Hello everyone! I’m Nick, a new writer here at Neverending Realm. I’ll keep the intro brief–I’m an avid RPG enthusiast and indie game creator. I recently replayed my way through Final Fantasies 1 through 6 on the Pixel Remaster remakes and wanted to share my thoughts and journey! So without further ado… Let’s begin with the OG: Final Fantasy!
The title screen for Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster
RPGs have changed a lot over the years, and Final Fantasy is a great example of this. From its humble beginnings as a simple adventure to sprawling open-world titles, the series has continuously evolved in its presentation and storytelling (for better or worse in some views). Final Fantasy is a great journey for veteran and new RPG players alike, with the Pixel Remaster versions offering many Quality-of-Life improvements such as:
- Auto-saving
- Toggle encounters on and off
- Toggle increased experience points/GP gain
- A quick-save feature
- Auto-battle
Along with other stat/item/enemy balancing, the game is now much more approachable for newer RPG fans to bring them into the franchise. Vets will appreciate the wonderfully-remastered scores and the beautiful pixel art. The entire game got an overall facelift, while still honoring the aesthetic of the original title. But let’s talk details, shall we?
Graphics
The player stands outside of Corneria in the Pixel Remaster vs NES version
As you can see by the side-by-side screenshots above, a lot of effort has been put into bringing the original NES version to life. The sprawling maps of the original are brought to life with vibrant color and great detail, and the character sprites also hold a great level of detail. Battles look slick with goreously-detailed backgrounds and great-looking enemy sprites all a simple and easy-to-navigate UI.
That being said, the Dawn of Souls remakes on the Playstation Portable looks considerably more impressive, especially in combat. Players may also see screen-tearing happening on the Nintendo Switch version of the Pixel Remaster games, especially when running or when the camera pans across the map. Another issue that was jarring for some players was the “modern” font choice for the Pixel Remaster versions. This has thankfully been patched for all versions to allow the regular or “classic” font which echoes what was originally used in the time.
Music
The Pixel Remaster didn’t just touch on graphics, but the music was wonderfully remastered as well. From the triumphant “Main Theme” playing on the world map, to iconic tracks like “Matoya’s Cave”, each song was given a great deal of attention to bring it to life and create an audial experience to match the visual improvements the game received. Each track was an enjoyable listen that would even get me to stop in an area just to hear the song to its completion.
Gameplay
The Warriors of Light battle against pirates
Final Fantasy began with a much simpler formula: the player choose 4 characters to be the “Warriors of Light” in their party from the Fighter, Black Mage, White Mage, Red Mage, and Thief classes. Unlike the Dawn of Souls versions which adopted the later-used magic points (MP) system for magic, the Pixel Remaster version returned to using spell slots akin to Dungeons & Dragons as the original game used.
Dungeons are sprawling and filled with enemies that will wittle down your resources steadily, and bosses serve as more of a “capstone” to the dungeon rather than an all-out blitz like what modern RPGs offer. In a sense, the player can consider the dungeon and boss together to be the hurdle to overcome, as there are no standard save points in the dungeons creating tension as your resources get lower and lower the further you get. It creates a much different feel than the modern-era RPG where there is a save point and a means to fully-heal before a difficult boss encounter (though the quick save function does essentially allow players to do this).
Combat itself is quick and snappy, with auto-battle making grinding for levels and money effortless. There are some issues with class balance in throughout the game, but all classes are viable. Experimenting with party composition can lead to some unexpected fun and challenges as well! You’ll encounter a few difficulty spikes along your journey, but the game is overall a fun and engaging experience that avoid some of the slog that older RPGs can face due to design from that time period.
The quality-of-life improvements help for players with less time, players on the go, or for newer RPG enthusiasts who may be learning the ropes. It is a nice feature that much of the options that reduce difficult can be toggled off, so experienced RPG players can still enjoy a challenge of sorts–even if it won’t match the challenge of the original.
Story
As the first in the franchise, Final Fantasy began with a much simpler story: Four Warriors of Light defeat the Fiends, save the crystals and save the world. While there’s a unique twist along your journey, the overall story is barebones and has limited dialogue. It is a product of its time in this regard, but also shows the first steps in crafting a world and an adventure. It serves as the foundation and template which later entries into the franchise will build upon and continue to perfect along the way.
All-in-all, Final Fantasy is a great launching point for people looking to get into RPGs and the Pixel Remaster version offers a highly-playable version of it that is welcoming to newer gamers! And clocking around 12-15 hours, it doesn’t require a terribly big time commitment to hop in there and enjoy the world. If you can catch it on sale, it’s a fantastic way to experience a classic adventure.
You can purchase it through the official site at Square Enix.
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