Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions Gets Surprise Mobile Update With Controller Support and 60 FPS
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions receives a surprise mobile update adding controller support, 60 FPS, and fast-forward controls. With these welcome improvements and exclusive content missing from The Ivalice Chronicles, there's never been a better time to revisit this beloved classic on iOS and Android.
Well, this is some incredible timing!
Fresh off my review of Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles, where I praised Square Enix’s fantastic remaster but lamented on the absence of certain War of the Lions content, Square Enix has delivered a surprise update to the mobile version of Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions!
The October update brings some substantial improvements to the iOS and Android releases, including native controller support, 60 FPS performance, a fast-forward feature, and updated battle controls. It’s the first major update for the mobile version in over five years.
A Much-Needed Upgrade for War of the Lions
According to Square Enix’s official announcement, the update includes several welcome improvements.
Controller support is arguably the biggest addition, finally letting players enjoy the tactical combat without relying entirely on touchscreen controls.
A new fast-forward toggle, accessible through the on-screen ▷▷ button, should also make lengthy battles and grinding considerably more enjoyable.
The update also improves performance to support 60 FPS, reorganizes the battle interface and camera controls, introduces a more readable font, and addresses minor bugs.
And considering how much time I’ve spent grinding Jobs and abilities in Final Fantasy Tactics, anything that makes that experience faster gets two thumbs up from me.
Why This Update Matters
One of my few disappointments with Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles was its omission of content introduced in the PSP’s War of the Lions, including the Dark Knight and Onion Knight Jobs, alongside guest characters Luso and Balthier.
And I LOVE Balthier.
While I still firmly believe The Ivalice Chronicles is the best overall way to experience this masterpiece, the mobile version of War of the Lions retains that additional content. With these new performance and gameplay improvements, there’s an even stronger reason for longtime fans to revisit it.
In fact, our very own Lurock, a member of The Level Up Legacy community and several other wonderful RPG communities, has already jumped back into the game and is loving what he’s seeing!
Huge shout-out to Lurock! It’s always awesome seeing members of our community sharing their enthusiasm for the games we love.
While the update doesn’t bring the missing PSP content into The Ivalice Chronicles, it’s encouraging to see Square Enix continuing to support another version of this beloved game.
And as odd as it is may be, given my stance on The Ivalice Chronicles, I wouldn’t mind seeing this one on consoles either.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions is available on iOS and Android, with separate iPhone and iPad releases on Apple’s App Store.
Will you be trying this one out?
2 comments
Let’s go baby!! This version of the game is SICK. It runs so beautifully now and is an excellent way to revisit this game. Ivalice Chronicles gave us some incredible features, especially those voice overs, but if you want to experience the war of the lions content, the mobile version should be overlooked. Great write up, Brandon and thanks for shout out! This is one of my all time favorite games.
Having played this game on every device it feels like… this version needed a update