The first Final Fantasy lovingly modernised, with the bonus Soul of Chaos dungeon and refreshed visuals and music; the ideal way to rediscover the saga's origins without pulling hair out. A madeleine, beautifully restored.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player12+
Description
Anniversary edition of the first Final Fantasy, a portable remake of the NES saga-founding classic. Published by Square Enix, released in Japan and Asia in June 2007. Four Warriors of Light, bonus Soul of Chaos dungeon, revamped graphics and music, switchable CG and classic modes, extended bonus content. Available in Japanese and Asian editions.
Final Fantasy - 20th Anniversary Edition review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
The anniversary edition entirely repaints the founding game: false-perspective backdrops, reworked tiles and redrawn sprites give the villages a depth the original could never offer. The monsters take up Yoshitaka Amano's line at an unprecedented definition, and the bonus dungeons impose palettes of their own.
Re-orchestrated for the handheld, Nobuo Uematsu's music brings the very first Final Fantasy back to life with intact nobility. From the crystalline "Prelude" to the heroic overworld theme, every melody breathes founding classicism. This elegance, the cradle of the saga, remains a nostalgic enchantment for fans.
The story moves forward without ever letting its heroes speak: the four Warriors of Light stay silent, and it falls to villagers, kings and inscriptions to carry the plot. This delegated narration leaves the world to tell itself, while the four elemental Fiends organise progress like a wheel to be closed again.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"Pleasant"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Building your light of four heroes, exploring a nascent world and raising levels and spells sets up a foundational adventure whose every dungeon calls for the next. Turn-based battles, equipment and secrets chain goals and rewards together. The original structure and random encounters show their age, yet the charm of the journey and the polished remake keep a lasting grip.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
A portable remake of the founding classic, this anniversary edition unfolds the Warriors of Light's adventure with bonus dungeons and enriched content. Exploring the world, growing your party and combing the additions fills long hours. That generosity, faithful to the NES original, offers a lifespan RPG fans cultivate.
Final Fantasy, the portable remake of the series' very first entry, dressed in redone visuals, added content and modernized comfort, distributed in a fairly limited PSP run. It appeals to those wanting to own the saga's origin in its most polished form on the console. Its desirability rests on this status as the accomplished version of a historic milestone and a measured physical distribution rather than mere availability.
Is Final Fantasy - 20th Anniversary Edition still worth playing in 2026?
Final Fantasy - 20th Anniversary Edition is the first Final Fantasy lovingly modernised for PSP. The bonus Soul of Chaos dungeon significantly expands the content, the 2D HD graphics are refined and the soundtrack is rearranged with evident care. Ideal to rediscover the saga's matrix without tearing your hair out at the original NES rough edges. A true madeleine restored by Square Enix. Still the best way to play FF1.
