Xbox Game Pass Adds the RPG That Launched a Legendary Franchise

Xbox Game Pass has just added the modernized remaster of the first Final Fantasy game. Since the original title’s debut on the NES, Final Fantasy has become one of the most influential releases in the industry, becoming a cultural touchstone that spawned dozens of sequels, spin-offs, and genre-defining remakes. Over more than three decades, one of gaming’s most enduring franchises has been celebrated for its sweeping stories, unforgettable characters, award-winning soundtrack, and gameplay innovations. Now that legacy, the beginning at least, is more accessible than ever thanks to its recent addition to Xbox Game Pass.

Between 2021 and 2022 on PC, mobile, and later on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series modernized the initial steps in the long-lived series for new and established audiences. These remasters recreate the first six Final Fantasy games with updated 2D pixel art, refined graphics, quality-of-life enhancements, and rearranged soundtracks while preserving the charm of the originals. Praised for balancing nostalgia with modern accessibility, players also appreciated the remasters’ updated visuals and UI improvements, which made these foundational RPGs a joy to dive into.

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Xbox Game Pass Adds Final Fantasy 1 from the Pixel Remaster Series

On January 8, Xbox Game Pass added the first Final Fantasy game from the Pixel Remaster series, bringing a new level of access to fans and subscribers alike. The title is available for members of the Ultimate, Premium, and PC tiers of Microsoft’s gaming subscription service via cloud streaming, Xbox Series X/S, or PC. Many Final Fantasy players, new and old, can now jump into the saga’s beginnings and the game that launched the entire franchise without purchasing it outright.

Final Fantasy’s story, perhaps simple by modern standards, will be familiar to many RPG gamers, as it laid the foundation for countless games to follow. A quartet of Warriors of Light, each in possession of a darkened crystal, set out to restore balance by defeating evil forces, and the player leads them by assembling a party, exploring a vast world, and tackling monsters and dungeons. The game’s job system and turn-based combat have since become staples of the genre, as have many other elements of the iconic RPG.

The addition of the first entry in the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series to Xbox Game Pass of course has fans speculating whether the other titles will eventually make their way to the subscription service. Naoki Yoshida, also known as Yoshi-P, the director of Final Fantasy 14, has expressed a desire to see more Final Fantasy, and Square Enix titles in general, on Xbox. And there certainly is potential for additional classic entries to join Game Pass over time, though that might perhaps depend on the reception of this first one.

And of course, Final Fantasy isn’t the only classic RPG on Xbox Game Pass. The service already offers a rich lineup of single-player role-playing adventures, from The Elder Scrolls 3, 4, and 5 to the 2024 revamped versions of Legend of Mana and Trials of Mana. RPG fans can also jump into the remastered versions of the original Mass Effect trilogy with the Legendary Edition that is available to Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers. Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition and Baldur’s Gate 2: Enhanced Edition are two more RPG options that fans of the genre might want to check out.

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