and the original score from Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata needs little else other than a remaster to high-definition audio. Similarly, it just wouldn’t feel like Final Fantasy Tactics if any updates were made to the iconic menus and UI, making a strong case for those elements to remain the same in a remake just as they were in 1997.
- Released
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June 20, 1997
- ESRB
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t
- Developer(s)
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Square
- Publisher(s)
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Square, Sony Computer Entertainment