Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first thing to understand is that this is not one enormous Final Fantasy with a shared rule set. It is a compilation spanning Final Fantasy I through XIII, and its real pleasure is comparison. Start near the beginning and you can watch the series repeatedly rethink what a Final Fantasy RPG can be; jump to a favorite and the box works just as well as a deluxe way to revisit it.

That range is the point, but it also makes this a demanding collection. You are moving among PS1, PS2, PSP, and PS3 releases rather than selecting every game from one machine or one disc. If you want frictionless access to a single long RPG, this is an unwieldy route. If you enjoy treating a major series as a long-term project, the changing formats become part of the ritual.

Final Fantasy XI: Vana’diel Collection 2 is the outlier in a box otherwise built around the core numbered games, while Final Fantasy XIV is represented by a Mogu Mogu Earring item code rather than included as a game. That distinction matters when you are judging the value: this celebrates the first thirteen numbered entries, not every chapter of the franchise in the same form.

Graphics

The games come from several PlayStation generations, so the look changes dramatically as you move from PS1 and PSP media to PS2 and PS3 discs. The physical extras provide a pleasing counterweight: Yoshitaka Amano’s anniversary mini replica comes with a display stand, and the Crystal Art Works collection gives the set an art-book centerpiece.

Story

One box cannot offer a single story, and that is exactly why Final Fantasy fans will want it. You get thirteen separate numbered journeys instead of a continuous saga, with each game carrying the burden of making you care about its own world and cast. The emotional payoff comes from seeing how often the series has been willing to begin again.

That structure makes this a poor choice if you are craving one clean narrative path. It is easy to stall when every new entry means a new world, new characters, and a fresh beginning. Give yourself permission to play selectively rather than treating all thirteen as homework; the box is much more enjoyable when curiosity, not completion guilt, chooses your next disc.

The anniversary video disc and music selection CD also suit the set’s retrospective mood. They do not replace the games, but they give the collection space to look back at a quarter-century of stories after you have spent time with the entries themselves.

Overall Experience

Final Fantasy: 25th Anniversary Ultimate Box is a lavish, slightly impractical love letter to a series that had already become enormous by 2012. The value is not just the quantity of games. It is the chance to own a broad, deliberately physical cross-section of Final Fantasy, complete with art, music, video material, and limited-edition pieces that make the package feel commemorative rather than merely bundled.

The limitations are real. This is a Japan-focused release, its games are distributed across four PlayStation formats, and several entries are very long commitments. You should buy it because you want the archive and the objects around it, not because you want the most convenient possible way to play one Final Fantasy.

For a dedicated fan, that trade-off is worth it. It captures an unusually wide stretch of the numbered series in one celebratory package, and it pairs naturally with the later Final Fantasy X/X-2 Ultimate Box if you are building out the franchise’s premium box sets. Casual curiosity is better served by choosing one entry; serious affection for Final Fantasy is what makes this box feel special.

Retro Replay Score

8.3/10