Behind the Scenes: How the Ivalice Chronicles Team Rebuilt Final Fantasy Tactics from the Ground Up

The team at Square Enix has taken the classic game Final Fantasy Tactics and turned it into The Ivalice Chronicles, but it wasn’t an easy task. Game director Kazutoyo Maehiro shared some fascinating insights about the challenges they faced.

When they started the remake, they found out that the original source code was lost. This wasn’t just a minor setback. In the ’90s, companies often had different ways of coding, leading to messy practices. For the global release, they had overwritten the original code, complicating things even further. So, Maehiro and his team had to recreate the entire source code from scratch. They played the original game from 1997 and used the master disc, along with insights from the 2011 version, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions. Interestingly, they also turned to fan-made databases to retrieve lost information, showing how passionate the community is about preserving gaming history.

One interesting debate during the development was around a character named Count Cidolfus Orlandeau, affectionately known as Cid, or Thunder God Cid. Fans had mixed feelings about his strength in the game. Instead of toning him down, Maehiro decided to keep Cid’s power intact because it aligns with the story. To balance this, they boosted other characters’ abilities, ensuring a more even playing field.

In a recent interview, Maehiro hinted at exciting possibilities for the future—if The Ivalice Chronicles does well, Square Enix may consider sequels or other strategy RPGs. Given the strong interest in tactical games today, it seems like the perfect time to explore new directions in this genre.

In a world where many franchises are churning out sequels, it’s refreshing to see a dedication to quality and attention to detail in remakes. The gaming community is already buzzing with anticipation for The Ivalice Chronicles, not just for nostalgia, but for the new twists that enhance the beloved original.

For more on the nuances of remaking classic games, you can read the full interview on Bloomberg.

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Final Fantasy Tactics, Kazutoyo Maehiro, Bloomberg, Ivalice Chronicles