Square Enix can't seem to get it right when it comes to re-releasing old Final Fantasy RPGs. For years, players have resented the PC version for being a shoddy mobile port that replaced the original pixel art with cheap plastic sprites. This was a cardinal sin. [If you wanted to play Final Fantasy 6 in its original form, your best bet was to emulate the original SNES or Game Boy Advance versions rather than play the ugly mobile port. And while that resentment has softened over the years, I always felt that these crappy remakes tarnished Final Fantasy's reputation more than a little.

That's why I was pleasantly surprised when it was announced at Square Enix's 2021 E3 press conference that the first six Final Fantasy games would be remastered. Again. This time as "pixel remasters," suggesting that Square Enix will finally listen to complaints about the ugly art and restore (or in some way improve upon) the original pixel art.

Today we have a good look at the new art style, which looks much improved and properly pixelated. But the font is terrible!

Aside from the fact that it clashes completely with the new pixel art look, it is just ugly and not reminiscent of the high fantasy drama that this series loves. In particular, in the dialogue boxes, words are inexplicably shoved in, leaving huge blank spaces.

Naturally, it didn't take long for players to point this out on Twitter, and people began making jokes and expressing their puzzlement at the choice.

It's a minor quibble, but honestly, it dampened my enthusiasm for this remastered version. After all, these are RPGs with a lot of text, and Square Enix is charging $12 to $18 for each ($80 for the entire bundle), despite the fact that they are decades old. That's a lot of money to spend for an ugly font. It is also frustrating that Square Enix seems to have somehow ruined the style when modernizing these games.

The first three Pixel Remaster Final Fantasy games will be released on July 28. Hopefully Square Enix will decide to change the font before then (or some god-like modder will intervene shortly after release).