The console versions of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters are now available on Nintendo Switch and PS4 after having previously been exclusive to PC and mobile. The long-awaited release of the remasters comes as a boon to console players looking to get their hands on Square Enix's legendary run of the first six Final Fantasy entries. What fans did not expect, however, was that the console versions of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters would include quality-of-life improvements over the PC versions, perhaps helping to cement them as the definitive editions of the games.
The Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters polish the first six games of the series for modern audiences with an upgrade to the audiovisual fidelity. While they are not the first remasters of these games, with many having been remade or remastered for the Game Boy Advance or PSP, they are intended to be the most definitive versions of the series' original six entries on modern hardware. In the year since the Pixel Remasters released on PC, it would appear that Square Enix has been receptive to feedback from fans and has implemented features in the console versions that solidify that "definitive" status.
The Boost System Streamlines Older Final Fantasy Games' Grinding
Grinding is an aspect of older games that has fallen out of favor in modern RPG design. For those that grew up on the games included in the Pixel Remasters, there is an expectation of needing to grind to raise party levels before challenging dungeons, but few recently released RPGs outside of Square Enix's Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler series require players to grind. In an effort to make the Pixel Remasters more accessible to modern audiences, Square Enix implemented a "Boost" system that alleviates some of the tedium of grinding.
The console versions of the Pixel Remasters allow for players to set a boost to their EXP and gold gains after each random encounter on a sliding scale of 0.5x the original amount all the way up to 4x. As a result, players aren't required to spend as much time aimlessly wandering the map in hopes of repeating encounters to raise levels before heading to their next destination. Players also have the ability to either switch off random encounters entirely or initiate the games' Auto-Battling, making 30-year-old games feel less archaic to play.
Pixelated Fonts and Chiptune Soundtracks Bring The Remasters Closer to the Originals
In addition to the improvement of the original six Final Fantasy titles' graphics and pixel art, the Pixel Remasters on PC updated the in-game fonts and added a fully-orchestrated version of each title's original score. Updating the fonts used in menus and dialogue did not sit well with some fans, with some players on PC even going so far as to implement a workaround using each game's backend Steam files to change the fonts. The console releases of the Pixel Remasters correct this misstep with a much simpler fix: an option in the games' configuration menu to make fonts pixelated again.
The orchestration of each game's original score can also be changed back to the original MIDI chiptunes used in the previous releases, bringing the feel of the games back in line with what longtime fans remember. The addition of options to revert changes made to the games' music and presentation are small but important differences that make the recent console versions of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters stand out above the previous PC and mobile releases. The Final Fantasy series is one of the most revered in gaming, and the first six games in the franchise are absolute must-plays for fans of RPGs, with the Pixel Remasters now closer to the best possible versions of each game.
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.