Of nearly all the Final Fantasy games out there, fans of Final Fantasy VIII have been kept waiting for a re-release for a very long time. Now, gamers won't have to wait much longer, as the release date for Final Fantasy VIII Remastered has finally been revealed.
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered is set to release on the on September 3rd of this year. Players will be able to check it out on the PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, or the Xbox One. As with other Final Fantasy remasters and ports, players will be able to toggle on special effects that can make the game significantly easier. Speeding up the game, turning off random encounters, and boosts to HP, ATB gauge and limit breaks will all be available.
While gamers will no doubt rejoice at the chance to finally play Final Fantasy VIII in HD glory, there's still no solid answer as to whether or not Final Fantasy VIII Remastered will receive a physical release.
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered came as quite the surprise at E3, as many players had speculated that it had been completely forgotten by Square Enix. There's no surprise there, as Final Fantasy VIII had been largely neglected from receiving as many ports and remasters as other PS1-era Final Fantasy titles. Thankfully, this was ultimately revealed to not be the case.
The long wait may ultimately prove to be worth it. While Square Enix could have opted to simply port Final Fantasy VIII, its choice to upgrade the graphics has led to an amusing meme parody of Squall showing just how much the visuals of the game have improved since its original 1999 release. Of course, it can't compare to a full-fledged remake like Final Fantasy VII is receiving, but that may ultimately come in due time.
Square Enix has been doing well for itself recently, partially due to the popularity of its recent ports and remakes of classic games, including Final Fantasy and the Secret of Mana series. If Final Fantasy VIII's remaster is a success for Square Enix, players may be able to look forward to other PS1-era titles joining the ranks of remasters in the future.
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered will release on September 3rd for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Source: YouTube