Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remaster Collection

Genre: Compilation / Turn-Based JRPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remaster Collection, released on PC and mobile devices in 2021 and then ported to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in 2023, is a Compilation of faithful remakes of the first six mainline Final Fantasy games.

I have separately reviewed all of these games. Here is what I thought of all of the games in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Score
Final Fantasy	Turn-Based JRPG	1	C+
tl;dr Final Fantasy is the Turn-Based JRPG that started the entire franchise, and this is an absolutely outstanding remake that gives the game a gorgeous new presentation with absolutely beautiful remastered music and some excellent new gameplay features that help to cut down on the original game’s flaws… but those flaws are still there, from the laughably quaint story to the shallow gameplay. JRPG fans and especially Final Fantasy fans wanting to see where this series started should find this to be a great way to do that, but definitely don’t expect anything especially great by modern standards.
Final Fantasy II	Turn-Based JRPG	1	C+
tl;dr Final Fantasy II is a Turn-Based JRPG with a storied history and innovations that shaped the franchise, and this is an absolutely outstanding remake that gives the game a gorgeous new presentation with absolutely beautiful remastered music and some excellent new gameplay features that help to cut down on the original game’s flaws… but those flaws are still there, from the laughably quaint story to the shallow gameplay. JRPG fans and especially Final Fantasy fans wanting to explore one of the franchise’s earliest games should find this to be a great way to do that, but definitely don’t expect anything especially great by modern standards.
Final Fantasy III	Turn-Based JRPG	1	C-
tl;dr Final Fantasy III is a Turn-Based JRPG that introduced a few important elements to the franchise, and this is an absolutely outstanding remake that gives the game a gorgeous new presentation with absolutely beautiful remastered music and some excellent new gameplay features that help to cut down on the original game’s flaws… but those flaws are still there, from the terrible story to the shallow gameplay that was much greatly improved upon in later games in the series. This game may be one of the more obscure titles in the mainline Final Fantasy franchise, but it is simply not worth the absurd $18 price tag.
Final Fantasy IV	Turn-Based JRPG	1	C+
tl;dr Final Fantasy IV is a Turn-Based JRPG that made some major innovations that shaped the franchise, but this game has not aged well at all. And while the remade music in this release is wonderful and some of the new added features are nice, they do not justify the bloated $18 price tag this game has, especially when this release is missing some pretty significant content that was included in other versions of the game. Unless you’re a big Final Fantasy fan or have major nostalgia for this game, skip it.
Final Fantasy V	Turn-Based JRPG	1	B-
tl;dr Final Fantasy V is a Turn-Based JRPG with a really enjoyable job class system and a decent (albeit not spectacular) story. And while the remade music in this release is wonderful and some of the new added features are nice, they do not justify the bloated $18 price tag this game has, especially when this release is missing some content that was included in other versions of the game. If you’re a fan of classic JRPGs and don’t mind taking a hit to your wallet, this game may be worth picking up, but at this price, I can’t give it the full recommendation I feel it deserves.
Final Fantasy VI	Turn-Based JRPG	1	B+
tl;dr Final Fantasy VI is a Turn-Based JRPG that is still to this day arguably one of the best games this genre has ever seen. However, while the remade music in this release is wonderful and some of the new added features are nice, they do not justify the bloated $18 price tag this game has, especially when this release is missing some content that was included in other versions of the game. If you’re a fan of classic JRPGs and don’t mind taking a hit to your wallet, you should consider this a must-have game… but at this price, I can’t give it the full recommendation I feel it deserves.

In short, this is a series that I think just kept getting gradually better (Final Fantasy III notwithstanding), and while I think the earlier Final Fantasy games are still enjoyable in a quaint sort of way, it’s really Final Fantasy V and especially Final Fantasy VI that are the real stars here, although I say this knowing that many fans of the series have their favorites, and you may well find others who love the earlier games in ways that I didn’t.

Speaking of the earlier Final Fantasy games, I think the first three games, being from the Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System generation, are the ones that most benefitted from this series’ updated 2D pixel art style. Visually, the improvements to the latter three games in this series are still noticeable, but far less drastic. However, all games in this package include a wonderfully remade soundtrack (or the option to play the game with the original chiptune soundtrack) as well as some nice added features, particularly a new “auto-battle” feature that cuts down on some of the mindless grinding these old-school RPGs often called for.

At the same time, these releases are lacking content and features that were added to earlier releases. Final Fantasy III and IV received 3D remakes on the Nintendo DS, but those 3D visuals won’t be found in here. The PlayStation versions of these games had beautiful pre-rendered cutscenes that aren’t included here. Final Fantasy IV got a full-fledged direct sequel and interquel, but not here. And multiple games released onto Nintendo handhelds got extra dungeons, bosses, and other features that are not here either. Apart from the improved presentation, all of the games here are pretty much straight ports of the original games with some very minor tweaks and improvements.

I say this in part because one of the big sticking points for all of these games is the price. Those grades I gave each of the games above would have been much higher if Square Enix wasn’t charging an arm and a leg for them, with Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II both priced at $12 when purchased individually, and all of the other games priced at $18. That’s just an absurd price tag, and really disappointing considering how these games are true classics of the genre.

In this package, the combined price for all six games is $75, which averages out to $12.50 per game… which is saving you $21 off the price of getting the games separately, but is still absurdly overpriced. We’re talking about games that sold for $5-$10 each on the Wii’s Virtual Console over a decade ago, and while those games didn’t have the added bells and whistles of these releases, I do not think that those bells and whistles justify this absurd price tag for these games, especially given how much time has passed since then, and in particular given that these releases lack content of other versions that have released since then.

I don’t really know where to go from here. Are these still games worth getting? Definitely. As I said, Final Fantasy V and VI in particular have aged very well, and I would still rank Final Fantasy VI as one of the greatest JRPGs of all-time. But it’s so difficult for me to give these games the recommendation I feel they deserve at this outrageous price. If you enjoy this genre, I still think this bundle is worth your consideration, but if at all possible, please wait until a decent sale to pick this up, because at this price it feels like being mugged.

tl;dr – Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remaster Collection contains remade versions of the first six mainline Final Fantasy games, all classic Turn-Based JRPGs. The first three games in this bundle have seen the most dramatic improvement, though it’s the final two games that have aged the best, and are still outstanding still to this day. The problem is that the $75 asking price for these games is absurdly high, even in this bundle. Add to that missing content from other re-releases of these games, and it’s hard to justify that price, even despite the high quality of some of the included games here. If you’re a fan of RPGs, this is definitely a collection of games worth getting, but wait until you can get it at a more reasonable price.

Grade: B-

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