As a long-time Final Fantasy fan, when I first heard about the Pixel Remaster, I was very excited to revisit the original six titles as they have always been a classic series.

Final Fantasy was created by Square Enix back in 1987 with the first release of Final Fantasy 1, and who would’ve known back then that the series would still be an amazing gaming experience 36 years later. The fanbase keeps growing with each new title in the franchise.

So what comes in the Pixel Remaster? Players will be able to either revisit or experience the first six titles in the franchise that feature some massive names that show up throughout the series, such as Garland, the fallen Knight of Grace. He was the main villain in the first installment of the series and in 2022, was featured in a prequel story in Strangers of Paradise Final Fantasy Origins.

Each main game over the years has added new features that blew the players away, like when they first introduced the summon system in Final Fantasy 3, which brought us classic summons like Shiva and Bahamut. Each title has something new to bring to the table.

So what’s new with the remaster? There has been an adjustment to the graphics with a new redrawn 2D pixel art and full-screen support, and the UI textures have been polished. The core graphics are still the old-style pixel version, so don’t expect it to be to the grade of Final Fantasy 7 Remake graphics. You can turn off random encounters to explore in peace, but doing so will cause you to be at lower levels for boss fight progressions, so you will have a lower health pool than if you kept yourself to a decent level.

You can also adjust the experience you gain with battles, so there is the option to become overpowered early by farming in the wild, and there is also an auto-attack feature, so if you wanted, you can just sit back and watch the fight unfold without needing to pick commands.

In conclusion, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is a great throwback to the golden age of gaming, back when the series first started. It’s a great way to see where it all began and compare all the improvements added over the years.

While playing the bundle one after another, it did feel a little repetitive, as the combat does not change. The core storyline of each game is unique, but all over the place at the same time, so it’s hard to keep track of.

Regardless of whether you’re one of the gamers that wanted to experience the series again, or if you’re visiting it for the first time, the Final Fantasy: Pixel Remaster is an amazing purchase to pick up as it offers hours of gameplay.

Written by: Shane Walsh