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- Final Fantasy V is the latest pixel remaster from Square Enix
Square Enix has been slowly releasing remasters of the first six Final Fantasy titles across mobile and PC for the last few months. The last game to be released was the fourth in the series, which landed in September. This means the fifth game is next, and Square has confirmed the release date. The Final Fantasy V pixel remaster is set to arrive on Steam and mobile early next month. On November 10th, to be exact.
Much like the previous releases in the remastered Final Fantasy series, the pixel graphics in Final Fantasy V have been updated for modern hardware, and the soundtrack has been rearranged, overseen by the original composer. The UI has also been touched up to suit mobile and PC play, though players should expect the same awful font found in the previous four games. There's now an auto-battle option to help with the grind, plus there's a bestiary, illustration gallery, and music player for those who just want to dive into the lore and themes of the classic JRPG. While pricing has yet to be revealed for mobile, seeing that FF 3 and FF 4 retail for $17.99, it's a safe bet to expect the same for FF 5.
Sadly the Final Fantasy V isn't listed on the Play Store, so there is no way to pre-register. More or less, eager fans will have to wait until November 10th to purchase their copy. Sadly Square has a horrible reputation on mobile after it left many of its games to languish, which is probably why these remasters are replacing the games we all paid for years ago. This puts a huge damper on purchasing the titles again, as there is no telling if Square will abandon the new releases as it did with the older titles. So whether fans will want to plunk down $18 for yet another game that's easily emulated remains to be seen.
UPDATE: 2021/11/10 11:25 EST BY MATTHEW SHOLTZ
Final Fantasy V is the latest pixel remaster from Square Enix
We've known since last month that the latest pixel remaster for Square Enix's Final Fantasy series would drop today, and for once, Square Enix has actually hit the expected release date in the West. The Final Fantasy V pixel remaster is now available on the Google Play Store for $17.99, which is $3 more than the Steam version that's currently on sale. Much like the last four remasters, this premium release offers updated pixel graphics that better suit HD devices and their wide screens. The UI has been updated for touchscreen play, and there's a rearranged soundtrack, plus a few extras like a bestiary and illustration gallery.
Despite the high price, it would appear that there is no controller support in Final Fantasy V. The touch controls are fine. They work well enough, though I have to wonder why Square insistently removes controller support from its mobile ports. This means you can't play the game comfortably on large screens like tablets and Chromebooks, let alone boot it up on ATV. The game is capped at 60FPS (no high framerate support here), and the install size is 823MB.
While the port itself performs fine, the lack of expected features like controller support put a damper on Square's outrageous pricing, especially when other platforms see a release sale when Android does not. It's almost like Square doesn't want to sell the game on mobile and only does so begrudgingly. Pair this issue with Square's notable lack of support for its previous entries in the Final Fantasy series (most now removed from the store), and it's tough to recommend these new pixel remasters, especially at $18. Still, if you don't mind being forced to play the game with a touchscreen, and you don't mind that the game may be abandoned like many of Square's other mobile titles, then feel free to purchase the classic SNES JRPG by navigating to the Play Store through the widget linked below.