Enhanced ‘Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remaster’ Dated For PS4, New Screens Revealed

Visitors Play The 'Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn' video. — IN PHOTO: Visitors play the "Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn" video game at an exhibition stand during the Gamescom 2014 fair in Cologne August 13, 2014. The Gamescom convention, Europe's largest video games trade fair, runs from August 13 to August 17. Reuters

Square Enix has announced that fans of the “Final Fantasy” series can get their hands on a PS4 port of “Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remaster” in the coming months. The PS4 remaster launches on May 12 in North America and on May 15 in Europe, with a new few features, content and upgraded graphics.

A post on Siliconera notes that North American and European pre-orders of “Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remaster” each get a different special perk. Included in North American units is a free desktop calendar featuring art by long-time “Final Fantasy” and “Vampire Hunter D” illustrator Yoshitaka Amano. European fans who pre-order get a SteelBook featuring the same art.

A welcome new feature added to the “Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remaster” is a cross-save functionality with the previously released PS3 and PS Vita versions of the game. Fans will also be pleased to hear they now have the option to switch between last year’s remastered soundtrack and the original game’s classic tunes.

PS Vita owners can take advantage of the portable system’s Remote Play functionality, streaming gameplay from the PS4 to the handheld console. Unfortunately, the title doesn’t appear to be a cross-buy, meaning those who purchased the title on PS Vita or PS3 last year will have to buy it again at full price on Playstation 4.

A set of comparison screenshots hosted on Gematsu show the graphical enhancements on offer from the PS4 version. Gamers can expect better anti-aliasing, sharper textures and more vibrant colors, which present a more pleasing final image.

The “Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remaster” features content included in the Japan-only games, "Final Fantasy X International" and "Final Fantasy X-2 International." This content includes extra missions, optional bosses and new mini-games. Speaking to Polygon in 2013 about the PS3 and Vita versions of the remaster, producer Yoshinori Kitase detailed the extensive work that went into updating a classic.

"Recreating the original gameplay was surprisingly tough, we have to adjust the gameplay to match with the 2013 HD remaster's visuals, of course, but we're also taking pains to ensure the impression you get while playing is that it's the same; it hasn't gone all different. A lot of people have a lot of emotions tied up with FFX, and satisfying those emotions presents some really high hurdles," he explained.

“Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remaster” will be released on PS4 on May 12 in North America and May 15 in Europe. Fans of the series will have a remaster of one of the most controversial games in the series, “Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest,” a PS4 port of “Final Fantasy Type-0 HD” and a demo of “Final Fantasy XV” to tide them over till then.