Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster
- July 28, 2021
The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Series triumphantly arrives on consoles as the ideal way to revisit a 35-year old franchise's origins—carefully balancing legacy with modern convenience.
The second game in the series introduces a new world, new characters and something that would become a trademark of the series: innovation. The story focuses on the conflict between the hostile Empire of Palamecia and the rebel resistance. A small group of heroes is all that stands between the world and ruin. FINAL FANTASY II demonstrates the developers' willingness to push their boundaries and …
PC
Reviews
- The remastered visuals and orchestrated soundtracks enhance the charm of the original games, making them beautiful and enjoyable to experience.
- The collection serves as a great introduction for new JRPG players while providing nostalgia for long-time fans, showcasing essential titles in the Final Fantasy series.
- Quality-of-life improvements and balancing tweaks make the gameplay feel modern while respecting the legacy of the original titles.
- Some gameplay mechanics, such as the magic system and leveling systems, feel clunky and dated, which may deter new players.
- Technical issues, including a lack of display options and poor UI design, detract from the overall experience.
- Not all games in the collection have aged equally, with some feeling more archaic despite the remastering efforts.
- music11 mentions
- 91 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers highlighting the gorgeous new soundtrack and expertly orchestrated arrangements that enhance the overall experience. The soundtracks are described as both nostalgic and modern, complementing the upgraded visuals and gameplay improvements. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, making the remastered titles essential for RPG fans.
“Upgraded graphics, a gorgeous new soundtrack, and several must-play games make this an essential item in any RPG fan's collection.”
“The soundtracks are lovingly orchestrated and the pixel art is gorgeous, though the latter does lose some detail in the translation.”
“While the amazing rearranged soundtracks sound great and the balancing tweaks make the three games still feel great to play, the divisive overhauled visuals reminiscent of the 16-bit entries make these remasters a truly worthy purchase only for those who live and breathe Final Fantasy.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the remastered games have received praise for their upgraded visuals, which blend modern aesthetics with nostalgic 16-bit styles, resulting in clean and crisp imagery. Users appreciate the gorgeous visuals and improved sprite designs, alongside a fantastic new soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. However, some technical issues and the absence of additional content from previous versions have led to mixed feelings about the visual overhaul.
“Upgraded graphics, a gorgeous new soundtrack, and several must-play games make this an essential item in any RPG fan's collection.”
“Gorgeous visuals and music, balance and convenience improvements, a few extras.”
“Even so, if you don't have them on a cartridge with an ancient TV to hook them up to or don't want to experience the bonus dungeons added in other versions, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more convenient, aesthetically pleasing, and faithful way to play through some of the best JRPGs ever made.”
“The graphics are clean and crisp, but they lack the depth and detail expected from modern games.”
“The overhauled 16-bit style visuals feel outdated and do not hold up against contemporary standards.”
- story2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's story is considered strong for its time, building on the original Final Fantasy with notable series staples, though some reviews mention it as modest and somewhat dated, with gameplay elements that detract from the overall experience.
“The strong story for the era the game was initially released improves on the original Final Fantasy.”
“The lovely music and updated sprite visuals enhance the storytelling experience.”
“This game marks the start of some of the series' staples, contributing to its rich narrative.”
“Still quite dated gameplay, modest story, needlessly annoying dungeons.”
“The story feels underdeveloped and lacks the depth needed to engage players fully.”
“Character motivations are often unclear, making it hard to connect with the narrative.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The gameplay is considered somewhat outdated, featuring a modest story and dungeons that many players find unnecessarily frustrating.
“The gameplay feels quite dated, with a modest story and needlessly annoying dungeons.”
“The mechanics are clunky and often lead to frustrating experiences.”
“The combat system lacks depth and becomes repetitive very quickly.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, often citing a mediocre user interface and cumbersome traversal mechanics that detract from the overall experience.
“The user interface is mediocre, and the traversal feels tedious.”
“Grinding becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the game.”
“The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay engaged.”
Critic Reviews
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Nintendo Switch Review
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is a lovingly crafted release of the first six Final Fantasy games in one collection. Upgraded graphics, a gorgeous new soundtrack, and several must play games make this an essential item in any RPG fans collection.
90%Final Fantasy II (Pixel Remaster)
A quirkily flawed stepping stone in Final Fantasy history.
72%Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remaster Review
These six remasters provide a superb way to experience or re-experience Final Fantasy history. Not all Final Fantasies were created equal, however; some, like Final Fantasy IV and VI, have aged gracefully and remain great narrative-driven adventures, while others might feel a bit more archaic even with the quality-of-life additions. Purists also may not appreciate the new balancing introduced in these new remasters. Even so, if you don't have them on a cartridge with an ancient TV to hook them up to or don't want to experience the bonus dungeons added in other versions, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more convenient, aesthetically pleasing, and faithful way to play through some of the best JRPGs ever made.
80%
