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Choose Final Fantasy V first if you want to experiment with party roles and combat builds; choose Final Fantasy VI first if you are more interested in an ensemble cast, individual character stories, and customizing abilities with magicite. That is a preference-based recommendation, not an objective ranking: Square Enix’s descriptions make the games’ different strengths clear, but do not establish a universal winner.
How the games differ
The main choice is between making combat roles your playground and following a large cast through distinct stories. Both games let you customize characters, but they do it in different ways.
Final Fantasy V: build around jobs
Final Fantasy V centers its customization on a deep job system. You select jobs for characters to master, giving you room to try different party roles and approaches to combat. Square Enix also describes the game as expanding the Active Time Battle system introduced in Final Fantasy IV. If your main question is how much you can experiment with a party’s roles, V is the clearer first pick. Square Enix’s series page highlights the job system.
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Final Fantasy VI puts a robust playable cast, with its members’ own stories, goals, and destinies, at the center. Its magicite system lets you customize party members’ abilities, spells, and summons. Choose VI first if character stories matter more to you than building around a job system. Square Enix describes these features on its series page.
#1 Best Overall
- FINAL FANTASY VI-THEMED DECK—Battle your friends with FINAL FANTASY VI’s iconic heroes, villains, and spells with the strategic gameplay of the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game
- YOU CAN’T DESTROY EVERYTHING—Fill your graveyard and revive your fallen heroes as you fight alongside Terra, Herald of Hope to restore balance to the world.
- 25 NEW CARDS plus ALL NEW ART—All 100 cards in this ready-to-play deck feature new FINAL FANTASY-themed art, including 25 Commander cards entirely new to Magic: The Gathering
- 2 FOIL LEGENDARY CARDS—Each deck includes 2 Legendary Creature cards with a shiny Traditional Foil treatment that can be played as your commander
- COLLECT SPECIAL ALT-BORDER CARDS—Each deck also comes with a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack containing 2 alternate-border cards of rarity Rare or higher
Which one should you play first?
| What you want from your first game | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Trying different combat roles and party builds | Final Fantasy V | Its job system is the most direct fit for role experimentation. |
| An ensemble cast and distinct character stories | Final Fantasy VI | Square Enix emphasizes each character’s story and goals. |
| Customizing abilities, magic, and summons | Final Fantasy VI | Magicite is the game’s system for shaping those options. |
These are recommendations based on the features Square Enix describes, not comparative playtest results or a claim that one game is better overall. If both sets of features appeal to you, pick based on whether you want to focus first on job experimentation or character stories.
What the Pixel Remasters include
The current Pixel Remasters are based on the original Nintendo and Super Nintendo versions, and Square Enix says their stories were not changed. The publisher also notes that the games received overall balance tweaks and adjustments and an overhauled UI. Some changes and extra content from earlier remakes are not included, so the Pixel Remasters should not be treated as versions containing every feature from every previous release. See Square Enix’s official Pixel Remaster FAQ for its description.
Rank #2
- Release date is tentative, updates will be posted on the page
The remasters add modern options, but details vary by platform. Square Enix’s PS4 and Nintendo Switch announcement describes updated pixel graphics, original or rearranged soundtrack choices, selectable fonts, encounter toggles, experience multipliers from 0 to 4, a bestiary, an illustration gallery, and a music player. Its FAQ says Steam and mobile received an update on January 31, 2024, adding encounter toggles and experience multipliers there as well. Font, soundtrack, and gamepad features can differ by platform, so check the relevant store listing for your platform and region before buying.
In VI’s Pixel Remaster, the reimagined opera scene includes vocals and animation. Square Enix lists Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Korean vocals; the selected language affects the voice track. The publisher announced these details in its Pixel Remaster announcement.
Rank #3
- Final Fantasy VI - The following extra features are included:
- 3X speed mode
- ability to turn battle encounters off
- battle enhancement mode
- final FANTASY VIII remastered - The following extra features are included.battle assist options (HP, ATB gauge, and limit break boosts).game speed boost (X3.no random encounters
Where to get the games
Square Enix announced digital Pixel Remaster availability on PS4 and Nintendo Switch in April 2023, and documents Steam and mobile availability for the series. Individual games and a six-game bundle are listed across PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, Steam, the App Store, Google Play, and Amazon App Store. Availability and listings can vary by region, so check the store for your device before choosing a version.
For players who want physical copies, Square Enix lists the Nintendo Switch and PS4 FINAL FANTASY I-VI COLLECTION ANNIVERSARY EDITION, with a release date of October 8, 2024. It contains all six Pixel Remaster games, not just V and VI. Check current stock and platform availability before ordering. The publisher reported that the six Pixel Remaster titles had reached three million units shipped and downloaded worldwide in 2023; that figure is for the collection of six games, not individual sales for V or VI.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Bright and Reflective Ink. Diamond Grade Material provides the best visibility.
- Clean the surface - peel and stick to any surface!
- Waterproof & Fade Resistant – Made of Premium 3M Vinyl – MADE IN THE USA
Rank #4
- Fresh Artwork
- Rubi Asami: Illustrations for FINAL FANTASY IX, X, and STRANGER OF PARADISE
- Mihoko Ishii: Artwork for FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
- Yuya Ishihata: Artwork for FINAL FANTASY IX
- Ryoma Ito: Artwork for FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2 and XII REVENANT WINGS
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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