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Square Enix Shadow Drops 8 Games on Xbox

By Murillo Zerbinatto

Published Sep 26, 2024

Murillo Zerbinatto is a contributor from Brazil. He's an RPG enthusiast (with a focus on JRPGs) who has been around the world of games and content creation for more than five years now. He has a particular love for Final Fantasy and has absorbed all the content this long-running series offers, including its obscure spinoffs such as Dimension I & II, Explorers, and My Life as a King. While playing RPGs is already a time-sinking endeavor, Murillo doubles down by being a platinum hunter as well.

Summary

Square Enix has released eight games on Xbox without warning.
These games include all six titles from the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection, Trials of Mana, and Legend of Mana.
Both Mana games are also available for Game Pass subscribers.

During Xbox's presentation at the Tokyo Game Show, Square Enix shadow dropped eight games into the Xbox catalog, playable immediately. Last year, Square Enix promised a stronger partnership with Xbox, aligning with its new strategic plan "to aggressively pursue multiplatform game releases." This plan seems to already be materializing, as games previously available only for PlayStation and Nintendo Switch are finally making their way to Microsoft's consoles.

After Square Enix's new CEO Takashi Kiryu took control, he promised to bring more of the company's lineup to Xbox. Octopath Traveler 2 arrived on Xbox before PlayStation, but the company's flagship titles, such as the latest Final Fantasy games, have been absent. The first major Final Fantasy title to return to Xbox was Final Fantasy 14, which launched in March of this year. Since the MMORPG's release, Square Enix has repeatedly stated its desire to nurture the Final Fantasy community on Xbox, and it seems to be following through on that promise.

During Tokyo Game Show 2024, Square Enix announced that eight games had been released on Xbox without warning. Among the titles are the six games from the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection, which includes the original Final Fantasy up to Final Fantasy 6. The other two games are Trials of Mana and Legend of Mana, both of which are already available for Game Pass subscribers. During Gamescom 2024, Naoki Yoshida mentioned that Square Enix plans to bring more Final Fantasy games to Xbox, as well as other titles outside the franchise.

All Eight Games Shadow Dropped by Square Enix on Xbox

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster
Final Fantasy 2 Pixel Remaster
Final Fantasy 3 Pixel Remaster
Final Fantasy 4 Pixel Remaster
Final Fantasy 5 Pixel Remaster
Final Fantasy 6 Pixel Remaster
Trials of Mana
Legend of Mana

While Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster and the two Mana series games set an optimistic precedent for Xbox, none of these titles had any exclusivity contracts with other platforms. Because of this, players still wonder if Square Enix's high-profile titles will ever make the jump to Microsoft's consoles. All year, rumors have swirled about whether Final Fantasy 7 Remake would come to Xbox alongside its sequel, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Both titles were timed console exclusives for the PS5, but nothing about their future on other consoles has been announced.

Another major Square Enix title that wasn't only released as a timed exclusive for the PS5 but also had Sony's support throughout its development was Final Fantasy 16. The latest mainline entry in the franchise recently launched on PC, but so far, there's been no mention of the RPG coming to Xbox. Hiroshi Takai, the game's director, said he'd love to see Final Fantasy 16 on Xbox, but the team has been entirely focused on the PC port. Now that Final Fantasy 16 has arrived on PC, fans hope Square Enix's next step will be bringing Clive's adventures to Xbox.

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Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Tag Page Cover Art

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JRPG

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PC-1

PlayStation-1

Xbox-1

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OpenCritic Reviews: Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 87%

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Released: July 28, 2021
ESRB: T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Blood, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
Developer(s): Tose
Publisher(s): Square Enix
Engine: Unity
Franchise: Final Fantasy

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The games that inspired a generation come to life once more, in the ultimate 2D pixel remaster!

Enjoy universally updated 2D pixel graphics and the beautifully rearranged soundtrack.
Gameplay is improved with modernised UI, and extras such as a bestiary, illustration gallery and music player allow further immersion into the world of the game.

This bundle lets you purchase all six games from FINAL FANTASY 1 to FINAL FANTASY 6 at a discount price.

■Bundle content
・FINAL FANTASY
・FINAL FANTASY II
・FINAL FANTASY III
・FINAL FANTASY IV
・FINAL FANTASY V
・FINAL FANTASY VI

Platform(s): PC, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
Genre(s): JRPG
How Long To Beat: 100+ Hours

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