Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles Director Kazutoyo Maehiro discusses how voice acting led to adding and refining the story, State of the Realm, and more

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During an interview with the PlayStation Blog, Director Kazutoyo Maehiro discusses the strategies employed in updating “Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles” for contemporary systems. He also talks about enhancements made to the story through the inclusion of voice acting and other exciting details.

In this conversation, we delve into Kazutoyo Maehiro’s experience of revisiting the game a few years ago. This replay sparked a revelation that although the game was still impressive, it wasn’t compatible with modern platforms within the current console market. Here are some key points from the in-depth interview:

During this discussion, we explore Kazutoyo Maehiro’s recent replay of the game and how it led to the discovery that while the game was still impressive, it was no longer playable on contemporary platforms within the current console environment. I’ve summarized some significant points from the comprehensive interview below:

Or even more casually:
In this chat, we talk about Kazutoyo Maehiro playing the game again a while back and how that playthrough made him realize something interesting – although the game was still cool, it doesn’t work on today’s platforms within the current console world. I’ve given you some of the best parts from the full conversation here:

All three options aim to convey the same information in a different way while maintaining clarity and readability.

On how adding voice acting led to the story being added to and refined:

One major factor influencing our choice to expand and polish the narrative is the inclusion of voiceovers in this game. Merely incorporating voiceovers without modifications would have resulted in an awkward sounding dialogue. To address this, we carefully reworked the lines to make them feel like a genuine conversation, significantly improving immersion. Additionally, these adjustments help clarify each character’s thoughts, aspirations, and past, making them more relatable. Upon hearing the characters speak on-screen, I was struck by the powerful performances of the actors, which I believe have truly given life to these characters. While my feelings might be biased due to my work on the original game, I am confident that both longtime fans and new players will share this sentiment.

On how State of the Realm was added in a similar manner to how it was in Final Fantasy XVI:

To help players delve deeper into the story, we structured the information based on the protagonist’s actions, making it easy to follow along chronologically. If you’d like an overview of the entire narrative, check out ‘The State of the Realm.’ For those seeking additional details and behind-the-scenes tidbits, pay attention to rumors in taverns or explore other game features.

On game difficulty:

Perhaps some of you steered clear of the game due to it being a strategy role-playing game. However, the upgraded version now offers an adjustable difficulty level, making it more approachable for everyone. We encourage you to seize this chance and delve into the intricate universe of Ivalice.

Again, you can find the complete interview right here, covering topics like Errands, the foundation of the Classic version that evolved into the Enhanced edition, and other interesting details.

If you haven’t been following up on the developments of Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles since its initial announcement, let me fill you in on the script differences across various versions, including the upcoming digital-exclusive release on Switch 2 in the Western region. This version is an upgrade from the original Switch release and it’s important to note that it does not contain the content from The War of the Lions. I’ll provide more information about the game here.

On the 30th of September, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles will be available for purchase on PlayStation 5, the new version of Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, existing versions of Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam (PC platform).

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2025-07-22 09:56