The Pixel Remasters of the first six Final Fantasy games have had an interesting history. The release of these six games were staggered, starting in the summer of 2021 through early 2022. They were only released on PC and mobile devices. In 2023 they came to Switch and PlayStation 4. Upon their arrival to console, they came with some quality-of-life improvements. The remixed soundtrack was one of the more acclaimed highlights of the new versions, but the option to switch to the original sound files was added for those wanting a more nostalgic experience. The ability to turn off random encounters was a feature that was welcomed by everyone who just wanted to explore without having to take a break to fight every few seconds.
Another addition actually affected gameplay difficulty. This is the ability to increase or decrease the amount of gold and experience gained after each battle, with the latter tailored to each game as each had slightly different growth mechanics. These additions were welcome, but sadly early adopters who played the games on Steam were left out in the cold, though it was stated these changes were coming to the Steam versions eventually.
Changes to Steam Versions
Eventually is now, as these console quality-of-life improvements are now on the Steam versions along with some other changes that are detailed in the patch notes on the web store. And for players who were waiting for a sale on the $74.99 six game bundle, it’s currently on sale through February 13 on all platforms for $59.99.
Anyone who follows any RPG social media platforms knows the fan reaction to the Pixel Remasters has been divisive. Most of the complaints stem from how the games “should have” been remade, clamoring for Final Fantasy VII Remake treatment or HD-2D like they did with Star Ocean The Second Story R. Neither of those was the intent with the Pixel Remaster games. They were meant to be faithful recreations of the originals that run on modern hardware, though the first three seem more like how they would look if they were released on SNES instead of NES. And for what they were intended to be, they succeed and were a great time to play through both on PC and again on console.
But one complaint about the Pixel Remasters is often brought up and that’s how none of them include the bonus content that was added in Game Boy Advance and other later ports. This complaint does have merit. The Pixel Remasters are based on the original versions of the game, so it makes sense to not have the additional content, but that’s is an outdated notion at this point.
Many Final Fantasy fans first experienced these games on GBA or PSP and consider the additional content part of the experience. Additionally, since the extra content exists in other versions, its exclusion does make the Pixel Remasters feel incomplete and makes it difficult to call any of them the definitive version of their respective game regardless of how good they might otherwise be. But for players who aren’t concerned about the additional content, these are great versions of each of their respective games.
Review: Star Ocean: The Second Story R
From the graphics to quality-of-life improvements, Star Ocean: The Second Story R takes the best game in the series and makes it even better.
