There’s a phrase in our world today that is spoken by people who don’t like certain issues addressed in key pieces of media they enjoy. That phrase is “going political.” As in, a show will do a storyline that directly touches upon real-world events in a way that is meant to “send a message” and be clear where the show’s cast and crew stand on things. We’ve seen this happen for an incredibly long time, but in the world we live in now, many don’t want that for “various reasons.” However, games like Final Fantasy Tactics The Ivalice Chronicles won’t shy away from that, and their original writer has noted why.
Many respected the OG title when it came out because of its very gripping story that was rooted in real-world inspiration. Talking with Denfaminicogamer, the game’s original writer and editor, Yasumi Matsuno, noted that the game’s story doesn’t have to change at all because things back then are still similar to how they are now:
“This game was made almost 30 years ago, and at that time there were many economic and political problems, such as the bursting of the bubble economy and the Gulf War. In Japan in particular, the economy worsened due to the after effects of the bubble economy, with many companies going bankrupt, and leading to an ‘ice age’ of employment. Final Fantasy Tactics was released in that climate as a work depicting class struggle, with the main theme of ‘the haves’ and ‘the have-nots’. Unfortunately, 30 years have passed since then and the environment surrounding the world has not changed.”
Matsuno went so far as to say that things may be even WORSE right now in the 2020s than they were in the 1990s, and it’s not hard to see why he would say that.
Just in the core concept of the “haves and the have-nots,” many are feeling that in several key nations all over the world, especially in places like the United States, with its current leadership favoring the “haves” in key areas. There are also global conflicts going on right now that have the whole planet on edge, as more seem to be on the horizon.
Thus, while it may seem “political” for this game to come out at such a time, it’s actually the opposite. The game’s story remains unchanged from its original form, and if anything, it serves as a reminder of how things were before and how we must change now, or else watch things continue to get worse.
