SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
With a rich story, lively world, and stunning gameplay and music, Square Enix’s remake of Final Fantasy VII excels in all departments, redefining what it means to remake a video game.
Even though I’m a longtime gamer, I’d never played the Final Fantasy series before diving into the remake of Final Fantasy VII. From what I’ve heard, I’ve always felt that I missed out; getting into a series so populated with games, films and other pieces of entertainment just seems impossible at this stage. However, this game has given me a pretty good idea why people love it so much, and why this game was so hyped up. If it’s any clue as to what the franchise holds, I have certainly missed out on something great. For newcomers, this is nothing short of a proper introduction to the series, but more than that, it probably serves as the greatest welcome home for longtime fans of the franchise.
You’re placed in the shoes of Cloud Strife, a former SOLDIER once in the employ of the all-powerful Shinra Electric Power Company. Now a mercenary, Cloud is hired by eco-activists known as Avalanche, who’ve dedicated themselves to fighting against Shinra, which controls the booming metropolis of Midgar, for the betterment of the planet. As Shinra drains the planet’s lifeblood Mako energy in order to power all of Midgar and develop dangerous new technologies and experiments, Cloud finds himself on a mission to stop them and save the planet from total destruction.
A lot of people seem wary of buying this game for a couple of reasons. Would a newcomer even be able to understand the story of the game? Even if they did, is it still worth getting a game that for all intents and purposes only covers the first five hours of the original? Both are valid questions to think about before making a purchase. But I took the leap and I’m glad that I did. I completed my playthrough in a matter of days, spending 40 hours and getting lost in FFVII’s lively world and its incredibly rich story. It’s been a very long time since a game has gotten me invested to the point that I wanted to return every day.
As mentioned before, this game is only the first portion of the original FFVII remade for the current generation. This was a concern for sure; it sounds much like the elevator pitch of some live service game, and we’re all aware of how those usually turn out. However, Square Enix has done something so spectacular that it flips the very idea of a remake on its head, and it should force other developers to shift their approach. The message is clear: time to up your game. What might have been five hours of story in the original game has become 40 action-packed hours with lots of new content, none of which feels like unnecessary padding or filler. In that extra time, the game fleshes out most of its characters to the point that you feel like you have genuine friendships and a far greater understanding of each character’s motivations, personalities and personal conflicts. Tifa and Aerith are given the most screen time within the game, divided so you come to care for them both equally. Throughout the story, you can decide which character to favour, revealing extra scenes later on in the story that add to their depth and complexity. It became difficult at one point to decide which character I liked more.
The world is unique and well thought out. Both sci-fi and fantasy are huge influences, but the game finds a good balance between them. The curious mix of technology and magic is so integral to Midgar’s society and to the world at large that you never find yourself questioning the logic behind it. Opposing genres come together like Lego. Midgar’s community teems with life, with plenty of customized ambient dialogue that gives the game a sense of spirit, whether its characters talk about general day-to-day life or reacting to some of the landmark events in the game’s story. All the side quests, or “Odd Jobs” as the game dubs them, feel different from one another, and the tasks and challenges you face in them vary vastly. Some of them challenge you to fight monsters you wouldn’t come across otherwise, while others give you further insight into the communities of particular areas of Midgar. There are 26 in total, and each is given equal attention no matter how big or small they are. They feel fresh and unique from one another. It adds to the whole experience of the story, giving the world extra character and forming a special connection between the player and the community of each area once you’re done completing them.
The new mix of turn-based and real-time combat is perfect. While in combat, you’re encouraged to fill up your ATB meter by pummeling enemies with basic attacks. As the meter fills up, it allows you to utilise abilities, spells and items, and how you use them often means the difference between life or death in the game’s intense fight set pieces. You can open a menu mid-battle to plan out your strategy, tailoring your actions to have the maximum impact against the specific enemies you’re facing. Even if you feel that opening a tactical menu disrupts the flow of combat, the game allows you to assign your favourite abilities, spells and items to shortcuts through the Battle Settings, so they’re always available in a pinch. Each character plays a specific role in combat, though you can still customise them to your preferred playstyle. Barret plays as a tank, soaking up damage like a sponge, which saved my team in many situations, while Tifa is a potent fighter at close range, dealing out some serious damage. Aerith acts as support and mage, capable of dealing damage or helping her fellow friends out of near death situations with her protection and stat-buffing abilities. Cloud’s role is left up to the player and how you like to play. Each character acts like a loadout that you can change whenever you’re outside of combat, if you ever feel like trying something different or experimenting with combos.
The visuals in the FFVII Remake looks incredible. The attention to detail for each character is impressive; the texture on the skin and clothes are sharp, hair drifts in the breeze, and eyes have a subtle glow that draws your attention straight to them. The environment is similarly attractive, though some of the textures are quite muddy. However, that doesn’t detract from some of the game’s beautiful scenery since its gorgeous lighting is a saving grace, giving the world a wonderful depth and contrast that makes it a delight to look at. The general NPCs weren’t given the same aesthetic care as our main characters, but this was a minor problem that didn’t stop them fulfilling their roles.
The game’s soundtrack is one of the most memorable I have come across. With each track, I either want to bop my head to it, or just sit back and relax. It makes the simple act of going around town a pleasant experience, and makes fighting enemies of any scale a suitably epic event. You can even collect discs of the different music you find playing on radios scattered throughout the game to play on a jukebox for your own personal enjoyment. I already have some favourites.
Overall, it serves as a great introduction to the franchise for newcomers eager to give Final Fantasy a shot. The story doesn’t feel stretched out, since they use the extra time properly by fleshing out the world and characters. The combat is amazingly fun, intuitive and incredibly satisfying. It may even appeal to fans of Shonen with its familiar story beats and the stylised Japanese anime aesthetic of its characters. The FFVII Remake more than fulfills its purpose of reintroducing the game for a new generation, and I would recommend it for the journey it offers alone.
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