There are a handful of titles that serve as gaming’s foundational texts — Super Metroid, The Legend of Zelda, Halo. But for role-playing games, there’s not a single title more important than the original Final Fantasy. Building on the ideas of Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy established nearly everything we know about modern role-playing games, transforming turn-based combat into a juggernaut genre. In 2021, Square Enix released a gorgeous Pixel Remaster, and that remaster is now available on Xbox Game Pass. Whether you want to experience a dose of gaming history or just need a casual adventure to get you through the weekend, Final Fantasy should be on your system.
Originally released in 1987 on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Final Fantasy was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, who’d go on to shepherd the series for 10 more titles before leaving to found Mistwalker Studio. Final Fantasy didn’t invent the JRPG or features like turn-based combat and an overworld, but it refined and popularized nearly everything associated with the genre. It took existing elements and remixed them into a definitive formula that’s been iterated on by countless games in the decades since. The game’s fusion of combat and classes became especially influential, as its six distinct jobs provided tons of replay variety.
Final Fantasy’s Pixel Remaster looks stunning, and comes with an incredible orchestrated soundtrack.
The story follows the four prophesied Warriors of Light, who are sent to save the princess of Cornelia from the villainous Garland. Of course, things go awry, and the squad ends up on a quest to gain the power of the elemental crystals and save the world. By today’s standards, Final Fantasy is as simplistic as you can get — minimal storytelling, basic combat, a short runtime. But that simplicity is what makes Final Fantasy such a charming game to return to.
There are four phases to Final Fantasy: you explore a town and learn where to go next, travel the overworld map to a dungeon, and then explore that dungeon, all while battling enemies. Everything just flows together well. You aren’t getting bogged down by lengthy conversations and lore dumps, battles are quick and snappy, and dungeons aren’t overly long. But it’s the kind of game where you can sit down, then suddenly realize you’ve played for five hours.
Final Fantasy’s revolutionary job system gave every playthrough a distinct flavor.
There’s also just a comforting sense of charm. Discovering Matoya’s Cave and its earworm theme song has a cozy feel, and finding the airship and realizing you can traverse the entire world feels freeing. While the complexity of later games is a good thing, it’s fascinating to go back to the beginning and see Final Fantasy’s bare-bones structure. The first game really revels in what, at the time, felt like big moments, and that’s part of what gave the franchise such longevity. Even from the very beginning, the series had a way of making itself memorable.
The Pixel Remaster in particular gives Final Fantasy a gorgeous new coat of paint and a stunning orchestral upgrade, driving those big moments home even further. There are also a host of additional features and quality-of-life elements, like an extensive art gallery, options to turn off random encounters, combat speed boosts, and more.
Final Fantasy’s storytelling has come a long way, but there’s still something beautiful about the original’s simplicity.
Final Fantasy is on the shortlist of games that feel timeless, the kind you play every year or two as a tradition. Its beautiful simplicity makes it worthwhile for both genre fans and complete newcomers. And if you’ve never played Final Fantasy, doing so will give you a new appreciation for where so many video games got their ideas, and how far we’ve come since.
