Every Final Fantasy remake

Remakes are the big thing right now, and until there are a lot of disasters from the big studios, they will probably remain a good idea for companies. Dead Space and Resident Evil 4 were huge hits for the horror genre. Crash and Spyro got decent remakes for platformers everywhere, though they could be classified as remasters.

Either way, studios are cashing in on nostalgia hard, and that goes double, maybe even triple, with Square Enix. While they did remakes of Final Fantasy games in particular, there were only six. Remasters are more their bread and butter, but let's ignore the ones they like and focus on the six remakes they've helped so far.

5 Final Fantasy Origins

Combining the two games that started it all

Final Fantasy Origins was a collection that included the first two games in the series remade with more 16-bit graphics compared to their 8-bit NES counterparts. Technically, the first time these games were remade was for the WonderSwan Color, which was a Japan-only handheld console. This collection builds on those versions with additional improvements. The reason this collection is such a big deal for the West, in particular, is that it was the first time North America experienced Final Fantasy 2 15 years after debuting in Japan in 1988. Initially, Final Fantasy 4 was released as Final Fantasy 2 in North America and threw the entire series out of business until Final Fantasy VII appeared.

History and names aside, these two games are classics, but they couldn't be more different. Final Fantasy allowed players to create a party of four from several jobs, including monks and black mages, with a traditional turn-based combat and leveling system. Final Fantasy 2 gave players named characters and leveling up depended on actions taken in battle, resulting in an entirely new series in Squaresoft from the ground up: SaGa series. Although this PS1 collection is not the best way to enjoy these games, Final Fantasy 1 and 2: Dawn of Souls on GBA it's better, Final Fantasy Origins is still important in the history of the franchise, again, especially in the West.

4 Final Fantasy 4 (DS)

Improving the storytelling game

Final Fantasy 4 has been ported a few times before this, but this was the first time these beloved characters were rendered in polygonal forms. The game was remade for the DS and featured voice acting in addition to new graphics, along with some new content and gameplay changes. While not as bombastic as some of the console games, the in-game cinematics were well directed. It was also a bit easier than other iterations of the game, which was a good jumping on point for new players.

The DS was like Square Enix's excuse to go back to the well to remake and port classic games from their library on a lower budget. restoration Final Fantasy 4 it wouldn't have made much sense on the PS3, but it made perfect sense for the DS. That being said, fans of this entry in the series would definitely love a bigger and bolder remake one day. It's an important entry that pushed the story forward with a full and rotating cast of party members from Cecil to Tellah, so it deserves respect.

3 Final Fantasy 3 (DS)

The job system was born

while Final Fantasy 4 it's a better game overall, FFinal Fantasy 3 it's a better remake on the DS. That Final Fantasy Origins regarding Final Fantasy 2this was the first time Final Fantasy 3 has been made available since its launch in 1990 in Japan. That was the only version it got, so it was lost in time until it came back from the dead to hit the DS. This is the input that introduced the Interchangeable Job system to Final Fantasy series.

Players could learn spells as a Dark Mage and then take some of these concepts into their job as a Thief. It's a basic Job system compared to other more polished entries that came after, but it's still a fun system to experiment with. For Final Fantasy fans, it was a delight to play this one for the first time. She, more than Final Fantasy 4it needed and deserved a full remake as the NES version is just a bit too clunky to sit down and play.

2 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Part two and going strong

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is part two of what will likely be a three-part remake series. Continue the journey from Final Fantasy 7 Remake in which Cloud and the others finally leave Midgar and end up in the City of the Ancients. Without spoiling anything, this should tell longtime fans of the original what's going on in the game in regards to the story. Gameplay remains action-packed, albeit more refined, with party combos and the addition of Red 13 and Cait Sith as playable characters in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

It's also a completely open game, whereas the first part was limited to Midgar even with the Yuffie DLC. Square Enix has nicely added so much attention to detail to make this an even bolder step forward in the remake process, with plenty of mini-games and laugh-out-loud moments. It's easily one of the best RPG games of 2024, let alone games in general, but it's not as good as its predecessor.

1 Final Fantasy 7 Remake

A promise fulfilled in the blink of an eye

Final Fantasy 7 Remake it should be the lesser of the two remake games. It's limited to one area, features less playable characters, and is shorter. However, this game makes great use of these restrictions to enhance what was otherwise just a four, maybe seven hour section of the original game. There's certainly filler content with takeover missions, but it also shines a stronger light on supporting characters like Jessie's AVALANCHE comrades, Biggs and Wedge in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. It was a game that Square Enix had to introduce to fans and make them think they knew what they were doing.

To the surprise of fans, it exceeded expectations because it had a secret inside. It wasn't a remake in the traditional sense. It was the start of a sequel in a time loop that seemed fitting for the wild things that happened in the original game. Now the big question is, can I finish the landing with the third entry? Hard to say, but there will never be a better feeling than what fans experienced the first time they started this game. It was a promise finally fulfilled over a decade later, after Square Enix teased its PS3 tech demo. Final Fantasy VII run on hardware.