Summary
Final Fantasy 6is perpetually in conversations about the most impactful and influential games ever to grace the industry. Square’s timeless tale of identity, loss, and friendships forged from overcoming heartbreaking hardships continues to resonate in the over 30 years since its original 1994 release.Final Fantasy 6is regarded as a milestone in gaming, pushing the boundaries of what an RPG, and indeed the medium, could achieve and convey, becoming cemented among the all-time greats.
The studio followed up in 1997 with the also-belovedFinal Fantasy 7, which left the series' pixel era behind and, among other innovations, introduced one of the franchise’s most famous and complex protagonists along with a similarly compelling and emotional story. Square Enix’s venture remakingFF7from the ground up for a modern trilogy starting in 2020 has been highly successful, and the project has garnered much praise from fans. In its wake, it spurred talk about if, and how, a remake ofFinal Fantasy 6in the same style could work, and there is much to be said on both sides about the possibility of it receiving the treatment.
Adding to the discussion, it was recently revealed that Hironobu Sakaguchi,Final Fantasycreator and former longtime director, is developing a title he describes as anFF6successor.
The Pros and Cons of a Final Fantasy 6 Remake Like FF7
A Remake of Final Fantasy 6 in the Vein of FF7 Could be Even More Epic
Final Fantasy 6’s legacyis as strong as ever, and the desire for a remake is arguably at an all-time high, especially in light of the receptionFF7’s has seen so far. Some developers have already expressed interest in one, and given its perennially popular status, it seems like it might be a natural decision for Square Enix to turn its attention to one afterFF7 Remake’s third and final part is released. Opportunities to expand on the characters, setting, and storytelling that follow inFinal Fantasy 7 Remake’s footsteps are abundant for a potentialFF6one.
ThoughFinal Fantasy’sPixel Remastersdid an excellent jobof refining the experience while retaining the titles' classic look, the visual fidelity ofFF7RemakeandRebirth’s realistic character models applied toFF6would likewise be able to more clearly express the breadth of emotions on display throughout the adventure. While the original’s 16-bit sprites are some of its most charming and cherished aspects, their sometimes cartoonish presentation could contrast at times with the more serious and somber parts of the plot. Combined with being fully voice-acted, rendering them in the manner ofFF7’s remakes would make the memorable highs and lows hit home even harder.
Final Fantasy 6also holds the crown for the largest cast of party members in the series. And while Terra, Locke, and Celeste are often thought of as its “main” protagonists, each of the eleven others has their own involved tales, and could equally benefit from the above. This might even extend to smaller subplots and previously minor NPCs, like how Leslie was elevated in theRemake.
Finally, some ofFinal Fantasy 6’s most famous inclusions, like the opera house scene and the unforgettablemarathon final battle against Kefka(who himself would likely be even more imposing and unsettling in a version like this), as well as the entire world itself, would all look incredible if designed to align withFF7 Remake’s production standards in mind.
There have been persistent rumors andleaks about aFinal Fantasy 9 Remakebeing next in line, though this has not been officially confirmed.
A Final Fantasy 6 Remake In the Style of FF7 Would Face Some Interesting Challenges
Why It May Be More Difficult For a Final Fantasy 6 Remake to Be Like FF7’s
One of the biggest surprises was thechanges made toFinal Fantasy 7 RemakeandRebirth’s storyversus the original. These played with fans' previous knowledge of the plot, subverting expectations in a number of ways.Final Fantasy 6may be a bit more straightforward in its overall story structure comparatively, but it contains just as much depth and character development heavily predicated on events unfolding as they did originally. Altering any of them in a remake the wayFF7has would make pulling off the same narrative trick twice quite tricky, if not impossible, without hugely impacting existing elements.
There are other major gameplay and mechanical considerations that might present hurdles to translating a hypotheticalFinal Fantasy 6remake intoFF7’s designs. TheMagicite systemis already complex and extensive, and whileFinal Fantasy 7’smateria is somewhat similar in terms of flexibility and progression, the sheer number of possibilities and combinations inFF6easily outstrips it. This isn’t even to mention how the combat might need to be intricately reworked and finely balanced to respectFF6’s unique and diverse cast, keeping the feel of the classic ATB while incorporatingFF7Remake’s more action-oriented style.
More practically, such an undertaking would require Square Enix to devote a substantial amount of time and resources to it. Studio Vice President andFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeproducer, Yoshinori Kitase, previously stated in an interview that he estimatedanFF6remake akin toFF7might take around 20 yearsdue to the number of moving parts and the effort needed to properly address it. And likeFF7, it would probably need to be split into separate entries, with at least two covering the Worlds of Balance and Ruin respectively, and potentially dividing the latter into distinct halves. This would see fans waiting years again between releases before the entire experience was complete.
Still,interest in aFinal Fantasy 6remakealaFF7persists, and it is an enticing prospect. Even so, Square Enix would need to weigh all its options carefully and plan accordingly if it eventually were to commit to one. In the meantime, fans can continue to imagine what one might look like as they await the forthcoming final chapter in theFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketrilogy.
