After a surprise announcement that took the community by storm,Xboxplayers can now access every game included in theFinal Fantasy Pixel Remastercollection. Publisher Square Enix has been making some major attempts to embrace a multi-platform strategy, including adding the ever-popularFinal Fantasy XIVonto Xbox Game Pass. With so manyFinal Fantasygames, includingFinal Fantasy 16andFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, breaking free of their PlayStation exclusivity, thePixel Remasterseries may signal that Square Enix wants to bring even more of the franchise’s titles to Xbox.
Over on X (formerly Twitter), the officialFinal Fantasyaccount shared the announcement thatthe popularPixel Remasterversions ofFinal Fantasy 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,and6, are now available on Xbox Series X|S.
What’s perhaps most significant about the announcement is thatthePixel Remasteredcollection isn’t yet available on PlayStation 5, a clear indication that Square Enix wants to do more to prioritize the Xbox brand. While each title in the collection is showing its age in terms of gameplay, they’re an essential part of video game history and are all still fun.
Are The Pixel Remasters Worth Your Time?
An Excellent Glimpse Into History
They may lack the flash and style of something likeFinal Fantasy 16but one can’t underestimate the importance ofthe first sixFinal Fantasygames. WhileDragon Questis known for establishing many of the tropes associated with the JRPG genre,Final Fantasyperfected them, providing players with sweeping adventures across fantasy lands riddled with chaos. Early games are simplistic in their stories and characters but the experimentation in terms of combat and exploration is still fun to experience in 2024.
While thepixel graphics may not be for everyone, one can’t deny thatthe originalFinal Fantasygameshave some incredible soundtracks that hold up to this day. The remasters also implement some essential quality-of-life upgrades that most modern fans wouldn’t be able to live without, including an auto-battle system and the ability to disable random encounters.Special mention must be made forFinal Fantasy 6which many enthusiasts still hold up as one of the best gamesin the entire franchise.
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Review: A Cracking RPG Compendium
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster brings wonderful RPG history to the Nintendo Switch, with brilliant reworkings of the first six Final Fantasy games.
What Does This Mean For Final Fantasy And Xbox?
Hopefully, Even More Ports
With Square Enix confirming that it’s looking to work closer withXbox,one can only see theFinal Fantasy: Pixel Remasterports as the next step in that mission. Now thatFinal Fantasy 16is available on PC, it seems more possible than ever that it could come to Xbox soon. Given the brand synergy betweenFinal Fantasy 7and PlayStation, Square Enix may hold off on bringing those remakes over for the time being.
