With the launch of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters on PS4 and Switch, you can now play the updated versions of the first six Final Fantasy games on modern consoles. The Pixel Remaster bundle includes Final Fantasy 1 through 6, all with updated graphics, music, and quality-of-life settings.
Whether you're replaying them or playing them for the first time, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games offer one of the best ways to play these games on modern consoles. If you're wondering whether you should buy these games individually, in the bundle, or even buy them at all, you've come to the right place. Below, we'll go over everything you need to know to decide if Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is worth it.
Review
While nobody here at TheGamer has taken the massive undertaking of reviewing all six of these games, we can provide a bit of insight into their reception. Overall, the Pixel Remaster bundle as a whole has received favorable reviews, with most noting the substantial upgrades to the graphics and music. The spirit of the original games is kept intact while modernizing their overall feel, making them much more accessible to a wider audience.
Although the Pixel Remaster changes are praised, not all six games are of equal quality. In general, Final Fantasy 4, 5, and 6, are the most widely loved, while Final Fantasy 2 is often not as favored by fans of the series. However, our own Quinton O'Connor re-reviewed Final Fantasy 2, giving it a glowing five-star rating, praising its story and unique design choices that set it apart from other games in the series, while still retaining the aspects that make a Final Fantasy game.
You get a surprisingly dramatic tale of justified revenge sprinkled with memorable guest party members...
Time Expenditure
The first six Final Fantasy games are included in the Pixel Remaster bundle. These are remastered versions of the games' original releases, with a few quality-of-life upgrades. This means that any additional content included in later versions of the games, like optional dungeons, are not included in the Pixel Remasters.
The time it takes to beat each game, according to HowLongToBeat.com, is detailed below.
- Final Fantasy: 16.5 hours
- Final Fantasy II: 23.5 hours
- Final Fantasy III: 18.5 hours
- Final Fantasy IV: 22 hours
- Final Fantasy V: 32 hours
- Final Fantasy VI: 35 hours
In total, that's 147.5 hours to beat all six games in the collection. The Mobile, Steam, and PS4 releases have achievements for each game, which can increase the time spent in each game if you want to hunt for every achievement.
Using any of the boost options, like experience or gil multipliers, turning off encounters, or auto-battling random encounters will reduce the time it takes to beat the game, but this depends entirely on how much you use these features. If you're looking for the most authentic experience, you can ignore all of these options and just play the games normally.
Cost
The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster bundle costs $74.99 USD. The bundle is available on Switch, PS4, and Steam, while the individual games can be purchased on the Switch, PS4, Steam, iOS, Google Play Store, and Amazon Appstore. The individual prices for each game are listed below.
- Final Fantasy: $11.99
- Final Fantasy II: $11.99
- Final Fantasy III: $17.99
- Final Fantasy IV: $17.99
- Final Fantasy V: $17.99
- Final Fantasy VI: $17.99
If you purchase each game separately, you would spend around $96. This means that buying the bundled version saves you around $20, perfect if you planned on getting all six games anyway.
What Players Are Saying
The Definitive Way To Play The Classics - Jacob Whaling
Despite the lack of content introduced in later versions of the games, the Pixel Remasters are the definitive ways to play the first six Final Fantasy games. The newly added quality-of-life features like turning off encounters and boosting experience gained are extremely helpful, but all the charm and fun of the originals is still here, only amplified by the updated graphics and arranged soundtrack. Whether you're playing them for the first time or are a life-long fan replaying them yet again, you can't go wrong with Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster.
A Wonderful, Nostalgic Collection - Ryan Bamsey
While some may quibble about how easy these games are or how there's content missing, these are fantastic experiences. Being able to relive these classics with modern quality-of-life changes makes the collection an easy purchase, whether you've already played the games or have never experienced the series' origins.
Great For First Timers - Jerel Levy
The best reason to try these titles now is the addition of quality-of-life improvements that make the experience easier. Being able to remove random encounters and boost EXP gains while gaming on the go, if you're on the Switch, make these classic titles become accessible for newcomers to the series to experience what Final Fantasy has to offer.