Final Fantasy I (Pixel Remaster) - Review
Final Playtime: 16.3 Hours
⚠️ Spoilers Ahead! (for a nearly 4 decade old game) This is a full review, so I'll be talking about the story, major twists, and the ending. If you're planning on playing Final Fantasy I for the first time, consider this your heads-up!
Overall Experience
Going into Final Fantasy I, I honestly didn't know what to expect. I'd never played the original before, and while I knew it was the game that started one of the most influential RPG franchises, I wasn't sure how well something from 1987 would hold up today.
To my surprise, I ended up having a really good time with it.
The gameplay is incredibly easy to pick up, and within an hour or two I felt like I had a solid grasp on the battle system and progression. Even though I played the Pixel Remaster, it still feels unmistakably like a late-'80s RPG—and I actually mean that as a compliment. There's a certain charm to seeing the foundation before later games added layers of complexity.
One thing that definitely caught me off guard was how death works. Staying at an inn doesn't revive fallen party members, so I had to make trips to the church and spend Gil to bring people back. Modern RPGs have spoiled me a bit, so that felt really strange at first, but it was also a cool reminder of how different game design used to be.
It was also fun finally meeting Bahamut in the game where he first appeared. Having only known him from Final Fantasy VII and seeing him pop up throughout gaming over the years, it was neat experiencing his original role.
Overall, I had a lot more fun than I expected. Yes, parts of the game absolutely show their age, but I was always curious to see what was around the next corner. As the beginning of one of gaming's most iconic franchises, it still holds up surprisingly well.
Story & World
The story was both simpler and weirder than I expected.
It starts off feeling like a straightforward fantasy adventure: rescue the princess, defeat the bad guy, restore the crystals... pretty standard stuff.
Then out of nowhere the game starts talking about time travel, prophecies, and a giant time loop, and I genuinely had one of those "Wait... what?" moments.
Looking back, I really appreciate how ambitious it was. The idea that Garland creates a time loop where he eventually becomes Chaos is honestly a really cool concept, especially for a game that originally released in 1987. It's easy to forget how groundbreaking that could have felt at the time.
That said, the storytelling itself is definitely a product of its era. Most plot points happen pretty quickly, characters aren't given much development, and the game rarely slows down to let story moments breathe. But I don't think that's really a flaw so much as a reflection of what RPGs were trying to do back then.
Characters
One of my favorite parts of the game was getting to build my own party.
Since I almost always gravitate toward magic users in RPGs, I ended up going with:
- Black Mage
- Red Mage
- Thief
- Warrior
Around the halfway point, though, I started regretting not bringing a White Mage. The Red Mage is versatile, but there's no replacing a dedicated healer. Some boss fights ended up being tougher simply because I didn't have consistent healing available.
Even so, I don't regret the choice. It forced me to think a little more about resource management and showed me pretty quickly why party composition matters so much in these games.
It's also one of the biggest reasons I think the game does have replay value. I'd be interested to see how differently things play with a White Mage or even a Monk-focused party.
Exploration & Progression
It took me about 16 hours over four days to finish, and honestly, I think that's the perfect length for this game. It never really overstayed its welcome.
By today's standards it's pretty linear, but there's still enough freedom to make exploration worthwhile. I liked stumbling across places I couldn't fully explore yet, knowing I'd eventually come back with a new item or ability.
The Waterfall Cavern is probably the best example. You eventually need the Warp Cube from there to finish the Mirage Tower, but unless you're paying attention to NPC dialogue in Onrac, it's easy to miss why that location matters.
Thankfully, I almost never felt lost. I went into the game expecting NPC dialogue to be important, so I made a point of talking to everyone. Most of the time someone would point me in the right direction or at least hint at where to go next.
The only part that initially felt a little too obscure was getting the Airship. At first, I didn't think finding the Levistone was very intuitive, but looking back, that was more on me than the game. A dwarf tells you about the Levistone, and an elf mentions an Airship buried in the desert. The clues are there—I just either overlooked them or forgot about them by the time they became relevant.
So it isn't really a complaint. If anything, it feels like one of those classic NES RPG moments where paying attention to NPC dialogue really mattered. If you missed something or couldn't remember what someone told you an hour or two earlier, that was probably the point where you'd pull out your Nintendo Power strategy guide.
Difficulty
For the most part, I didn't find the game particularly difficult.
About halfway through my playthrough, I turned on a couple of the Pixel Remaster boost options, mainly to cut down on the grinding rather than make the game easier. Even with those enabled, I never felt like they completely removed the challenge. Most bosses were capable of taking down one or two party members, but I was usually able to recover and finish the fight without too much trouble.
Then I met Chaos.
Chaos was easily the biggest difficulty spike in the game and the only boss that completely wiped my party. After cruising through most of the adventure, it was actually nice to hit a fight that forced me to stop, rethink my strategy, and prepare a little better. It made finally defeating him feel that much more satisfying.
The "Final Fantasy" DNA
This was probably my favorite part of playing the game.
It was really cool seeing the series figure out what Final Fantasy would eventually become. You can tell Square didn't have decades of history to build on yet, but so many of the franchise's defining ideas are already here.
The Crystals, The Warriors of Light, Bahamut, Gil, The Four Fiends Class promotions, and Airships. Even little things like spell names and enemy designs all have their roots in this first game.
Some of these ideas are still a little rough around the edges, but that's part of what made the experience so enjoyable for me. Playing the original gave me a much greater appreciation for just how much of the series' identity was established from the very beginning. It almost feels like looking at the blueprint for one of gaming's most iconic RPG franchises.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack honestly surprised me.
Even after almost 40 years, these songs are still incredibly memorable. The Pixel Remaster arrangements do a fantastic job of modernizing the music while still preserving the charm of the original compositions. There were several tracks that stuck with me long after I finished the areas they played in.
My favorite tracks were:
There were quite a few moments where I found myself just standing still for a minute to let the music play before moving on. I think that's one of the biggest compliments I can give a game's soundtrack.
Even while writing this review, I had the soundtrack playing in the background. It's become one of those OSTs that's great to throw on while writing, reading, or just relaxing, and I can definitely see myself coming back to it long after finishing the game.
Replayability
Personally, I don't see myself replaying Final Fantasy I anytime soon.
That said, I definitely understand why people do. Building a completely different party would change the experience quite a bit, and I'd especially be interested in trying a White Mage or Monk next time around.
It's not a game I'd revisit often, but I could absolutely see myself coming back years down the road.
Final Thoughts
I came away enjoying Final Fantasy I far more than I expected.
Sure, parts of it feel dated, and some mechanics can be a little cryptic by modern standards. But underneath all of that is a genuinely fun RPG that's easy to appreciate, especially when you remember this was the game that started everything.
Watching the story evolve from a simple "save the princess" adventure into a tale involving elemental fiends, time travel, and Chaos was a lot of fun, even if the storytelling itself is fairly basic.
More than anything, this game made me excited to continue through the series. It's one thing to know how influential Final Fantasy became, but it's another thing entirely to experience where it all started. Now I'm really looking forward to seeing how each game builds on the ideas introduced here.
Rating: 7.5/10
A simple but genuinely enjoyable RPG that still holds up thanks to its charm, memorable music, and the fascinating glimpse it gives into the origins of one of gaming's greatest RPG franchises.
Next Up: Final Fantasy II (Pixel Remaster)
I've heard Final Fantasy II is one of the more divisive games in the series, mainly because of its unique progression system where your stats improve based on how you play instead of traditional leveling. I've seen people either love it or hate it, so I'm really interested to see where I land.
I'm going into it with an open mind and trying to experience each game for what it is rather than comparing it to the modern entries. It'll be interesting to see how Square built on the foundation laid by the first game and how the series started evolving from here.
I'll be back with another review once the credits roll.
Image Credit: Promotional artwork © Square Enix. Image used for discussion/review purposes. All rights belong to Square Enix.