The long wait between installments of the Pixel Remaster series is almost over, as Square Enix has announced Final Fantasy V will launch on Steam and mobile November 10.
First announced at E3 this year, the Pixel Remaster series has been re-envisioning the original six games in the franchise in one more universal style, aiming to establish a sense of unity in their presentation and making them accessible to new audiences. After two months of waiting, Final Fantasy V has a release date, bringing the series closer to its end.
Like the previous four games, Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster features redrawn sprite graphics, a rearranged score, an updated script, and various quality-of-life enhancements that will make it more appealing to modern sensibilities. These include the ability to save anywhere outside of battle, diagonal movement, a modernized user interface, auto-battle, and an interactive bestiary. Players can also access an art gallery and full music player from the main menu from the first time they open the game.
Original staffers Nobuo Uematsu and Kazuko Shibuya have been heavily involved in overseeing the new music and sprites, respectively, and their attention to detail has had great results. The new arrangements so far have been beautiful, while the visuals are enhanced without disrupting the original charm of the NES or SNES sprites.
Final Fantasy V originally launched on the Super Famicom on December 6, 1992. It didn’t see an official English translation until Final Fantasy Anthology came out in North America in 1999, nor did it reach Europe until 2002! It has since been ported to Game Boy Advance, iOS/Android, and Steam; however, the latter two releases received a divisive visual overhaul.
Many people love Final Fantasy IX because it encapsulates so many core concepts of the series up to that point—and Final Fantasy V essentially served the same purpose in its time. It took the more complex storytelling of II and IV, combined it with the job system of I and III, and put its own spin on everything. The cast is charming, the adventure is epic, and the party-building options are limitless.
Unfortunately this version will not include the bonus content from previous ports, including the bonus jobs, dungeon, and boss. Time will tell if Square Enix adds this content in later, but as it stands, you can still enjoy the full original game.
Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster is available to pre-order on Steam and iOS/Android ahead of its November 10 release; for Steam users, you can save 20% if you order now, and receive 2 wallpapers and 3 new music tracks as a bonus. Or, you can also purchase all six games in the Pixel Remaster series in a bundle on Steam.
