Steam is about to get another dose of Square Enix next month. On November 21, World of Final Fantasy will make its debut on PC, almost exactly one year since its release on the PS4 and PlayStation Vita. The move comes as a continuation of the Final Fantasy franchise’s 30th-anniversary celebration, which the original release of World of Final Fantasy helped initiate.
Lighthearted and unique while paying homage to the long tradition of its franchise, the game is one of Square Enix’s most inventive recent projects. Set in the world of Grymoire, the story follows siblings Lann and Reynn as they explore lands and meet characters picked from a host of previous Final Fantasy games, from the original 1987 release to Final Fantasy XIII to Crystal Chronicles—even Kingdom Hearts if you indulge the DLC. Tying the experience together is a mechanic ripped straight from Pokémon, in which the player captures enemies to be “stacked” and used in battle later.
With little fanfare surrounding its original release and only decent review scores, World of Final Fantasy wasn’t exactly a sales juggernaut, ending up in the realm of a few hundred thousand units sold. That makes it a curious choice for re-release, but considering we’re nearing the end of the 30th-anniversary event, this could be one last effort to spread the title to a wider audience.
This release continues Square Enix’s recent run of porting many Final Fantasy titles, new and old, to the PC. Nearly the entire main sequence starting with Final Fantasy III is available on Steam, but with some omissions. Final Fantasy XV is still slated for 2018, and fans have been wondering whether the recently remastered Final Fantasy XII for the PS4 will make the jump. However, if you ask the fans, the most egregious exclusion is Final Fantasy Tactics, now 20 years old and well-suited for the PC.
While Square Enix may not be able to make everyone’s wishes come true, World of Final Fantasy is getting another chance in the spotlight to bring some joy and nostalgia to fans who have been with the series for any of the last 30 years.