Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Review

With Final Fantasy XVI around the corner some gamers may want to go back and see where it all began. Luckily Square has finally released the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection on consoles, bringing everything full circle. While the collection was released on 2022 on PC and mobile, it was only recently released on consoles with some improvements over the 2022 releases.

Covering the 8- and 16-bit eras of the series the collection brings together Final Fantasy 1 through 6. Now there is some naming and release shenanigans between Japanese and western releases but honestly, I haven’t dug into the history of the series enough to care about that. All I know is that you get 6 classic JRPGs that defined the genre for many gamers and is the foundation that is leading us to what looks like an amazing sixteenth mainline game in the series.

These games are not a remake but nor are they a straight low effort port. Square spent some money and effort to update these games for modern systems without losing any of the charm. First off for anyone who has only played the more recent games be prepared to learn just how amazing turn-based combat actually is. Secondly don’t expect fancy effects and graphics, these are still as pixellated as they were in their original forms, just at a higher res and in widescreen format.

The quality-of-life improvements don’t stop there though, like the FFVII, VIII and IX releases on the previous generation of consoles, these games have some built in accelerators (really cheats) to save time and some frustration with having to grind.

You can speed up battles to push you along by up to four times. And you can accelerate how much Gil you earn to ensure that you will always have enough cash to purchase those oh so precious Phoenix Down’s and Hi-Potions. Of course if you want to boast about your “real gamer” credentials you can reduce these to below the original drop rates to really increase the grind.

In addition to these quality-of-life improvements, Square also included trophy support for those of you who enjoy chasing those down. None of these improvements take away from the experience if you are an old school purist as they acknowledge the past while recognising that sometimes mechanics and gameplay don’t age well and playing them today will smash those rose tinted glasses into teeny tiny pieces.

However, don’t think that these games will be a switch off your brain walk down memory lane. There are no modern conveniences like journals to keep track of quests and conversations, which after a short break from a game can make remembering where you were going and what you were doing difficult to pick up again. Your approach to this can dictate what your experience will be. You can definitely go old school and find a guide online (RIP GameFAQS) and follow that through the whole game which will give you the 6 months later original experience.

Or you can embrace the lack of in game mechanics too guide you and explore the world map. This will get you into trouble as you find monsters that are way too powerful for you, but that is part of the fun.

Whatever your preferred path you will have an experience to remember. Adding to the experience is the option of soundtrack. Original era soundtrack or modern remastered new arrangements, the choice is yours. The year or so between the PC release and the console one has also given those who waited the superior experience, although last year’s releases have been patched.

Square listened to the fans who complained about the font used in those releases. Personally, I didn’t see the problem, but enough people did to get Square’s attention and to have them spend the time to fix what was not well received.

One convenience I would have loved to have seen added to the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is the addition of save states. For those who didn’t ever play these games via emulators, a save state brings the PC like convenience of being able to save anywhere at any time. On the world map this isn’t such a big issue as you can save at any time, but in dungeons it can be a chore. It is minor gripe, a truly inconsequential one, but it still would’ve been nice.

The one caveat to all of this for anyone curious about these games is the price. Even for six games that have been remastered Square are being a bit ridiculous with the price of this collection.

Overall, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster are a great experience for old and newcomers to the series alike. The choice given to gamers to switch on the quality-of-life enhancements opens the games and the experience to more people while giving those who want a more authentic experience the choice to jump in without searching for original carts or ROMs.