Square Enix Shadow Drops 8 Games on Xbox

by

Square Enix Shadow Drops 8 Games on Xbox

Key Takeaways

  • Square Enix has released eight games on Xbox without warning.
  • These games include all six titles from the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection, Trials of Mana, and Legend of Mana.
  • Both Mana games are also available for Game Pass subscribers.

As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement and nostalgia as Square Enix, the legendary developer that has shaped so many of my gaming memories, continues to expand its partnership with Xbox. With eight games from their esteemed catalog now available on Xbox without warning, I find myself reliving my youth through these classic titles like Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster and the Mana series.

At the Tokyo Game Show, Square Enix unexpectedly added eight games to Xbox’s collection, allowing players to start playing them right away. Last year, Square Enix announced a closer collaboration with Xbox, which aligns with its new strategy of releasing games on multiple platforms more aggressively. It appears that this plan is now coming to fruition, as games previously exclusive to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch are now becoming available on Microsoft’s consoles.

Under the leadership of the new CEO Takashi Kiryu at Square Enix, there was an emphasis on bringing more of their games to Xbox platforms. While titles like Octopath Traveler 2 made an early appearance on Xbox before PlayStation, flagship series such as the latest Final Fantasy games were initially missing. The first significant return of a Final Fantasy game to Xbox was Final Fantasy 14, launched in March this year. Since its release, Square Enix has been actively working to strengthen the Final Fantasy community on Xbox, and it appears they are keeping their promise by doing so.

At Tokyo Game Show 2024, Square Enix unexpectedly revealed that eight of their games were now playable on Xbox. Included in this lineup are six games from the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series, encompassing the original Final Fantasy to Final Fantasy 6. Additionally, Trials of Mana and Legend of Mana were also added to the list, with the former already accessible for Game Pass subscribers. At Gamescom 2024, Naoki Yoshida hinted that Square Enix intends to port more Final Fantasy games to Xbox, as well as other non-franchise titles.

All Eight Games Shadow Dropped by Square Enix on Xbox

  • Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster
  • Final Fantasy 2 Pixel Remaster
  • Final Fantasy 3 Pixel Remaster
  • Final Fantasy 4 Pixel Remaster
  • Final Fantasy 5 Pixel Remaster
  • Final Fantasy 6 Pixel Remaster
  • Trials of Mana
  • Legend of Mana

Although the “Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster” and the two “Mana” series games have established a hopeful trend for Xbox, none of these games were bound by exclusive contracts with other platforms. This leaves players questioning if Square Enix’s prominent titles might eventually appear on Xbox consoles. Throughout the year, speculation has circulated about whether the “Final Fantasy 7 Remake” would also be released on Xbox along with its sequel, “Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth”. However, no official statements regarding their potential presence on other platforms have been made yet.

One significant Square Enix game, which initially debuted as a timed exclusive for the PlayStation 5 and received support from Sony during its development, is Final Fantasy 16. This latest installment in the series has just been launched on PC, but there’s no official word yet about it appearing on Xbox. Hiroshi Takai, the game’s director, expressed a desire to see Final Fantasy 16 on Xbox, but for now, the team is fully engaged in perfecting the PC version. With the arrival of Final Fantasy 16 on PC, fans eagerly anticipate Square Enix’s next move – potentially bringing Clive’s adventures to Xbox.

Read More

2024-09-26 19:24