Square Enix Is Considering Working On More Remasters Of Older Classics
After the success of the Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remaster, Square Enix has revealed that it is considering working on more remasters of older classics from its catalog.
During a Q&A session held during the publisher’s 43rd Annual Shareholders Meeting on June 23, 2023, Square Enix revealed that it is considering working on more remasters of older classics from its catalog after the success of the Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remaster.
In response to a question regarding plans to remaster other past titles, such as Xenogears, a Square Enix executive responded by stating that, while the company will refrain from sharing information about new titles, it is indeed considering various ideas internally and hopes that fans will look forward to forthcoming announcements in this regard.
The company also responded to a question regarding longer gaps between game releases compared to its peers. An executive stated that the company believes in strengthening its internal development organization, as the difficulty of developing major titles is becoming extremely high, which also has implications for development lead times. The publisher hopes that this reinforcement of our organization will promote the development not only of major titles but also new IPs under the new management team.
The aforementioned Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series comprises of remakes of the first six numbered titles in the Final Fantasy franchise. These remakes utilize a unified engine powered by the Unity game engine. Initially revealed on June 13, 2021, during the Square Enix Presents Summer Showcase for E3 2021, the pixel remaster series was subsequently released for iOS, Android, and Microsoft Windows via Steam between July 2021 and February 2022, and PS4 and Nintendo Switch on April 19, 2023. These releases were touted as the definitive 2D remasters of their respective games.
The sprite work in the remasters appears to draw inspiration from FF DOT: The Pixel Art of Final Fantasy, a 2018 art book featuring re-imagined sprites from various titles in the series, as well as Final Fantasy Dimensions. Kazuko Shibuya, the original pixel artist for the games and a long-time contributor to the Final Fantasy series, remastered the character pixel art for all six titles from their original versions.
