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Square Enix announced the next Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis crossover, and it involves FFVI. It will kick off in-game on October 30, 2024, and there’s a first trailer teasing some of the costumes and cameos in this event. 

The four features characters for the crossover are Aerith, Cloud, Sephiroth, and Tifa. Aerith will get a costume and weapon inspired by Terra. Cloud’s will be based on Locke’s. Meanwhile, Sephiroth and Tifa’s equipment and gear will be based on the twins Edgar Roni and Sabin Rene Figaro. 

Here is how all four of those FFVI designs will look in Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis:

In addition, the trailer for the event confirms that Kefka will be a part of it. It seems he’ll appear as a villain for the crew to encounter. We get to see a 3D in-battle model for him, as well as the 3D story model for when he’s encountering Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa.

Here’s the video for the event:

This is the second Final Fantasy crossover to come to FFVII Ever Crisis. The first one involved FFIX. That involved Amarant gear for Tifa, Zidane attire for Cloud, Vivi clothes for Lucia, a Garnet costume for Aerith, and a Kuji look for Sephiroth. When the event returned, there was also a Beatrix sword for Zack.

Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is available for the PC and mobile devices, and the Final Fantasy VI crossover starts on October 30, 2024.

The post Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis Gets FFVI Crossover appeared first on Siliconera.

You can now find all six Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games on the Xbox Series X and S, as they were one of Square Enix’s shadowdrops during the Xbox Tokyo. The first Final Fantasy game, as well as FFII, FFIII, FFIV, FFV, and FFVI are all available alone or in a bundle together on the platform worldwide.

The pricing for the Xbox Series X versions of the games is essentially identical to the ones on other platforms. So the first two games, which are FFI and FFII, each cost $11.99 normally. As part of a temporary launch sale, these are now $9.59 each. FFIII, FFIV, FFV, and FFVI are typically $17.99 each. You can get them for $14.39 each on the Xbox for a limited time. Finally, the bundle is $59.99 in honor of the TGS 2024 debut, though that price will go back up to $74.99 once the sale is done.

Here’s the trailer revealing the games are now on the Xbox Series X and S.

And you can see the full Xbox TGS 2024 showcase below: 

Square Enix didn’t note if this means we’ll also eventually see physical Xbox Series X and S copies of Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster. The PS4 and Switch versions did end up getting retail copies. While the first, more limited run sold out in 2023, Anniversary Edition retail copies for both platforms will once again return to stores on October 8, 2024. 

You can find the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games, which consist of FFI, FFII, FFIII, FFIV, FFV, and FFVI, on the PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X, PC via Steam, and mobile devices. 

The post Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Xbox Games Launch at TGS appeared first on Siliconera.

In Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VI 30th anniversary interview, Tetsuya Nomura went over his contributions to the Shadow flashbacks and FFVI Statue of the Gods boss fight. He also contributed to the background of Setzer and designed Kefka’s boss fight, as he was a character and monster designer for the Super Nintendo JRPG.

First, Nomura discussed his contributions to the FFVI Statue of the Gods boss fight and Kefka final fight. These included concept art images of the two alongside the final sprites from the game. In the case of the concept art, he explained the Kefka one was less complicated because he said, “I drew it right at the end of the project, and I used up all my energy on the Statue of the Gods.” He also noted that the Statue of the Gods boss was designed in the way it is out of a desire to make it bigger than Exdeath in FFV. He also said that boss fight’s split execution was done to match its design. He noted, "Honestly, there wasn’t really anything planned for it—I had them adjust the battle to match the enemy’s design."

Here’s the statement Tetsuya Nomura made discussing the FFVI Statue of the Gods boss fight and sprite design:

I made a point of drawing my designs first before moving on to creating the sprites, but not many people did it that way at the time. I drew the boss in a sketchbook screen by screen.

Usually, I would have my sketch to hand and then create sprites based on that, but for the Statue of the Gods I actually scanned the sketch and made the sprite using the scan. Back then, there were limits to how many colors you could use, so I scanned it in monochrome. It looked a bit rough, but I was able to improve it by editing it and adjusting the colors manually. I honestly thought that was going to be a big breakthrough in how I created sprites, but then FFVII came along, everything turned into polygons, and I never got to use this method again. 

And here are the concept art examples Square Enix and Nomura shared. While the art for Statue of the Gods is one image here, the interview text noted it is three separate drawings in real life.

Later in the interview, Tetsuya Nomura discussed the FFVI Shadow flashbacks that can trigger in the game if someone chooses to stay at inns while he is around. He explained how he came up with the idea.

…The whole inn scene with Shadow was my idea. Then it was Kitase (Yoshinori Kitase, director on FFVI) who decided you’d lose him for good if you didn’t wait for him when the Floating Continent is destroyed. Kitase has a bit of a dark side to him. (laughs)

Final Fantasy VI debuted on the Super Nintendo, and most recently the Pixel Remaster version of it appeared for the PS4, Switch, PC, and mobile devices. 

The post Tetsuya Nomura Came Up With FFVI Shadow Flashbacks, Statue of the Gods Fight appeared first on Siliconera.

Android and iOS storefronts offer an incredible selection of games you can play on your smartphone or tablet right now, including some solid free JRPGs. However, if you want the best paid mobile JRPGs that you pay for once and never have to worry about ads or anything like that, these are the games you should check out.

Best Paid Mobile JRPG for Retro Fans: Final Fantasy VI 1w40b

The entire lineup of Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters are available on mobile for a price, much like their console and PC counterparts. While you could certainly pick up all of them, Final Fantasy VI is a true classic. The stunning and timeless SNES art is fantastic alongside the beautiful world to explore.

If this isn’t enough for you, I also suggest other classic JRPG remasters like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Final Fantasy IV 3D.

Best Mobile-Exclusive JRPG: Chaos Rings 3 3v2t6n

While there are classics on Android and iOS, mobile also has its own set of exclusive games. One of the best is Chaos Rings 3 from Square Enix. Unfortunately, the first two games are unavailable at this time. However, the third title works well enough on its own. It features a Sora-like main character and several colorful worlds to explore. Its graphics might be simplistic, but the detailed characters and fun story make it worth a look.

Best Mobile JRPG for Console Fans: Dragon Quest VIII 57656f

While plenty of paid mobile JRPGs exist on Android and iOS, few have the console-level of 3D. If you want something with a bit more polygons but not sacrificing quality in the process, check out this port of Dragon Quest VIII. It arguably looks better than the 3DS port and even original PS2 version.

The only downside may be the touch-only controls. Fortunately, the massive world feels solid to explore with even just one hand. It all works so seamlessly you might forget you aren’t using a controller.

Best Paid Mobile JRPG for iOS: Fantasian 4d3950

iOS has one of the best paid mobile JRPGs of all time available exclusively on it (for now). Fantasian is unique in you can’t purchase the game at this time. Instead, you need to be a subscriber to Apple Arcade. This is one of the strongest games from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi outside of his work at Square Enix.

It is a full-fledged JRPG with a beautiful world, memorable characters, and a fascinating hand-crafted diorama art style you just have to experience. Plus, it even has controller for those who prefer a traditional control scheme.

The post Best Paid Mobile JRPGs to Play appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix released the Piano Collections Final Fantasy soundtracks for 13 titles in the series. The arrangement albums are now available to listen online, as well as sold digitally and physically. [Thanks, Game Watch!]

Here is the full lineup of Final Fantasy games whose piano arrangement soundtracks are now available to listen online:

• Final Fantasy IV
• Final Fantasy V
• Final Fantasy VI
• Final Fantasy VII
• Final Fantasy VIII
• Final Fantasy IX
• Final Fantasy X
• Final Fantasy XI
• Final Fantasy XII
• Final Fantasy XIII
• Final Fantasy XIV
• Final Fantasy XV
• Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles

To celebrate the release of the collections online, Square Enix released a 91-minute-long music video including 24 highlight songs selected from each album on the YouTube Square Enix Music Channel.

The video features an animated background displaying a piano sitting in the shore of a night beach alongside the emblematic crystals of the series. At certain points on the video a moogle will appear alongside an airship, accompanied by sound effects.

You can enjoy the highlight video for the FF Piano Collections here:

The Piano Collections Final Fantasy soundtracks for 13 titles in the series are now available to listen on various streaming platforms, including Spotify and YouTube.

The post Final Fantasy Piano Collections Soundtracks Released Online appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix’s official site recently shared an article suggesting Final Fantasy XVI is the perfect “first” Final Fantasy game for someone. Well, as somebody who’s played every mainline entry, not to mention spin-offs like Final Fantasy Type-0 and Agito, I would like to refute that. As I pointed out in my review, Final Fantasy XVI is a more-than-fine game. However, it’s not a great example of a Final Fantasy game, and there are better places to start.
[caption id="attachment_973815" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Screenshot by Siliconera[/caption]

Why isn’t Final Fantasy XVI the best first Final Fantasy game for newcomers to start their journeys? 2i4r6b

I mean, since part of this is a rebuttal to what Square Enix directly said, it’s best I match it point for point. The first argument is that Final Fantasy XVI is a standalone adventure. However, that holds true for every mainline entry. (As long as you don’t pick up something like Final Fantasy IV: The After Years or Final Fantasy X-2.) Each one is an entirely new story, so there’s no sense of going with that, and they’re all designed to be approachable with many tutorials and introductions to all entries’ worlds.

The other argument noting that it is a mature story is a bit flawed, as the only real “mature” parts are that it throws around the word “fuck” a lot and is incredibly gory compared to other installments. Given the depth of some other entries’ statements, I’d say their storylines could be considered more mature, if that’s what you’re looking for.

There’s also the battle system. While Final Fantasy XVI is a fine action game, that isn’t what the series as a whole is known for. It’s a line of RPGs, and this is the only installment that shoves that element basically into the gutter on the side of the road. You can still see some of it! Clive levels up and occasionally gets some rare new equipment! There are side quests, but they’re all fetch quests! It’s completely different than other entries in the series. As such, that makes it a poor place to start, because none of the other mainline games are anything like it.

The only point where the assertion makes a good argument is that there’s a free trial. However, you can also take part in a free trial for Final Fantasy XIV, and the MMORPG is probably just as good as an example as Final Fantasy XVI.

So what should be your first Final Fantasy game to start diving into the series? 5p2z

This is a complicated answer, because the ideal first Final Fantasy game to start someone off varies based on what you might want most from the experience. I’d say there are four pretty good possible responses.
[caption id="attachment_973817" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Final Fantasy IX 6m3iz

This is the all-purpose one! Final Fantasy XI perfectly captures that “magical” feeling about the series. The crystals are there. We have characters representing traditional classes present throughout most installments. The story is fantastic. The battle system follows the traditional ATB format, but is just handled very well. It’s just a great entry.
[caption id="attachment_973818" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Final Fantasy VI 5c13j

I’d say start with Final Fantasy VI if you want one of the most ambitious and surprising installments in the series and care about seeing a large cast of characters. While Final Fantasy XVI touts a “mature” storyline, I’d say this is better act actually telling a deep and dark tale. Many characters feature incredibly detailed and in some cases horrifying backstories, and Square Enix perfectly showed growth for all of them throughout the course of this incredibly serious adventure about a group of rebels facing off against a corrupt empire and the man it fostered. Considering there are 14 of them, that’s a pretty big deal!

[caption id="attachment_973819" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Final Fantasy VII 2sy1a

I mean, I have to say Final Fantasy VII is one of the best entries to start with as your first foray, because it’s the “big” one. It’s arguably the most famous in general and is the one best known to mainstream players. It also takes place in a more modern setting, which some might favor compared to the more fantasy-world ones. (It and Final Fantasy VIII are the main two that offer that. Also, while Cloud is the "star," the game doesn't solely focus on him the way Final Fantasy XVI does and allows all of its characters to have their moments.

Also, you could stick Final Fantasy VII Remake under this umbrella, as it fits as a good introduction to what “modern” entries in the series are like. This is due to it abandoning turn-based combat for action and being more streamlined.

[caption id="attachment_973820" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image via Square Enix[/caption]

Final Fantasy XII 666t5k

Speaking of “modern” entries, most of them abandon turn-based battles and controlling party while focusing on political storylines with all sorts of intrigue. Final Fantasy XII is the entry in which Square Enix first started to do that! And it did it really well. The character building elements are great. The story is solid. Also, out of all the modern battle systems for Final Fantasy games, I like this one the best as it still offers control over allies.

Final Fantasy XVI is available for the PlayStation 5 alongside a free demo. There is a six-month exclusivity period.

The post Final Fantasy XVI Shouldn’t Be Your First Final Fantasy appeared first on Siliconera.

As part of the Final Fantasy 35th anniversary celebrations, as well as a nod to the Pixel Remaster series, Square Enix kicked off a special interview series. The first of the two part segment appeared on July 11, 2023. It features Creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, Artist Kazuko Shibuya, and Brand Manager Yoshinori Kitase talking about FFI, FFII, FFIII, FFIV, FFV, and FFVI.

It began with Sakaguchi discussing a reunion for developers and people he plays FFXIV with, which Shibuya s. He noted they “blamed” the team for FFIII having no save points in the final dungeon. Sakaguchi explained how he found himself apologizing for that development decision.

Around the 8:24 mark, the meaning behind the “Final Fantasy” name came up. Sakaguchi mentioned how Fighting Fantasy’s title influenced it. He brought up how Dragon Quest’s name could be shortened, and the team wanted a game that could be abbreviated in a similar way with the Roman alphabet, which led to FF. The group also discussed the urban legends behind the title and debunked them.

Here is part one of "Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary Special Interview."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgngEQOFcWs&ab_channel=FINALFANTASY

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, which includes FFI, FFII, FFIII, FFIV, FFV, and FFVI, is available for the PS4, Switch, PC, and mobile devices.

The post First Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary Special Video Covers FFI to FFVI appeared first on Siliconera.

While the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster PS4 games won't be out until April 19, 2023, the trophies for all six were revealed. There are a substantial number to earn for each entry in the series. However, now that the official lists are live, we also know that every Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster PS4 game includes one Platinum trophy. [Thanks, Exophase via Gematsu!]

As is common in these situations, you need to earn every other trophy in the game to unlock the Platinum. The number varies depending on the game. Final Fantasy only features 24 trophies total. Final Fantasy V has the most at 39 trophies when someone gets through it all.

Here's the full list of how many trophies are available in each of the six Final Fantasy games, including the Platinum in every one. Some of them involve reaching certain points in the stories. Others can involve acquiring certain items or hitting milestones.

• Final Fantasy: 24 Trophies
• Final Fantasy II: 28 Trophies
• Final Fantasy III: 31 Trophies
• Final Fantasy IV: 30 Trophies
• Final Fantasy V: 39 Trophies
• Final Fantasy VI: 37 Trophies

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster will come to the PS4 and Nintendo Switch on April 19, 2023. The games are already available on the PC and mobile devices.

The post There Are Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Platinum Trophies appeared first on Siliconera.

With Theatrhythm Final Bar Line out now, it's essentially a "best of" collection of Final Fantasy and Square Enix game songs. There's so much to it. It got us feeling music this week. So we figured let's all share some of our favorite songs from the series, to help add to our playlists!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9yCnVXkYlY&list=OLAK5uy_nLO-c6V4RwcO9Cv4W0S0ham5qNnoYWj3I&index=41&ab_channel=MasashiHamauzu-Topic
For all of its flaws, I think we can all agree that Final Fantasy XIII had a killer soundtrack. As someone who has been unapologetically a huge Final Fantasy X girlie for like 20 years now, it says a lot that my favorite song from the entire Final Fantasy franchise is from FFXIII. All of the songs that use "Serah’s Theme" as its motif (such as the "Sunleth Waterscape" theme) are just so catchy! It reminds me of when I first turned on Final Fantasy XIII and the excitement around it, considering how long the wait had been. -- Stephanie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW6AWnGWJik&list=OLAK5uy_mKyg_pdrg6J7_wJzmBWwPk7WPFI03hED0&index=5&ab_channel=NobuoUematsu-Topic
When I get a question like this my first instinct is to answer "Battle" from Final Fantasy VI, but the trick there is that there've been at least five or six different, distinct versions of that theme since the days when I knew the game as Final Fantasy III on the SNES. There's the original one, with the harsh guitar buzz and deep bass of the SNES' unique sound chip, the tinnier, more "chippy" rendition delivered by the Game Boy Advance's hardware, the almost dance-hall-style version found in Dissidia, and the Pixel Remaster version that consciously strives for the original composition, but pulling in real instruments to make up for what used to me emulated with bit-screeches. And there's even the hard-driving, slower version put out by The Black Mages in their own cover. The piece contains multitudes, and for me will be the iconic Final Fantasy music track.

Well, the iconic music track AFTER Final Fantasy VI's "The Decisive Battle" (the boss theme), of course. -- Josh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9OwMPZppMg&list=PLOLBWlPQqPkuJV0AxChx_Js7osCbSlLSP&index=2&ab_channel=NobuoUematsu-Topic
There are a ridiculous number of truly amazing Final Fantasy songs out there, many of them doing interesting things, so it’s pretty impossible to pick a single “best” one. I will say that I’m a bit bummed that one of my most loved ones isn’t in Theatrhythm Final Bar Line right away! “Tifa’s Theme” is so haunting, no matter which rendition of the FFVII track you pick, and it’s truly an extraordinary piece. — Jenni

The post What’s Your Favorite Final Fantasy Song? appeared first on Siliconera.

It seems that the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games are heading to the PS4 and Nintendo Switch. A new ratings leak appeared. This time, ratings appeared for FFI through FFVI for the PS4 and Switch via the ESRB website. None of the ratings specifically note Pixel Remaster in their title. However, each rating does match the one given to the PC versions available on Steam. Square Enix hasn't officially announced anything yet. [Thanks, Cefaluu on Reddit!]

First, here's a list of links to each potential Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster PS4 and Switch ESRB rating. Each one mentions it as a 2D game. They also all note the PC version.

• Final Fantasy
• Final Fantasy II
• Final Fantasy III
• Final Fantasy IV
• Final Fantasy V
• Final Fantasy VI

These remasters first appeared back in 2021. The series kicked off with Final Fantasy in July 2021. It ended when FFVI showed up in February 2022. Following their complete launch, people could get a $74.82 bundle on Steam that included all six games, as well as bonus wallpapers and original soundtracks.

The FFI through FFVI are available as part of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster on the PC and mobile devices, and it seems Switch and PS4 versions are also on the way.

The post Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Switch, PS4 ESRB Ratings Appear appeared first on Siliconera.

Final Symphony will return. Square Enix announced that it is bringing back the concert that focuses on Final Fantasy music. For the first time since 2018, it will be back. This time, it will be held at 3 p.m. BST on April 16, 2023 in Birmingham, England. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) will be performing the pieces.

When people can buy tickets to the performance depends on if they are CBSO or not. If someone is, they can get tickets at 10 a.m. BST on May 18, 2022. If not, then folks can buy on starting on May 25, 2022 at 10 a.m. BST. Depending on where you sit, it will cost between £26 (~$32) and £56 (~$70).

As in the past, Final Symphony will feature music form Final Fantasy VI, VII, and X. The schedule noted it will begin with the series’ “Opening Fanfare.” From there, it will go into FFVI songs with Symphonic Poem (Born with the Gift of Magic). After that, there will be the FFX Piano Concerto. Finally, it will close with FFVII’s Symphony in Three Movements.

When Square Enix announced the return of the Final Fantasy music performances, it referred to it as a “tour.” However, only the Birmingham performance was mentioned. During the last tour, which happened in 2018, people were able to see concerts in Australia, Austria, and .

Final Symphony will be held in Birmingham, England on April 16, 2023.

The post Final Symphony Will Play Final Fantasy Music Again in 2023 appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix has unveiled the price of its Masterline Final Fantasy VI statue from Prime 1 Studio. The 1/6 scale statue of Terra riding a suit of Magitek armor will cost a whopping ¥1,485,000, which is approximately $11,500 or €10,694. Pre-orders for the statue in Japan will go up on April 25, 2022, 11 a.m. Japan Time, via a special Square Enix store page. The statue will ship in Japan on July 28, 2023.

Prime 1 Studio is producing the statue under the supervision of Final Fantasy concept artist Yoshitaka Amano. At 1/6 scale, the statue features a highly detailed Terra (or Tina) riding on top of a suit of Magitek armor. The statue is based on an earlier concept design for Final Fantasy VI that Amano drew during development. In a newly-ed video, Amano himself discusses the statue's design and his feelings toward Final Fantasy VI.

At ¥1,485,000 per statue, it is the most expensive statue in the Masterline series so far.

https://twitter.com/SQEX_MD_GOODS/status/1518048212166545411

Furthermore, production will be limited to a total of 600 statues worldwide, with 150 reserved for buyers in Japan. Square Enix notes that pre-orders will end once 600 are sold. It also states that the order limits for each region may change depending on stock. Square Enix will announce further information about pricing and availability in regions outside of Japan sometime later. It's unclear whether this means that pre-order dates will be different depending on the region.

You can check out the second Masterline Final Fantasy VI statue preview video below.

https://youtu.be/-2BgTA2DZ7w

Previously, Prime 1 Studios also released a series of Masterline NieR: Automata statues featuring 2B, 9S, and A2. Similarly, the statues featured high attention to detail and also came in different outfit variations.

Pre-orders for the Masterline Final Fantasy VI statue will open in Japan starting April 25, 2022, at 11 AM Japan Time (April 23, 7PM PST / April 24, 4 AM CEST). The statue will cost ¥1,485,000 (about $11,500) and ship sometime in July 2023. Pre-orders will be available via a special Square Enix store page.

The post Masterline Final Fantasy VI Statue Will Cost $11,500 appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix announced a Final Fantasy VI collaboration event will appear in War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. Players will be able to obtain Locke, Terra, and Celes from a limited summon pool. Additionally, Kefka will appear as an Event Boss alongside Deathgaze. During the event period, players will be able to obtain a UR Locke as a bonus. The FFVI and War of the Visions collaboration event will begin on March 23 and last until April 26, 2022.

Alongside the announcement of the FFVI and War of the Visions collaboration event, a trailer has been released. This provides a brief glimpse into some of the abilities Locke, Terra, and Celse will have, along with the individual classes they will carry into the game. Terra will appear as a Magitek Elite, Locke will arrive as the Treasure Hunter, and Celes will appear as an Imperial Rune Knight.

You can watch the collaboration trailer below.

[embed]https://twitter.com/wotvffbe/status/1505816481354989569[/embed]

War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius has hosted several Final Fantasy collaborations in the past. This has included Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VII collaborations. During this period, players could obtain characters from these titles and add them to their rosters.

War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is available now for Android and Apple iOS devices. The Final Fantasy VI event will be held from March 3 to April 26, 2022.

The post War of the Visions FFVI Event Features Terra, Locke, Celes, Kefka appeared first on Siliconera.

Ahead of the Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster debut, Square Enix announced the opera scene would be a bit different. It noted that there would be HD-2D elements and a voiced song available in seven different languages. Now people who didn't get the game can see how it looks. The company released two videos of the scene. They show how the English and Italian versions of the "performance" look and sound.

First, here's the video in English.

To celebrate the launch of Final Fantasy VI pixel remaster on Steam and Mobile, we have a special showing tonight: please enjoy this preview screening of the iconic "Maria and Draco" opera.

Get your tickets now: https://t.co/anV0H1WolO pic.twitter.com/JbyCV3CLJ9

— FINAL FANTASY (@FinalFantasy) February 28, 2022

And here is the Italian performance of the Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster opera.

Please enjoy this simply bellissimo rendition of the “Draco and Maria” opera in Italian.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the vocalists who exhibited their talents in these amazing opera performances! Bravo, everyone!” – Square Enix Sound Team pic.twitter.com/Xgr4ZygOM4

— FINAL FANTASY (@FinalFantasy) February 28, 2022

This isn’t the only change to a major scene in Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster. The opening moments changed slightly too. The credits rolled over the footage of Terra heading to Narshe with Biggs and Wedge in the original game. Those were removed for the “journey” in the new remaster.

Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster is available on the PC and both Android and Apple iOS devices.

The post Watch the Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster Opera Scene appeared first on Siliconera.

The time has come. The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster releases have been building to the debut of FFVI. It is a big, beloved game and, after some other takes on it over the years, there was the hope this version would do it justice. Well, people don’t need to fear. It absolutely does this installment justice.

FFVI is a tapestry of a game. There are 14 playable characters. We have clear-cut heroes. Some folks’ morality may be a bit dubious. There are times when some really good people happen to be on a really bad side. And what is especially striking about it all is that so many of these people are well-developed. As we follow them through their lives, both in bad times and worse, we get to know most of them rather well.

Which is partially because Square Enix does an incredible job of telling its story. After all, we begin as the villain and invade an innocent town. From there, we learn the greater scope of a war, meet the resistance movement fighting against it, and watch as the forces of good grow. The party splits, then reunites. Enemies become allies. Terrible people do increasingly horrifying things. It is a lot to take in, but it is all handled well. Especially considering the limitations of the medium at the time.

Gameplay remains unchanged. Players form a party of up to four characters. They can equip them with Relics, which offer special perks like protecting a near dead ally or bestowing haste upon the . There are Espers that can be equipped to increase a character’s stats and let them use magic and that being in battle. You go from town to town and dungeon to dungeon around the world in the name of fighting the Gestahlian Empire and Kefka. Fights are turn-based. Some characters have special gimmicks in addition to the standard attacks, like Sabin who can use fighting game-like Blitzes, Gau’s monster-like Rages, and Relm’s ability to Sketch monsters and have her art fight for her. While those can be a bit odd and require a bit of extra work, they can pay off in practice.

The niceties from the other Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster entries are present in FFVI, which is appreciated. There are the detailed maps. You can toggle them off or on in locations, and even make them bigger in the overworld. Autobattle is an option. There’s a CRT filter. You also can check the concept art and music from the main menu. Not to mention the sprites for characters and enemies look great and backgrounds look good. And of course the autosave and quick save features return. The former is especially handy in the event the player forgets to move a party member they must protect to the back row for one fight.

There are also some liberties that, well, the other Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster entries didn’t get. Square Enix pulls a bit of an HD-2D remaster for the opera scene, one of the most iconic moments. There’s a voiced song, the backgrounds are in 3D, and it really stands out. The extra detail is appreciated. I will it that it sounded a bit odd when I heard it, though. I suppose that comes from being accustomed to the SNES and GBA "performances." But it is a nice touch.

Which brings up something wonderful about FFVI. While its story does involve fighting certain enemies at specific places, it is one of the early examples of an RPG that experimented with objectives. Early on, you’re taking part in defensive maneuvers by managing three parties to keep enemies from reaching a defenseless person. To get through an occupied town in lockdown, you need to approach certain people and steal their clothing to accomplish specific goals. You take part in an opera. There’s a dinner party you must navigate. You go through daily chores. It did so many things that were fresh and new at the time. Guess what? They still feel innovative!

As with the other Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster releases, FFVI has its quirks. For example, the fonts used in the UI are still atrocious. Which, considering there are six of these now, seems pretty egregious. Either that should have been fixed by now or Square Enix should have offered an additional option. You can’t access the bestiary, which might be handy in-game, unless you’re in the main menu.

I noticed a few quirks exclusive to FFVI as well. For example, you can cheese some Sabin’s Blitz techniques using keyboard controls. Aura Cannon is supposed to be down, diagonal down, then left. I exclusively pressed down, down, left and saw it . This is also the only Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster I played that didn’t almost immediately load a save. In FFII and FFIII, I’d see the loading banner flicker once after the save loaded and I was in-game. In FFVI, it flashes at least four times while the game is in action before I would be able to begin playing again. Again, they are minor quirks, with the loading even being something I could imagine being adjusted with a patch.

Final Fantasy VI was an incredible game when it debuted in 1994, and the FFVI Pixel Remaster is just as wonderful. It is a fantastic JRPG. The set pieces here can still feel innovative all these years later. The game still manages to give many of its exceptionally large playable cast attention. When you happen upon a secret, say an additional bit of storytelling, it still feels special. There are some minor quirks to this release, but it's honestly lovely.

Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster is available for the PC and mobile devices.

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