Summary
- The definitive versions of Final Fantasy I – VI are out on Xbox consoles and Windows PC today!
- Classic games from the Mana series are available to play with Game Pass today.
- Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake adds awesome new features to an all-time classic.
When you think RPGs, you think Square Enix. The company is responsible for some of the greatest series of all time: Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Mana and many more. It’s an impressive history of incredible games – one that you can now explore on Xbox Series X|S.
We’re excited to announce that nine of our all-time classics are coming to Xbox consoles – in fact, many of them are available today! What’s more, each one has been refined to provide an even greater experience than their original releases – and they were pretty darn good to start with!
Here’s what’s coming to Xbox:
The first six Final Fantasy games are some of the most beloved games of all time. From the RPG genre-defining Final Fantasy to the all-time classic Final Fantasy VI, each of these games represents a milestone in gaming history. And now, you can experience them on Xbox or Windows PC.
But these releases aren’t just a history lesson. The Pixel Remaster series takes these classic adventures and remakes them with new pixel art optimized to look incredible on HD displays, and beautiful rearranged soundtracks (seriously – their audible awesomeness cannot be overstated!). Plus, there are plenty of quality-of-life features, including multiple font options, the ability to switch to the old soundtracks if you’re a purist, the ability to boost experience for faster levelling, turn off random enemy encounters, and even auto-battle.
These games, particularly Final Fantasy VI, are often cited as some of the greatest RPGs ever made and you can experience them on Xbox Series X|S or Windows PC.
Square Enix is blessed with many acclaimed series beyond Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, and one of the greatest is the Mana franchise.
Like other RPG series, Mana games are each standalone adventures with their own worlds, characters, and mechanics, but linked by thematic elements like nature, elementals, and the iconic Mana Tree.
Visions of Mana launched on Xbox Series X|S earlier this year, introducing many new fans to this incredible series – and now two more titles have arrived: Trials of Mana and Legend of Mana… and they’re available today!
We’ll start with Trials of Mana. This is a beautifully vibrant action-RPG where you pick a party of three very different heroes from a selection of six – and depending on who you choose, you’ll experience a different narrative as you play through the game. There’s Duran, the ab-tastic swordsman; Kevin the ferocious Beastman; Reisz, the warrior Amazonian, Charlotte, the elfin magician; Angela, the maligned mage, and Hawkeye, the charming thief.
Whichever party you build, you’ll explore a beautiful and vibrant 3D world, taking on enemies and uncovering secrets as you go. With fast-paced action, tons of character customization through the class system and incredible music, it’s a wonderfully fun and compelling RPG. In other words, exactly what you’d expect from a Mana game!
It’s available today on Xbox Series X|S, Windows, and Game Pass.
Legend of Mana also hits Xbox Series X|S today! This is an RPG that does things a little differently. Rather than give you a world to explore, it lets you build your own.
You play as a protagonist (yes, you get to name them), who sets off on a journey to find the mystical Mana Tree. But when you set off, you’re surprised to discover that the world map is empty… and it’s up to you to fill it in.
Instead of one narrative, you’ll play through up to 68 quests, and while they tie in with three central arcs, each has their own story to tell. You can play through these quests in different orders, and as you play you’ll create your own world map.
This remastered version of the classic game features beautifully crisp redrawn backgrounds (they’re really pretty!), and an incredible soundtrack by Yoko Shimomura – the composer behind the Kingdom Hearts series, Final Fantasy XV and many more! Add fast-paced combat, a lot of choice over how to build and customize your character and you have a free-form adventure that’s unlike anything else out there.
It’s available today on Xbox Series X|S, Windows, and Game Pass.
Speaking of the greatest RPGs of all time, here’s another contender: Dragon Quest III!
It’s a true titan of the genre – a classic adventure that’s beloved by fans, acclaimed by critics and wildly influential on the genre. If you’ve played a Japanese RPG before, it likely owes a debt to Dragon Quest III. And now it’s coming to Xbox Series X|S better than ever before as Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake!
Firstly, the classic RPG has been modernized with the beautiful HD-2D visual style made famous by games like Octopath Traveler and Octopath Traveler II. It combines 3D environments with detailed 2D sprites to create a look that hearkens back to classic RPGs, while still feeling thoroughly modern. At TGS, we showcased an extended gameplay section that shows how stunning the Dragon Quest world looks in this style.
But the game’s not just about recreating the past – this new remake builds on the classic experience, with entirely new features, including the ability to find friendly monsters and recruit them to battle in arena tournaments for fun and profit!
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!
That’s just scratching the surface of what’s coming in Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. You’ll get to experience it for yourselves when the game launches for Xbox Series X|S on November 14, 2024.
DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake
SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.
$59.99
The Legacy Begins
DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake is a stunning reimagining of the beloved masterpiece and narrative beginning to The Erdrick Trilogy.
Story:
Years ago, the great hero Ortega bid farewell to his wife and child as he set off on a quest to defeat the villainous Archfiend, Baramos. Ortega failed his quest, and Baramos still threatens the world. Now, on their sixteenth birthday, Ortega’s only child is summoned by the king of Aliahan and entrusted with a mission of the highest import: to take on Ortega’s quest, vanquish Baramos, and save the world.
Build your perfect party:
Recruit a variety of allies, with three able to join your party to aid you on your quest. Choose their vocations, appearances and their voices. There’s even a brand new vocation exclusive to this remake: the monster wrangler!
Travel across an expansive open world:
Explore a wealth of towns, castles, caves, towers and dungeons to explore on your adventure, with hidden secrets waiting to be discovered.
Strategic, turn-based battles:
Battle a vast array of monsters in classic DRAGON QUEST turn-based battles. Set party tactics and switch up weapons, abilities and spells to take on all of the challenging foes that await you.
Anyone who pre-orders the digital version of DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake will receive a free trouble-free travel kit in the game.
The trouble-free travel kit contains:
• One pair of elevating shoes
• Three seeds of strength
• Three seeds of defence
• Three seeds of agility
• Three seeds of life
• Three seeds of magic
All these items can also be obtained by playing through the game.
Players can reclaim their bonus items by opening a treasure chest in Patty’s Party Planning Place.
*Bonus available to customers who pre-order the game before 23:59 on 13/11/2024.
As you can see, you can now explore Square Enix’s incredible legacy of games on Xbox consoles, with truly definitive versions of some of the most formative RPGs of all time.
Be sure to check out the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series, Trials of Mana, and Legend of Mana today, and preorder Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake for more RPG excellence on Xbox in the near future!
