With the eventual release of Final Fantasy XI Mobile looming ever closer, Square Enix has recently given some details on the possibility of an HD remake, offline version, and so much more. In a recent interview with popular Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu (translated via Siliconera), XI’s Director Yoji Fujito and Producer Akihiko Matsui gave their thoughts on the matter.
Being that XI is the first Final Fantasy-branded MMORPG, there is no surprise that fans are clamoring for a remake or offline version. This way, players can enjoy its massive world and storyline with the modern graphics of its sister MMO, Final Fantasy XIV. The Final Fantasy XI Director and Producer touched on exactly that in the interview.
According to them, the team that develops the long-running MMO has shrunk considerably to just being able to keep the game running at this time. Though they hear fans, it would be extremely difficult to develop an HD remake of Final Fantasy XI alongside the mobile version currently in development.
Bringing the entire game to current consoles like PS4 or simply updating the PC version’s graphics to today’s standards would be a massive undertaking that would be “costly.” Final Fantasy XI is still using PS2-level “materials” even on the PC version so bringing it to platforms other than mobile would require “building and repairing technologies from scratch.”
It is a similarly sticky situation surrounding the possibility of an offline version of the game, making an HD remake or offline version unlikely to happen for now. However, not all hope is lost for those that want to jump back in or experience it for the very first time.
Final Fantasy XI Mobile is currently well in-development at Square Enix so players can look forward to the entire MMO experience in the palm of their hands soon enough. In addition, the Director and Producer revealed that, despite being a smaller team these days, they do have plans to add more to the story including endgame content, cutscenes, and more. For more on the eventual release of Final Fantasy XI Mobile, keep it locked right here.