Square Enix has released a patch today for the PC versions of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games. Patch 1.10 includes the option to switch between classic and remastered soundtracks and classic pixelated and crappy modern fonts.
In case something sounds off about this announcement to you, it’s because these features were already built into the console versions of these games. Why it took nearly a year to make it to PC is pretty mystifying.
The fonts, in particular, were hated by many who picked up the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games back when they were released on PC in 2021. And it makes sense. Pixel art is a stylistic choice, but if you pile something that is not in line with the style on top of it, it’s not going to look right. Sometimes, that’s what you want. Conflicting art styles can create an unsettling or wacky appearance, but that’s not what they were going for here. It’s just ugly.
On top of these additions/fixes, there are a number of quality of life features added in. These take the form of various “assistance” options that allow you to tweak the speed and difficulty of the games to make them more palatable to various tastes. There are also UI improvements, such as the ability to view the bestiary without quitting to the main menu.
It’s nice to see Square Enix is still supporting these releases, but I feel like the games deserve a little bit better. It’s weird to see the games that practically built the company showing such cut corners. Don’t get me wrong, the Pixel Remasters are a decent way to experience Final Fantasy 1-6 on modern platforms. They repackage the games in a more coherent way without completely sacrificing their original aesthetic. It’s just that some of the design decisions show some upsettingly cut corners.
At the very least, pick a more appropriate font, you monsters.
The Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters are available on PC and console. The 1.1.0 patch is now live on PC.
