FF Tactics’ Original Art Director Wanted To Make It Under One Unusual Condition

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Back in the day, the first Final Fantasy Tactics was a hidden gem because it competed with powerhouses like Final Fantasy 7 and the upcoming Final Fantasy 8. It reshaped our understanding of what a tactical role-playing game (RPG) could be. Later this year, we can expect an updated version of the original game. If not for art director Hiroshi Minagawa’s insistence on maintaining a frame rate of 60fps, the initial game may have appeared quite differently.

In the game known as Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together, which many believe set the tone for Final Fantasy Tactics, he aimed to enhance the graphics despite the limitations of the technology during that time period.

Originally, our aim was to create a game similar to Tactics Ogre in terms of map scale and character count. However, regardless of the approaches we took, the frame rate consistently dropped to 30 frames per second. This was stated during an interview with Denfaminicogamer (translated through Automaton Media), where he expressed his intense focus on maintaining a frame rate of 60fps, particularly after witnessing Tobal No.1 play exceptionally smoothly at that frame rate.

As a die-hard fan, I couldn’t help but delve deeper into the reasoning behind the PlayStation’s limitation on polygon count, yet maintaining a smooth 60 frames per second. Starting from this point, the creative minds behind the project considered factors such as the map size and minimizing rounded corners wherever possible. Additionally, they drew inspiration from Tactics Ogre’s party of ten characters and decided to reduce it to five for Final Fantasy Tactics.

According to Final Fantasy Tactics director Yasumi Matsuno, parties consisting of 10 characters, as seen in Tactics Ogre, seemed excessive compared to the four or five character parties common in other Final Fantasy games at the time. This led to the decision that FFT should follow suit and have a party size similar to other Final Fantasy titles. Interestingly, this choice also aligned with Minagawa’s frame rate concerns. Matsuno further stated that FFT was a game that could only be created under the specific circumstances of its time and hardware. If attempted to recreate it today, he believes it would not produce the same results.

Games like Final Fantasy Tactics (FFT) and Tactics Ogre tend to emphasize the game mechanics, character building, and personalization of your squad rather than prioritizing high-quality visual graphics.

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In comparison with visually stunning games, strategy titles such as FFT and Tactics Ogre are more concerned with offering deep gameplay experiences through party customization and less so with delivering top-notch graphics.

On September 30, you’ll find “Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles” available for play on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch systems.

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2025-06-18 23:09