This (finally) wraps up our reviews of the Pixel Remsters of Final Fantasy 1-6.
Company Credits
Title: Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster
Developer: Squaresoft did the original version, revamped by Square Enix
System: iOS, Android, Steam, PS4, and Nintendo Switch
Release Date: Original version April 2, 1994, and Pixel Remaster on February 23, 2022 for mobile and Steam or April 19, 2023 for PS4 and Switch.
Game Type: JRPG
Premise
In a steampunk world, magic is making a comeback. Unfortunately, this means that that a world-ending war may be coming, too.
High Point
The cast of characters is very well realized for the era.
Low Point
This game is very bleak. Personally, that hurts my experience, since I’m looking for more escapism, though this is obviously a completely personal response.
The Scores
This is an original entry in the franchise, breaking away from the pure fantasy roots and bringing in some steampunk elements beyond the airships. It’s also one of the few games where (massive spoiler ahead) the villain wins half way through, and the rest of the game is about getting revenge. I give it 6 out of 6.
The story works well. The main plot is very straightforward, but 11 of the 14 playable characters have plotlines of their own to follow in the course of the game, which makes for an enriched experience. I give it 5 out of 6.
The graphics were amazing in the era, and this remaster cleans them up faithfully, as the others do. I give it 5 out of 6.
The sound is generally the strongest aspect of the franchise. Nobuo Uematsu’s music is always incredible. I give it 5 out of 6.
The playability is still high. 5 out of 6.
The immersion is good, largely because much of the second half of the game is non-linear, which was innovative for the console games of this era. (The Ultima games definitely hit that point a decade earlier for PC, and I don’t know if they were the first or not.) I give it 5 out of 6.
Overall, the bleakness of the story makes this the worst of the SNES era FF games in my opinion, but it’s still in my top 5 of the entire franchise, simply because the SNES era was so strong. (Games 9 and 10 are the others in my top 5.) I give it 5 out of 6.
In total, Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster receives 36 out of 42.