A sequel to Final Fantasy Tactics could be on the cards if the forthcoming remake sells well, its director has teased.
The PS1 tactical RPG was first released in 1997, and while it established the world of Ivalice that reappeared in subsequent games, it never received a direct sequel. Square Enix also released the Final Fantasy Tactics Advance games on GBA and DS, though the second of these was back in 2007.
“If The Ivalice Chronicles can do well, that’s good for the fans, they can enjoy it. But, at the same time, it shows the business viability of the strategy RPG genre,” Kazutoyo Maehiro, director of the remake told Inverse. “So that could potentially open the door for doing something with Final Fantasy Tactics Advance or A2, or maybe even sequels and new titles as well. I think I speak for everyone who’s worked on the original Final Fantasy Tactics, and is working on The Ivalice Chronicles as well – we’d really like to see that happen.”
Final Fantasy Tactics is one of the most beloved entries in the series, praised for its mature, political storytelling. Fans have long-wanted a new Tactics game, with this remake being rumoured for years.
Maehiro also commented on the popularity of the genre overall, alluding to other recent turn-based games.
“Of course, with the different hardware advances that have come, we see a lot more action games,” he said. “But I think, at the same time, that doesn’t really mean turn-based or strategy games went away. They’ve advanced with the hardware advances. I know we have titles that might start with P or have 33 in them, and fans really enjoy these games.
“But strategy RPGs are opportunities where people need to be able to think and strategise to excel at these games. And people do enjoy them overall – so these games have a place.”
Eurogamer’s Alex Donaldson recently went hands-on with Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, and discussed with the developers the need for a remake.
“Obviously, this game came out 28 years ago,” said co-director Ayako Yokoyama. “But the story is amazing, and I think that’s something we want people to experience. At the same time it is a strategy RPG, and maybe for more casual players that’s a little bit of a hurdle. It can even be hard for people who aren’t used to that type of game, but do like story-based RPGs.”
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