The Next HD-2D Remake Should Be The Most Overlooked Final Fantasy Game
It’s long past time.
Seven years after the release of Octopath Traveler, HD-2D has been such a success for Square Enix that it feels like the company’s strategy has shifted to focus on it. Octopath is on the cusp of getting a third game, we’ve had offshoots like Triangle Strategy, HD-2D has been used for three Dragon Quest remakes, and almost every single one of these titles has been well-received by fans and critics. But we still don’t have an HD-2D Final Fantasy game, and it’s high time that changed. And while everyone might argue about which heavy hitter, like Final Fantasy 6 and 9, we should see a remake of, I’d say there’s an overlooked candidate: Final Fantasy 5.
Final Fantasy 5 has always been a bit of a black sheep. It’s not as story-focused as the likes of FF6, putting a much larger emphasis on combat and the job system. But it’s also a good deal more narratively complex than something like FF3. It falls into a peculiar middle ground, neither specializing in one aspect nor excelling in all areas. The other vital factor is that North America didn’t get Final Fantasy 5 when it launched in Japan in 1992; the game wouldn’t make its way West until 1999 as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology Collection, and the game wouldn’t get its own standalone release until 2006 on the Game Boy Advance.
Final Fantasy 5’s very identity is wrapped up in the fact that it’s a pixel-based game, which a remake could lean into.
FF5 simply didn’t enter the zeitgeist like its sibling games did. A large swathe of fans didn’t play it for years, and if you only got to it after the release of the PS1 trilogy of games (Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9), it’s easy to see how it wouldn’t stand out. But the irony is that FF5 might be the most “Final Fantasy” game of the entire series, really digging into the core of what the series stands for in both gameplay and narrative.
For the anniversary of FF9, I wrote about the franchise’s most essential ingredient: a sense of whimsy. Through all the series’ changes, whimsy has been what endures through the decades, whether you’re talking about Clive acting out a childhood play in FFXVI or FF10’s notorious laughing scene.
And while that element has been there since the beginning, FF5 is where it became a vital component. If a game like FF7 is a tragedy, FF5 is a slapstick comedy. It’s steeped in absurdist humor and focused on a fanciful tale emblematic of the idea of adventure. There’s a part where a sentient turtle says he didn’t survive thousands of years by eating pizza, and a major plot point is the game’s villain, who’s a tree, turning into a splinter and sticking in a party member’s shoe to travel across dimensions. It’s not exactly Sephiroth and Aerith.
Final Fantasy 5 sacrifices emotional weight for a distinct sense of humor.
FF5 feels like it has more in common with the tone and style of Dragon Quest, which is exactly why HD-2D would be the perfect fit; that entire style is built around its sense of charm. The HD-2D style allows highly expressive sprites to be juxtaposed against exceptionally detailed backgrounds, and that’s FF5. The game often drives home emotions with visual panache, like characters’ eyes growing in surprise, and an HD-2D version could lean into its slapstick style while providing ample opportunity to flesh out the experience.
The Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D remake adds a wealth of new elements and tweaks involving Erdrick’s father, expanding an otherwise simple story. It’s a remake that gives the world more life, and that’s something FF5 could benefit from as well, whether it’s expanding on the land of Faris’ history or providing more details on the heroes of old.
There are boundless opportunities for expanding FF5, and I think its place in history leaves players much more open to a brand-new interpretation of the game. For as popular as the Final Fantasy 7 remake series has been, there’s been no shortage of debate over changes and alterations, and there likely will be for years to come. Final Fantasy 7’s place in history will be endlessly contested by different fandoms that want different things.
Much like Dragon Quest 3, Final Fantasy 5’s job system is ripe for tweaks.
But because FF5 occupies such a nebulous space in the franchise, it’s the perfect proving ground for future remakes, or even a brand-new turn-based Final Fantasy. If Square Enix reflects on the past, new ideas could emerge.
I still think Square Enix needs to be choosy about the HD-2D games it makes, lest it oversaturate the market and dilute each game's unique feel. But I also think there’s a place for continued remake efforts outside of Dragon Quest, and I can’t think of a single game that feels more tailor-made for the HD-2D style than Final Fantasy 5. There’s a golden opportunity to give one of the franchise’s most overlooked games the due it deserves.
