Even though they’re often referred to as one unit, certain games in the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series hold up better than others. Final Fantasy has always been an anthology series; the games are linked together by common themes, design principles, and battle mechanics rather than by direct story continuity. It’s possible – even preferable – for players to jump around the series, picking up whatever titles catch their attention while skipping those that don’t.
With the Pixel Remaster series now on Switch and PlayStation as well as PC, it’s never been a better time to revisit the early entries in the Final Fantasy series. The Pixel Remaster series gives these timeless classics a new lease on life, with updated 16-bit graphics, arranged and re-recorded music, and modified dialogue translation. These remasters are generally faithful to the original games they’re based on, but sometimes take a little bit of artistic license, like by changing the original Final Fantasy dialogue font. Still, that’s not always a bad thing – the remasters often compensate for the original games’ flaws.
6 Final Fantasy 2 Pixel Remaster
The original FF2 is often considered one of the worst games in the series, and that’s almost entirely due to its out-of-place leveling system. Instead of leveling up stats relevant to character classes with XP after battles, characters level up based on what they do and what’s done to them. For example, a character who’s attacked frequently will gain additional HP. Some stats were also opposed to each other – level up one and the other would decrease. The system is easily exploited, but also takes freedom out of the player’s hands. FF2 Pixel Remaster improves on the system of action-based leveling, but it’s still one of the weaker titles overall.
5 Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster
1987’s FF1 was the game that started it all. The first entry in the series establishes a number of conventions: the focus on a party of Warriors of Light, the job system, and airship travel. The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is a faithful remake of the game that launched a decades-long, worldwide hit franchise, which means it also maintains some of the original’s flaws. Jobs are unflexible; once players choose their starting party, they’re locked into it for the entire game. It’s easy to become overleveled in the early game and ruin the difficulty curve. FF1 Pixel Remaster is a decent re-imagining, but other FF games simply did it better.
4 Final Fantasy 5 Pixel Remaster
Mostly known for the flexibility of its job system, Final Fantasy 5 allows for a greater degree of player freedom than some of the FF titles that came before it. However, its greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. Leveling up jobs requires a lot of grinding, and the rewards aren’t always worth it. Other FF games can hold up an imperfect combat system with gorgeous visuals or a compelling story, but compared to the rest of the series, FF5 doesn’t hold a candle – even with the Pixel Remaster‘s fresh coat of paint. It does, however, have a great soundtrack, which is faithfully updated in the remaster.
3 Final Fantasy 3 Pixel Remaster
FF3 is one of the most innovative games in the series, but wasn’t released in the West until it got a Nintendo DS remake in 2006. FF3 Pixel Remaster finally brings this classic to modern platforms. The original FF3 was the first game to introduce the Active Time Battle system to the series, adding dimension and urgency to turn-based combat by requiring players to react in real time. This is faithfully recreated in FF3 Pixel Remaster, but not greatly innovated upon. Still, the remaster has undergone a little rebalancing and the addition of new character skills, making it feel like a more polished, complete experience than ever before.
2 Final Fantasy 4 Pixel Remaster
Of all the 2D Final Fantasy games, FF4 did traditional, sword-and-sorcery medieval fantasy best – but also incorporated a few unique twists. With Cecil Harvey as a strong protagonist, its compelling story about integrity and redemption will certainly draw players in. It features a number of playable characters, each of whom has unique abilities that set them apart from the rest of the pack. With the updates brought by FF4 Pixel Remaster, the game is a visual and musical delight. Plus, with two large world maps to explore, there’s plenty to keep players busy. The only thing that holds this one back is its somewhat repetitive combat.
1 Final Fantasy 6 Pixel Remaster
FF6 Pixel Remaster faithfully updates one of the best Final Fantasy experiences for modern platforms. This was the first FF game to break from the typical fantasy setting, instead taking place in a steampunk world of magical mechs and ghostly trains. Its story is by turns inspiring, devastating, and hilarious, and features a harrowing villain in the clownish Kefka. It also features one of the best combat systems in the series – different characters have different types of commands, so players won’t spend the entire game mashing the down arrow and A buttons.
FF6 Pixel Remaster recreates the original’s moving, evocative score, giving it just a little more oomph while retaining the same spirit. Its visuals, cutting-edge in its day, are accurately upgraded here, except for some unpopular changes to FF6‘s epic opening. While it’s sometimes overshadowed by FF7, FF6 is every bit as masterful and groundbreaking, and FF6 Pixel Remaster can help bring it to a whole new audience.
On the whole, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster comprises a welcome revival of the series’ golden age while still remaining loyal to its roots. None of the Pixel Remasters are bad, but a few of them are held back by the flaws of the original versions. While some of the remasters attempt to tweak or patch out less popular features, to remove them entirely would stray too far from the original vision – after all, these are remasters, not remakes. Even with their flaws, the six Final Fantasy Pixel Remastergames are an excellent way for fans old and new to experience the Final Fantasy series from the beginning.
