Summary
Naoki Yoshida, the director and producer behindFinal Fantasy 14, voiced his desire forSquare Enixto re-release the classic PlayStation RPGsVagrant StoryandFinal Fantasy Tactics. BothFinal Fantasy TacticsandVagrant Storywere originally released on the PS1, developed bySquare Enixas part of the greaterIvalice Allianceseries. Both games received a lot of critical acclaim back in the day, and are still lauded as some of the best games by Square on the console.Final Fantasy Tacticsin particular got two sequels, one on the Game Boy Advance and one on the Nintendo DS, along with a remake of the first game in 2007 on the PlayStation Portable.
Despite both the games' acclaim,Tacticshasn’t had a new release since the 2007 remake, andVagrant Storywas only re-released via PlayStation Network on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation Vita in 2006. While rumors of a potentialTacticsremaster have been circulating for the last few years, especially after the infamous 2021 Nvidia GeForce Leak,Final Fantasy TacticsandVagrant Storydirector Yasumi Matsuno eventually shut them down. Many fans, includingFinal Fantasy 16actor Ben Starr, have been vocal in wanting a remaster or re-release of the firstFinal Fantasy Tacticsgame, including Square Enix’s own Naoki Yoshida, or Yoshi-P.
In an interview with 4Gamer, Yoshida andFinal Fantasycreator Hironobu Sakaguchiwere asked about what games they would like to re-release, including remasters, remakes, and even titles they didn’t work on themselves. While Sakaguchi said he’d like to re-release theTerra Battlemobile game, Yoshida said that since he was a big fan of Director Yasumi Matsuno’s work, he wants a re-release ofVagrant StoryandFinal Fantasy Tactics, wanting future generations to play them on any platform.
Yoshi-P Wants Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy Tactics to be Played by ‘Future Generations’
Yoshida stated that, while he himself doesn’t have much interest in remakes or remasters, he thinks it’s important that fans can play these older games properly.Yoshida’s love forFinal Fantasy Tacticsis evident, as he previously said the series itself deserves another entry. Another game Yoshida brings up isParasite Eve, which he says also deserves a sequel. Yoshida also jokes that since the protagonist of the original was named after Sakaguchi’s daughter, the sequel’s main character should be named after Sakaguchi’s grandson.
Yoshida then says that while games likeVagrant Story,Final Fantasy Tactics,andParasite EveareSquare Enix games that deserve a re-release or remake, it can be difficult to make a reality, but if there are a lot of fans who support it, then it could be something done with current technology. Despite Yoshida wanting a remaster or re-release of both of these games, it doesn’t appear to be in the works at this time. Even Matsuno himself said that he’s not working on a potential remaster, asking fans to play other titles like Vanillaware’sUnicorn Overlordif they want to scratch the itch of playing something in the vein ofFinal Fantasy Tactics.
Final Fantasy Tactics
The styles of FINAL FANTASY and OGRE BATTLE converge inFINAL FANTASY TACTICS, a strategy RPG created by the minds behind those classic series. A tale of political intrigue and betrayal woven through a complex web of interpersonal relationships, this game requires you to follow a convoluted plot through several twisting chapters. You assume control a young noble named Ramza, a young lad embroiled in a political revolution that spirals into a supernatural threat endangering the entire world. The influence from the FINAL FANTASY games is seen in the monster designs, spells, weapons, and most notably the character classes. Known as jobs, these character types are taken directly from FINAL FANTASY V, and allow you to completely customize your characters' abilities. On the battlefield you will feel the gameplay ties to TACTICS OGRE, as you maneuver your allies around the grid-based map in turn-based strategic combat. The game also features an epic soundtrack from the composers of the OGRE BATTLE series, Masaharu Iwata and Hitoshi Sakimoto.
Vagrant Story
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Set in the fictional kingdom of Valendia, Vagrant Story is a JRPG that was developed and published by Square prior to the company’s 2002 merger with Enix. The game follows protagonist Ashley Riot, a brave knight who is pursuing an evil cult leader in the midst of a civil war.
