Final Fantasy 7 is sacrosanct to millions of people for millions of different reasons. It was a first Final Fantasy for many (myself included) and the story that comes with it is a gale-force wind of emotions, with characters and a world which elevated this RPG into mythic proportions.
Therein lies the gargantuan problem with remaking this game, and especially breaking it into different parts which might be years from being released — you’re only getting a small portion of the larger experience.
Trying to put that aside for now, this part of Final Fantasy 7 Remake is nothing short of a masterpiece. It goes a long way in proving that developer Square respects the source material more or less, and it has given a triumphant shot at re-imagining this sacred gem.
Immediately you can tell the eclectic city of Midgar is more alive and vibrant than ever as gorgeous environmental details ebulliently litter the sci-fi areas, washing over you in great waves of nostalgia. From passing comments made by citizens on the street to the detail in the overall design; the environment bursts with flavour and depth which will completely engross you.
Considering how in the original game you couldn’t look up thanks to the fixed camera angles, simply being able to pan your view skywards means you can explore and experience Midgar in new, enthralling immersive depth previously unfathomable in the original 90s version.
The scale and lore of the city are no longer implied to the player; instead, it offers profound, astonishing vistas that will continue to leave you breathless the more you stop and smell the flowers and explore every nook and cranny. Getting you more than raring to take out the evil Shrina Electric Company.
With expanded character lore, rich world-building and more Aerith Gainsborough than ever before, it’s easy to feel emotional as you navigate this game all over again, or even for the first time. All the while, brand new musical tracks yawn over the speakers creating sombre and epic scenes that will make you pause to soak it all in.
Everything added to flesh out characters like the Avalanche crew (and new arrivals) has been done earnestly and only sometimes does this new content feels like it’s needlessly tacked on, with some new characters becoming grating and you’ll beg for their parts to be done.
But with the addition of new NPCs, side quests and entirely new events, this world which is now 23 years old has never been fleshed out to this extent, and it's wonderful to see.
From simply helping out people in the slums to a heavenly moment of picking flowers with Aerith, all of these new events are varied and gorgeous.
However, I really wanted more from the character interactions, to explore Cloud a bit more and have him show some modicum of feeling and emotion towards some people (at least).
Here's the biggest issue with Final Fantasy 7 Remake — it’s only a part of the full package, so you’re not getting everything that made the original game phenomenal and all of that extra character development is still to come in the next release.
In particular, being episodic throws off the equilibrium of the game, simply because we don’t know how long we have to wait for the next one or how many parts it will be.
Not to mention you’re ending the Midgar section, which was 1-2 hours at most in the original, as incredibly powerful level 30+ characters, which raises problematic questions.
For the most part, the combat remains fresh and enjoyable throughout, especially with learnable weapon abilities and playing with material loadouts. Not to mention it takes some cues from the animated film, Advent Children, which turns battles into incredibly cinematic scenes.
From character interactions to riffing off a cool line before casting a spell, the chatter between characters brings out personalities more as well thanks to the excellent voice acting, leading to epic moments in battle.
One thing which does become a pain is that enemies will focus solely on who you’re directly controlling, forcing you to switch from one character to another.
Combat is a hybrid ATB system with a sweet slow-motion tactical menu mode, and it’s the perfect system for FFVII Remake.
Where this shines the most is in item usage in combat; consumables such as ethers cost ATB to use, making room for a far greater tactical trade-off between offence and defence, with some abilities requiring two ATB bars to execute.
Perhaps one of my biggest issues is you only get to control other characters out of battle at certain moments. Just let me run around and explore as Aerith permanently, please?
The best thing about this remake, hands down, is seeing these iconic and beloved characters from 1997 back in their original setting and in fully-rendered, enthralling visuals. It’s truly a dream come true.
That, more than anything else, is enough for me to keep going with this remake. We can only hope and pray to Holy and the Lifestream that they don’t re-write some of the story’s defining moments.
While the end of the game gets you hyped about everything still to come, you’re crushed by the realisation that it could be years until we see the next part, and if this much detail has gone in here, just how many parts will it end up being?
Not only that but if I’ve interpreted the ending correctly, you'll be left with more questions than ever about the next parts. To this end, the remake’s conclusion left me with a tumultuous pit in my stomach.
Overall, Final Fantasy 7 Remake goes above and beyond its promises, featuring more of the characters we’ve loved and known for decades. All of it blends together to create one of the best Final Fantasy experiences in recent memory.
And look, if the remake isn’t what you expected then do take solace in the fact that the original game will always exist and nothing can ever take that away.
5/5
Final Fantasy VII Remake releases April 10 as a timed PS4 exclusive. Pre-order it here and here.
