Final Fantasy VIII Is Finally Getting Remastered, Not A Remake

Astute gaming industry observers not familiar with the Final Fantasy series might notice something strange in Square Enix's latest movements. Over the years, it has made nearly all of its titles available on mobile and PC and those that aren't fit to be ported have received some slight brush up. That was true for almost all titles save for one: Final Fantasy VIII. Without really giving any reason why, Square Enix is finally giving that installment some long-overdue attention in the Final Fantasy VIII Remastered, which, unlike Final Fantasy VII, is not a remake.

While Final Fantasy VII is probably best known for its epic story that affects the entire world, Final Fantasy VIII tones it down a bit and makes the stakes more personal and closer to home. It is perhaps known to be the Final Fantasy love story and its characters have also been etched into gamers' memories. The gunblade, in particular, would become a staple weapon in future Final Fantasy installments.

As a remastered version, this new Final Fantasy VIII doesn't exactly add anything new in terms of actual content. The new visuals, however, will ensure that it won't look terribly on modern hardware and displays. Those who played the original, however, may be tickled to see their favorites in less pixelated form.

Although the conflict doesn't exactly happen on a grand scale, the battle between nations in Final Fantasy VIII still takes on a serious tone that have repercussions for the rest of the world. The reclusive Squall Leonhart must not only fight for the future but also for love, as cheesy as that may sound.

Final Fantasy VIII Remastered will launch on some unannounced date later this year. The game will available not only on the PlayStation 4 but also on the Xbox One, PC via Steam, and even the Nintendo Switch.