Not content with showing off the long-awaited Final Fantasy 7: Remake at E3 2019, Square Enix has also been quietly working on Final Fantasy 8: Remastered – although this refresh is a much less heavy reworking.
While Final Fantasy 7: Remake is a root and branch remake of the classic JRPG, Final Fantasy 8: Remastered, as the name implies, sees the original 1999 PlayStation game get a new coat of paint and a number of optimisations for modern day consoles.
Also, unlike the PS4-only Final Fantasy 7: Remake, Final Fantasy 8: Remastered will be available to play on a number of platforms, including Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC via Steam, and, naturally, the PS4.
Related: Square Enix E3 2019: Every major game announced at E3
Final Fantasy 8: Remastered price – how much will Final Fantasy 8: Remastered cost?
Pricing for Final Fantasy 8: Remastered is currently TBA.
Final Fantasy 8: Remastered release date – when is Final Fantasy 8: Remastered coming out?
The good news is that players eager to retread the leafy walkways of Balamb Garden won’t have to wait as long as those itching for some Final Fantasy 7 action – Final Fantasy 8: Remastered is due to arrive at some point in 2019, whereas Final Fantasy 7: Remake is due to go on sale in March next year.
What is Final Fantasy 8: Remastered?
Final Fantasy 8: Remastered is literally that, a remastered version of the classic role playing epic from Square-Enix.
The story of Final Fantasy 8 begins with Squall Leonhart, a student at a military academy completing his training. As Squall sets off and explores the wider world, he begins to suspect that the people he meets and ends up working with might be connected in some way, and senses that events are being directed by unseen and sinister forces.
Final Fantasy 8 might not be as fondly remembered as the prior instalment, and indeed there are a few things about the game which haven’t aged well over time. Despite many of the characters growing and developing throughout the course of the story, the ultimate villain of the piece was flat and one dimensional. The memory-erasing nature of the Guardian Force entities – which partially act as the Summons for the game – also served as a very convenient way to fill an Arizona crater-sized plot hole.
Nonetheless, we’re stoked about Final Fantasy 8: Remastered, especially the Switch version, mainly because we want to be able to play Triple Triad on the train – though with the arrival of Project xCloud, you could technically do that with the Xbox One version as well.
Anyway, altogether now – FITHOS. LUSEC. WECOS. VINOSEC. *menacing cellos start sawing*
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.