Rejoice! The console versions of Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster will have a font that isn’t shite

Good news everyone! After the palaver over the physical releases a while back, Square Enix has finally confirmed that the long-awaited console ports of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series are also coming to PS4 and Nintendo Switch digitally. And, along with the announcement of the digital versions, the company has also released a few more details about the new features that are coming to the ports.

Most notable of these is the ability to switch between the games’ default font (a horrible, half-width affair that clashes horribly with the visual style of the rest of the game — and which was quickly hacked out on PC) and a new pixel-style font. This is extremely welcome news, as it immediately makes all the games look infinitely better and more consistent — and is a great relief for those of us who have been wondering whether or not Square Enix would actually listen to the most common criticism of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster releases on PC!

On top of that, the console versions of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series will also feature the option to switch between the brand-new reorchestrated soundtracks (which are absolutely magnificent) and the original sound versions of all the games (also magnificent, but in a more nostalgic sort of way).

You can also turn off random encounters altogether and adjust the experience gain rate anywhere between zero and four times its normal amount, with the former option being good for those who want to keep characters low level but grind for job points in Final Fantasy V or Esper skills in Final Fantasy VI. Plenty of scope for low-level challenge runs there!

The games will be available either individually or as a bundle on both PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch from April 19, 2023, and those who purchase before May 25, 2023 will receive additional wallpapers on Switch, themes and avatars on PlayStation. The physical releases are also still available to preorder from Play-Asia.

If you haven’t been following the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster saga, this is a collection of six games that completely remake the first six Final Fantasy games, originally released for NES and SNES.

The intent behind the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters is to provide the best possible way to experience the original form of these games, and as such they do not include things like the bonus dungeons and extra jobs introduced in the Game Boy Advance and PSP versions of various games in the series.

This also means that the version of Final Fantasy III here follows the original Famicom format of having four custom-named “Onion Kids” as the main cast, rather than the distinct main characters with backstories introduced in Matrix Software’s 2006 Nintendo DS remake.

While the games do not feature the extra content that was introduced in the aforementioned ports, the aesthetics have been completely revamped with brand new pixel art and a fully orchestrated, arranged soundtrack. The game balance has also been tweaked; besides the previously noted ability to turn off encounters and adjust the experience gain rate, Final Fantasy I and II are based on the “Easy Mode” version introduced in the PS1 port Final Fantasy Origins, meaning progression is quicker and more straightforward, with relatively minimal grinding.

There are also a few notable enhancements to the presentation in specific sequences that break with the strict “2D pixel remaster” aspect — most notably, the famous opera scene in Final Fantasy VI, which uses some 3D elements to enhance its cinematic nature.

All in all, despite a few teething problems with the font, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series are a great way to experience the genesis and growth of the Final Fantasy series, and the console ports look set to be the absolutely optimal way to enjoy them. Watch out for them from April 19, 2023.

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Pete Davison

Pete is Rice Digital's editor, and a proud champion of any and all games involving pretty girls hanging out, saving the world or both. His first waifu was Rit from Rod Land.

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