Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, which includes modernized versions of Final Fantasies 1 through 6, is coming to consoles on April 19.
The remasters have been available on PC and mobile for a while, but they're coming to Nintendo Switch and PS4 soon. The new release date was accompanied by a delightfully new trailer, providing viewers with gameplay footage and a beautiful orchestral arrangement of the Final Fantasy series' theme song.
The launch trailer promises "an experience of a lifetime" and gives a new generation of gamers the chance to enjoy Square Enix's classic sprite-based RPGs. It's a great opportunity for anyone, even remotely, to immerse themselves in the history of the franchise.
Square Enix has often stumbled when remastering its older games. When Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster released in 2021, they were known to have horrible, hard-to-read text (opens in a new tab) due to poor font choice. Tellingly, therefore, the first major feature shown off in the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster trailer is the new, much more readable pixel font.
Although not to everyone's taste, I find the new typeface a marked improvement over the old one. It does a good job of preserving the classic Final Fantasy aesthetic while maintaining readability at higher resolutions. That being said, your mileage may vary based on aesthetic taste. Why don't you check out the trailer below and judge for yourself?
humble beginnings
These first half dozen Final Fantasy games were instrumental in inventing and popularizing dozens of RPG mechanics that remain the backbone of the genre today. The job system, introduced in Final Fantasy 3, would continue to inform future class-based combat systems.
In addition to the obvious successors to this system, like the MMORPG Final Fantasy 14 and Bravely Default 2, we also see similarities to the original job system like Yakuza: Like a Dragon and even Overwatch 2, which allows players to change the composition of their teams. equipment. in a very similar way to Final Fantasy 3.
The first six Final Fantasy games are foundational elements of video game history.
Final Fantasy 6 also introduced an ambitious form of joint storytelling, reminiscent of modern TV serials like The Mandalorian and Better Call Saul. It was from this ambitious form of storytelling that Final Fantasy 7 was able to create its own distinctive character arcs, leading to the success of Final Fantasy 7 Remake and the hype surrounding its impending sequel, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
The first six Final Fantasy games are seminal elements in video game history. While it does have its flaws and limitations, Pixel Remaster is a great opportunity to revisit these classics and see the origins of the gameplay mechanics and storytelling techniques now commonplace in the industry.
The influence of these games could be the subject of dozens of books or scholarly articles and is too great to properly consider here. What I recommend, though, is experiencing these iconic games for yourself, and with the release of the revamped Pixel Remaster, there's never been a better time to do so.