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A broken game where you can build your characters anyway you want, go places you aren't meant to, and do things you aren't meant to, and make the world your oyster. Are we sure this isn't an Elder Scrolls game?
This game definitely has a lot in common with the Elder Scrolls! I don't think FF2 inspired Bethesda, but the game DID come out years before the first TES game 😀
I am so happy that stats don't debuff when another goes up. The freedom was there, but ultimately you would have to get railroaded into having a white mage, black mage, and fighter because of how Strength debuffed Intelligence, etc. But now it seems you can truly make hybrids and do whatever you want.
This was the first time I played through FFII and I was surprised by how much I liked it. Know it was a lot easier than the original but I feel like the changes got to the core of what the devs were going for and cut a lot of the jankiness.
Part of me wonders if they had a bunch of teams working on the "pixel remake" series to help train newer employees in how to make games while also being able to re-sell the older games... again...
Great review. A lot of others seem to be skipping discussing FF2 when it comes to these remasters, and this really helped me determine if this is one that I want to pick up.
Glad I could help! Final Fantasy 2 has a really bad reputation, unfortunately. Undeservedly imo, especially since newer versions of the game are much more fun to play! 😀
Thanks for these reviews. Your review on the FF1 Pixel Remaster made me go and buy it. FF7 was my first Final Fantasy game so my plan is to try and play through all the first 6 games with the 6th being an amazing way to finish the saga.
Thank you! I'm glad I could help 😀 Sounds like a great plan, and never a better time than now to do it with the Pixel Remasters providing an "anthology style" experience!
I absolutely love FFII, it's probably my favorite of the NES era. And this remake is also easily the best looking out of the first 3 pixel remasters. Actually, playing 3 after this was a bit jarring, because its graphics are not up to par.
seeing how EXACTLY the same these 1st 3 look especially the menus makes me a bit worried for the next 3.... 4 and 5 did have a little bit of basic look and feel to them but are still deff a step up and ff6 with its mode 7 and amazing graphics will be a strong outright downgrade in the pixelremaster if they keep this same'ish look and feel trend from the 1st three games released.
They just turned it into an easy grind with no balance. It would make sense in real life to lose stats in strength cause you love magic, it wasn't a negative you could make custom warriors. Having everyone at the same stats ruined the balance and specialty. Most players are not gonna spend time maxing out every stat before they win. So by the end of the game you had a class of different attributes. The nes system was better and this remaster should have a way to activate the original skill system. To me it sounds really boring to have a team who is good at all things.
I played FF2 for the first time with this remaster. Simply put : I loved it. On top of the stroy, the music and the graphics, I in fact enjoyed the freedom given by the possiblities you have to break the game, just like in Tears of the Kingdom !
The pixel remasters leveling is way different from what I played on the ps1, I remember when I equipped a weapon I’d miss almost half the time on ps1 but the PR is a lot more forgiving.
Yep! I'm not super familiar with the Origins version of the game, but as far as I understand it, it's a lot more faithful to the original game. And the Famicom version of FF2 is brutal! 😀
The PS 1 version still has many bugs and glitches that make it less bearable. The PSP, GBA, and PR versions are the only versions of FF 2 you should consider playing for streamlined gameplay and a good telling of its story. The only issue I can see with the pixel remaster is the lack of extra content, and no snowcraft mini game.
This is either my fourth favorite or fifth favorite game in the series so far depending on my mood, and my second favorite of the six in the announced pixel remaster set. Saga/Final Fantasy Legend II uses a similar stat growth system for two of its four races and that was the first Squaresoft RPG I played so I have fond memories of the system. Also I've always had a soft spot for rebellion against evil government or evil corporation plots as well as rebel protagonists or outlaw protagonists.
Thanks for sharing! You might already know this but the growth system for FF2 was designed by Akitoshi Kawazu who went on to create the SaGa series, so there's a definite connection there! 😀
I just beat FF1 on NES (first and only FF game I've played so far!) and I'm planning on playing through 2-6's Pixel Remasters. Shame to miss out on all the bonus content in the PSP versions. Would love to see a video showing highlights from every game's remasters/missing content
Pros of note: 1) You can swap out field characters (meaning you aren't stuck walking around with Firion). That function wasn't in the other versions. 2) The soundtrack here is much better than the GBA/PSP versions. That said, I still despise the micro stutter and /or screen tearing. SE! Get your vsync nonsense sorted out. This issue plagues FF5, Romancing SaGa 2 + 3.
I was initially worried it would be TOO faithful to the original but I'm glad that isn't the case. As someone who probably won't be able to grab the PSP version I might buy this game.
i really wish they pixelated the textboxes and menus as well. It just seems to jarring seeing the great pixel art with the characters and terrain next to the sleek modern looking menus/text
Great review! Very informative. I actually like how this game looks and sounds (unlike other FF pixel remasters), and I would play it, but the lack of bonus content (the side story and dungeons) is what prevents me from buying it. They added other things from GBA and PSP version, why not the bonus content? I think I'll keep playing the PSP version. And you're right, this game is VERY confusing. Still trying to figure out the leveling system, and not die while exploring. It's fun, but it requires a lot of time and patience, which I have very little of lol.
I had tried (ahem) translations of the Famicom version before, and could never get into it. This version has been a blast - I've got a dozen hours in, and I'm having a great time. Cheesing is no longer required. This is more like a Final Fantasy/Skyrim mash-up.
There are now 3 ways to play this game, and none fully trumps the others: NES with the Chaos Rush translation (the Demiforce translation is obsolete), GBA/PSP (PS1 the same as GBA with load times and without post-game) and the Pixel Remaster. Personally I *would* suggest this version only if you haven't played the GBA/PSP version already, but the music is just so fantastic (aside from one boss remix that came out underwhelming) One big downside of the pixel remaster in comparison to the PS1/GBA/PSP versions is the lack of the in-game cutscenes. For example in the NES version, when you fly into the cyclone, the first levels are literally a maze in the wind and then suddenly the latter levels are an actual castle hidden inside the cyclone. In PS1/GBA/PSP, you see a cutscene of your dragon flying into a floating fortress inside the cyclone, there's no longer a few levels literally made out of wind. In the Pixel Remaster there's no cutscene as in the NES, but no wind levels, you're immediately inside a fortress.
i grabbed the bundle. and i've already played ff2 for more than 2 hours and im enjoying it quite a bit. never really got to play this one much, so its nice to play an older style rpg that i dont already know everything. to me 10 bucks really isnt much, and if a game that is only 10 dollars can keep me entertained for more than a couple hours, thats good enough for me. with inflation out of control recently, 10 dollars is basically nothing at this point.
Glad to hear you're having fun with the game! Honestly, games are pretty cheap these days. I remember paying more than 100 dollars for a Super Nintendo game in Sweden back in the '90s... before inflation. 🤣
In the past, so many fans complaining about the HD remaster graphic being smoothed and blurred just like using 2x scaling on emulator. Now they delivered this Pixel remastered. Yeah they should adding dawn of souls story too. I really want to play the VI Pixel remastered on my android phone. That game should be an epic amazing pixel experience. No doubt!
"great way to play this important piece of JRPG history" is still the PSP version. Yes, PR made some improvements over NES, but PSP version is still the definitive version.
@@Altercate ah yes, the game where the most powerful weapon in the game for almost all of it are your fists lol. ( keep in mind I mean the older versions where it's either too hard or too easy cuz of all the weird balancing issues this style of stat progression has.
Todos os FF da série Pixel Remaster, esse foi o que mais me diverti, por ser menos "previsível" do que os demais da franquia clássica da Era 8 e 16-bit da Nintendo. ELE É UM FINAL FANTASY MEIO DIFERENTÃO MAS COM UMA JORNADA ÉPICA! Greetings from Brazil (I wrote this words in brazilian portuguese, translate it and read 'em all). THANKS VERY MUCH!
Great reviews! Please review FF3. Ended up sticking with my GBA version for FF1&2 after watching your vid. But I've never played 3 so I am curious if I play this one or the 3D remake @PSP
About to hop into this one again even after how many times I dissliked it on mobile back in the day. Let's go! I'm sure I will enjoy this verion since I can't run my ps1 verion.
While FF2 is my favorite FF I won't buy this for now, I don't care about improved graphism and soundtrack and such, I want content wich this game doesn't have, one thing may make me buy it: Mods. Since the game is on PC too we may get a harder mod.
@@Altercate Well while I'm sure modders will manage to make some new content for the game storywise, I'll say something like FF7 New threats mod, modders could add some new ennemies, make the game more difficult by increasing ennemies stats wich mean using spells that hinder the ennemies would be more helpfull, they could add more weapons and armors, honestly on PC I saw mods that can really change a game but for now a mod that just up the stats of ennemies and make the game harder would be interesting and "not that hard" to do.
No, there is no new content that's exclusive to this version. It's a pure remake of the original Famicom game, just with changes to the game engine, menu system, graphics, and music!
I remember reading about ff2 being broken and buggy, much like how ff1 had several glaring bugs, but i still do wish i could play this game like normal , get really strong without abusing bugs, and beat it “how the developers intended”
I played pixel remaster FF2 and i think how they changed the weapon and spell leveling to be based on USES overall and not PER battle is the best change in the game, as it makes any grinding one would want to do far less tedious. i think.. this big change gives it a slight edge over the psp in terms of replayability(and the gorgeous soundtrack too!). but it loses out on the bonus content which is very understandable due to it being based on the nes version. which is why the psp is definitive, but it is deff superior to every other version of FF2(not dawn of souls due to soul of rebirth, but origins/nes even thought they all have the same way of leveling.) i think this game and FF1PR should not be judged on no bonus content. as its supposed to be based on the original, just like FF1 and 3's pixel remaster. if anyone has played the psp i'm deff sure they both agree and should know with how slow weapon/spell leveling can be with how its 100x per battle. if anyone has observed how much faster leveling weapons and spells are in FF2PR i think they may agree that out of every version of 2, its the absolute best in terms of how weapons and spells level(uses overall). and it feels more worth to replay repeatedly due to the faster leveling. while people may hate the leveling system in 2, Firion wouldn't really be the same weaponsmaster he is today(or in dissidia games) without it.
Thanks for sharing! Regarding the speed of weapon and spell leveling, I found it to be equally fast in PSP and Pixel Remaster, but maybe that was just my personal experience! 😀
@@Altercate no problem! i realized that the 100x weapon/spell leveling was actually from the origins version and not the psp, so i apologize for mixing it up. you're deff right that the psp and pixel remaster has faster leveling! i think i confused FF2 origins tedious 100x leveling for the psp because the grind was slow in psp even with dual weapons against fynn captains. i think it was cuz my weapon levels were over 10-12. mustve been why i thought that and i didn't consider the battle rank of the enemy.
@@MLmaster135 Oh, that makes sense, thanks for clearing that up! 😀 Yeah, I think the Captain enemy's "monster rank" is too low to level past 10 or so from. You'd have to go to Jade Passage and beyond probably... Either way, the origins version sounds painful!
@@Altercate yup! i checked the beastiary and it looked like the captain's rank in pixel remaster was 5, meaning you can deff level weapons to 16(i did), but spells that are level 7-8 will take.. about 200-400 mp total for one level and indeed origins deff was painful! but i was happy to get the actual closest to the nes FF2 experience with how stats go down and the weapon level bug(yet am glad those are gone in psp/pixel remaster)
Fair point! 😅 If it helps, this version is very similar to the PSP and GBA versions, except for a smoother UI (menus and battle system), auto-battle toggle, minimap and full-size map, and diagonal movement. (And the soundtrack is the best version so far.) The major downside of course being the cut bonus content, and the fact that some people prefer the way the PSP version looks.
I loved the leveling system, shame they took it from FF and moved it to the Saga games. I just hope they added a real save spot in the final dungeon, I died so many times losing everything running that hell mode run. The release they did for the PlayStation really needed that, though the quick save did help as long as you didn't die two steps away from where you saved that is lol (like I did hundreds of times). same on the save for FF 5 final dungeon, those especially sucked when you where one room away from the final boss when you die after loading the quick save (my biggest ground gears from two fun games)
I would love to see another take on this leveling system in a modern FF game! Regarding save points, the Pixel Remasters all have auto-saving as well as unrestricted quick save (the quick save isn't deleted when you load) so there are no concerns like this anymore. If anything they go a bit TOO far in this regard if you ask me 😂
@@Altercate I loved the system enough that when they dropped the Legend/ SAGA series on Steam I not only grabbed it but also the two Romancing remasters they had too and they were well worth the price for winter playing. The only other leveling system they had I liked was the job system from FF 5 which they made available in FF 12 Zodiac (shame no one has really worked on detailing the job system there though Just a lot of use this or try that in any walkthroughs you can find). Heck sitting in my desk drawer is an original of the game boy version of Final Fantasy legend 1 and 2 that I haven't played in years because the last gameboy I had went kaput and replacements are hard to find cheap
0:30 It's the year 2021. Frankly after loads of rereleases of Final Fantasy 2 and 4 each, all the crossover games like Dissidia that label which game any given character comes from, and Wikipedia being a thing for a decade and a half now, anyone who hears "Final Fantasy II" and thinks "the one with Cecil" has no excuse.
Agreed, but it's still happening unfortunately. Every day some poor soul somewhere in the world is having to explain why Final Fantasy 2 is actually Final Fantasy 4. Sad times. 😫
And what about difficulty 1 remaster was easy, but the final boss is just a nightmare, kills everyone without a chance, as for me it was very strange to do this, but in this remaster with bosses and the same problem? Most are light and the final ones are furious now?
Great review! I've been LOVING the Pixel Remasters, and although I definitely feel like its easier, I actually really like that because I don't have to spend so much time grinding and such! I recently got covid and have had to stay home for the past 5 days, but its given me so much free time I finished up FFII as well as FFIII AND I went back and finished FFIII Remake and am currently working through FFIV Remake before FFIV Pixel Remaster comes out!
Not really! Dawn of Souls is a great version and has the better content. That said, this version IS imo the most enjoyable way to play the game, just because battles and menus run so smooth - plus the music is amazing 😀
Other than the reworked music, the Pixel Remasters are blatant cash grabs. I bought the bundle and I am very underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, I love Final Fantasy I to X, but with so many versions already available, it is shameful that the Pixel Remasters weren't stuffed to the gills with all the new PS1 and GBA added content, plus even more extras. FF6 teased some 2.5D but it only showed up in the opera scene. When are we, the fans, gonna get some true 3D remakes for 1,2 & 5? Where is the Prelude story for 6 that gives us Kefka's tragic turn to madness, Emperor Gestahl's conquest and a fleshed out love story between Maduin and Madeline? The long awaited Triple A Remake of FF6 in the vein of FF7R?
One of my favorite things about the older Final Fantasy games is the targeting. Strategically, I like matching my characters against enemies based on their remaining HP, and realistically it doesn’t make sense to send everyone to attack the little goblin when there is a group of foes in front of you. But I am really considering buying this. Is there way to turn the target redirection off for more classic gamplay?
Unfortunately there's no option to turn it off... While I personally don't enjoy the lack of auto-targeting in the original, I totally get that some people prefer it! It definitely adds more strategy to the battles.
I always joke about how the insane number of times the Spirits Within attack in FF14 has been rebalanced calls back to how the movie with the same name was a mistake Squenix can't ever seem to correct. I'm always forgetting about this game though, with the amount of times it's been rereleased and tweaked. FF1's had a similar treatment (which it needed considerably less in my opinion) but never as drastically as this game does.
@4:48 Somewhat disagree, I say cheese the start.....set everyone up with a sword and shield and all front row......beat yourself until nearly dead, kill enemies....next battle heal each character with their own cure spell.....then kill monsters. Repeat until lowest hp is 200....after that just level fire ice and blizzard to level 4 as you explore to get both higher level and more mp.....then just play, but cheese the start. 20 hp on anyone is ridiculous Later buy 2 of each mythriln weapon, split them up amongst chars so all types are used (no more shield) (also except bow)
Honestly, you won't play this game for its story (it always cracks me up that when someone dies, your party doesn't seem to care one bit, haha). And the gameplay is only interesting if there is a challenge. So no, he's absolutely right, you don't need cheese tactics at all. I'm currently replaying the game with only mages (ie no heavy equipment, everyone only equipped with staves...) and it's been pretty fun so far (I'm up to retrieving the goddess bell).
@@armorvil I was making a run through all after doing ff7remake yuffie dlc...started on 3 before they mentioned these.....beat 1 pr now on part after dropping dreadnought with torch. Not so much for the story but ocd completions:) In the last run of 2 I did I did the max lvl toad and cheese hard with the items you get from mini game
Not sure if you're using keyboard or controller but you just push the key/button! (On my PS4 controller it was the Square button). You can activate it the moment the battle starts, or anytime during the battle, and you switch auto-battle on and off using the same key at any time. Hope that helps! 😀
Played the pixel remaster it was good but the magic debuff when using equipment made me rely more on physical attacks unless I had to use magic and I'd say the game is lacking for not including the soul of Rebirth for the sake of story and now it wouldn't be much of a pain with the way the stats increase in the pixel remaster
Yeah, it's stupid that they included that penalty from the Famicom version, since the GBA and PSP remakes remove that feature, meaning you can have more "red mage" compositions, with characters well-versed in both physical and magic attacks.
Final fantasy 1-6 pixel remaster reminds me of Stegosoft games Ara Fell and Rise of the 3rd Power a lot, but ff games are definitely a lot better. Same kind of pixel art though.
I personally prefer this version over all the others, but I think the most important thing is how you feel about the graphics. If you look at the PSP version and compare it, do you prefer the more detailed graphics of the PSP version, or the pixel graphics of the new version? Gameplay-wise, the two games are almost identical, but the UI is slightly improved in the new version! Hope that helps 😀
@@Altercate Thank you very much!! I'm not caring too much about the graphics (I liked them both) but I wanted to know which one is better when you compare the extra QoL improvements from the PR version to the extra contents from PSP version
@@Altercate Gameplay wise they have some minor differences and a major one. Because of that major one, i prefer the PSP version: the stat penalty from the famicom version is back.
I like this version but the status ailments enemies give you are brutal and unfair... I constantly get stunlock with sleep and paralysis and some enemies give insta death with their attacks every time... Square Enix should nerf that
Thank you! I'll keep that in mind for future videos. Basically I'd say the pros of this version over the PSP version are that its UI is superior (imo), the graphics are nicer (this is a matter of personal preference, though, some people will definitely prefer the PSP look), or if you don't have a PSP. 😂 The major downside for this version is that it doesn't include the bonus content the PSP version has.
This version is way superior. It's prettier, has a much better soundtrack, the gameplay is much improved, Auto Battle minimap and other QoL stuff. Apart from the bonus content PR beats PSP in every regard if you ask me.
I had only played the final fantasy origins version of 2 on PS1 and I have to say the pixel remaster is a LOT better as far as play ability. It's still a flawed game though. The story is excellent especially compared to 1 but the leveling system is just bad. It fails to do what it's supposed to do even in this version and bosses are still unbalanced compared to the random encounters in the same dungeon. That being said it's a lot easier than before, even the iron giant isn't a problem if you have focused your characters on one weapon/magic through out the game. It's a slog to get through but worth it for the ff historian players like me.
It's about the same as the GBA and PSP versions, which means it's very easy compared to the NES original. Overall, I'd say it's an enjoyable level of difficulty, but not a game you play for a challenge!
I’m still hoping for a switch release once they get 4, 5, and 6 done. Release it at $60 for the bundle on the switch and I think it will sell very well. Me personally I’d pay $60 for the first 3 and another $60 for the last 3 on the switch. But I’m a big FF fan
Thats more than buying each game individually. 60$ for all 6 games would be a lot more realistic, and even then, every version is far worse than other versions we have, save for "Maybe" FF3. FF1/2/4 have the far superior PSP versions, which have more content and better graphics, FF4CC comes with Interlude and The After Years as well. FF5 and FF6 are far better on the GBA ports. Due to more content. The only way these games can hope to come close is if Mods can somehow add the extra content to the PR's. It was a massive flaw to not add the bonus content from the GBA ports of all 5 games.
So it’s still easy, huh. I was very disappointed with the psp version because it looked awesome but it was way too easy. The difficulty on origins for ps1 was fine. I guess they want you to not have to sit grinding ever, which is fair. If you want to make the game laughably easy, give everyone a shield and don’t wear any armor besides it, ever. Your HP will go up quickly at first because you take more damage. The shield will increase your evasion level. Wearing armor also lowers your evasion. Eventually you will block often, and take far less damage from physical attacks because most enemies will only hit you 1 time, if at all. All multi-target attacks in this game are very weak.
@@Altercate Thanks, I love your guides, I've only started playing today, but I'm on a 17 win streak by now, as Zerg. I've memorized everything you told me.
