Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters Should Just Be the Tip of the Iceberg

A lot has been done in the past few years to bringFinal Fantasy’s main entries to modern platforms, and some of the best efforts yet have come in the form of theFinal Fantasy Pixel Remasters. While they do not share the lavish production and new features of Square Enix’s HD-2D remakes, theFinal Fantasy Pixel Remastercollection goes above and beyond regular remasters with significant amounts of rebalancing and remade assets.Final Fantasy 1through6have never looked or sounded better, and newer fans can experience all of these classics in their most optimized form.

All of this arrived at the tail end of games likeFinal Fantasy 7,8,10,10-2, and12getting remasters of their own, all while theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeproject andrumors of anFF9remakecontinue in the background. Square Enix has done an admirable job of keepingFinal Fantasy’s legacy alive and relevant, and only time will tell what those efforts will yield next. It would seem like a waste if nothing followed up thePixel Remasters, as there are a lot of potential projects involving those old games left to be tackled.

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Tag Page Cover Art

How Final Fantasy Can Finish What The Pixel Remasters Started

In terms of lower-effort projects that could be peppered into Square Enix’s release schedule, there are still a few more classicFinal Fantasyremasters to attempt for posterity’s sake. The3D remakes ofFinal Fantasy 3and4, as well asFinal Fantasy 4: The After Years’ 2D and 3D versions, could all get modern remasters as part of a new collection. Square Enix could even link this new title to the olderPixel Remastersby calling it the “Final Fantasy Polygon Remaster Collection,” or something like that. That’s not even getting into the growing desire for a remasteredFinal Fantasy 13trilogy collection.

Pixel Remasters For Other Series’ Are Still On The Table

On top of what can be done within theFinal Fantasybrand, there are also expectations that something at least on the level of the pixel remasters will be done with other Square Enix franchises.AChrono Triggerremakeis always brought up in discussions on this subject, and while it is probably the most deserving of a faithful remake, it’s not the only one. The oldManagames would benefit greatly fromPixel Remastersof their own, andDragon Quest 4through7could opt forPixel Remastersinstead of their predecessors’ resource-intensive HD-2D remakes.

Final Fantasy’s Pixel Remasters Should Impact More Games

The modern relevance given to the first six numberedFinal Fantasyentries also makes them eligible for more guest appearances.Kingdom Heartscrossing over with classicFinal Fantasycomes to mind first, especially since the series has been preoccupied with only featuring guests from the PS1 and PS2 games, but there are other avenues. A newFortune Streettitle, or even anewDissidia Final Fantasy, would allow the characters and settings of the oldestFinal Fantasytitles to shine, and they, along with other spin-off lines likeChocobo’s Mystery DungeonorFinal Fantasy Tactics, are overdue for new installments.

Classic Final Fantasy Could Get New Follow-Up Titles

Speaking of spin-offs, it’s notable that onlyFinal Fantasy 1and4have received sequels or prequels, namelyStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy OriginandFF4: The After Years. More games in either of their styles would work for these classic titles, if for no other reason than to revisit their worlds and characters. Whether that takes the form ofanotherFinal FantasySoulslike, a turn-based RPG, an action game likeFF7 Remake, or something else, there is a lot of untapped potential in the oldestFinal Fantasygames that theFinal Fantasy Pixel Remastershave put back on the table.