Green Materia Returns – Square Enix Games Coming to Xbox

Revealed during the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2024 Live Stream, several Square Enix titles are finally making their way to Xbox platforms. Game Pass inclusions from the Mana franchise, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake updates, and even the long-awaited Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters coming to Xbox; JRPG fans have much to look forward to in the Xbox ecosystem.

Mana Series Enters Xbox Game Pass

Following the release of Visions of Mana, being one of the only third-party titles to be part of an Xbox Developer Direct earlier this year, Square Enix kicked off their inclusion in Xbox’s TGS Livestream with other Mana titles coming into Game Pass.

They consist of the fully 3D remake of Trials of Mana, originally released on PlayStation platforms, Nintendo Switch, and PC in 2020, and the remake of Legend of Mana. Both games are well-done remakes, with Trials fully 3D world and Legend of Mana sporting a remastered score by Kingdom Hearts composer Yoko Shimomura.

As of this writing, both games are part of Game Pass Ultimate, playable on Xbox platforms and the PC Game Pass app. Kingdom Hearts series and the PS1 era Final Fantasy titles are the first examples of this, seeing other Square Enix franchises come to Xbox is great. It allows people who enjoyed the latest installment in the Mana series to look back at the older titles and see where the series came from.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Updates

The legendary Dragon Quest III returns with an HD-2D remake, releasing very soon across all platforms. This also includes Xbox platforms, which have continued the partnership since Dragon Quest XI was released on Xbox consoles a few years ago. Unlike the Final Fantasy series, Dragon Quest has never left the Xbox ecosystem once it joined it.

On the Xbox stage, it was revealed that a new game mode is being added to the remake, being a monster-catching arena! Square Enix said the following on this mode via an Xbox Wire article;

On the subject of monsters, there’s also a brand-new vocation: Monster Wrangler! The vocation of characters determines their spells and skills in battle – for example, Mages can throw out powerful spells, while Martial Artists can deliver powerful strikes with their bare hands. Characters with the Monster Wrangler vocation know more than most about the world’s monsters and will help you befriend creatures to use in the arena. They can also use powerful monster abilities to hurt foes, heal allies and more!

Xbox players worldwide can enjoy Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on Xbox Series consoles on November 14, 2024.

Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters Now Out on Xbox

After being on PC for quite a while and releasing on PlayStation 4 & Switch in 2023, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters are now on Xbox platforms and Windows Store. It is worth noting that buying the games on Xbox grants access to the Microsoft Store versions via Play Anywhere support. And through that, saves across console and PC are shared, meaning ROG Ally owners can easily play on their Xbox consoles and continue their adventures with their PC handhelds, without losing any save progress.

Unlike the other Square Enix announcements, however, this collection of Final Fantasy classics was not released into Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate. They are currently discounted, so Xbox owners are rewarded for patiently waiting for this collection.

The collection can be bought together or the games can be purchased individually, consisting of the original Final Fantasy through the legendary Final Fantasy VI. The games all feature major quality-of-life additions, such as EXP and GIL multipliers, upping the game speed during exploration and battles, and optional orchestrated soundtracks for each game.

Eikonic Releases Still MIA – FFXVI and FFVII Remake Series

Despite all the great announcements at the TGS Stream, specific games were not revealed. Many insiders stated during the lead-up to Xbox’s TGS Show that specifically, Final Fantasy XVI would be announced for Xbox platforms, but that did not happen.

Also not present were the Final Fantasy VII Remake titles. The reasons for this could be explained through Square Enix’s partnership with PlayStation for those titles. That being said, Square Enix came out recently and stated that Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth did not meet their lofty sales expectations, so the situation for those games could change regarding their future on Xbox platforms.

Regarding Final Fantasy XVI, I’m more positive about the title’s chances of coming to Xbox. Between comments suggesting interest in bringing the game to Xbox platforms and the recent PC release, it’s more of a matter of ‘when’, not ‘if’.

Also worth considering, Final Fantasy XVI is a heavy game graphically on even the most high-end computers. While my experience playing the demo on my mid-range gaming laptop was positive, the full game doesn’t seem well optimized. Considering every Series X game needs to feature a Series S version, I could easily see Microsoft’s ‘Little Man’ demanding more development time.

Various games from this generation prove the Series S is a powerful machine if you give it additional development time. Cyberpunk 2077, Starfield, and many other releases eventually got 60FPS support on the platform. So I could imagine the graphically intensive Final Fantasy XVI could run on the console.

Closing Thoughts

While many, myself included, were hopeful the major AAA Final Fantasy titles were inbound for Xbox platforms, seeing Square Enix’s other franchises come to the console only inspires more confidence in Square Enix’s promised support for Xbox as a platform.

Even if the console isn’t selling well in Japan, if Square Enix wants those ‘expectations’ met, their titles must be everywhere, not just on PlayStation or Nintendo Switch.

Will you all check out these classic Square Enix adventures on Xbox? Let us know in the comments below!