FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE / DEVELOPER & PUBLISHER: SQUARE ENIX / PLATFORM: PS4 / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
In 1997, the world was introduced to Final Fantasy VII, a title that changed the future of gaming, inspiring and enthralling a generation of players. 23 years later, the remake that fans have been waiting but never thought would come has finally been released – and it’s set to change the world of gaming once again. Ladies and gentlemen, the Final Fantasy VII Remake is finally here.
Set in the futuristic city of Midgar, Cloud (an ex-SOLDIER) joins eco-terrorist group Avalanche to take down the mighty and tyrannical Shinra corporation and save the planet that is being bled dry of its energy. However, after accomplishing part of their goal, Avalanche meets Shinra head-on as the company fights back – all while Cloud battles with his own demons and, eventually, his new friends get swept up in the journey of a lifetime to save the world.
From the outset, one of the standout features of the game is its visuals – every single inch of Midgar is full of character and looks simply stunning. Over recent years, we have been able to see the talent of Square Enix with their projects Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and, most recently on PS4, Final Fantasy XV, so we all know that the team can create wonderfully vibrant worlds and amazing looking characters – but it’s not until you see Midgar come to life that your childhood begins to flood back and the tears of joy stream down your face. Every corner of the map, every enemy design (including those ludicrous ones that fans will remember – we’re looking at you Hell House) and every character are all exactly how you remember them, yet upgraded for the 4K HD era and even better than before.
Speaking of better than before – the combat. Now, you may think that the iconic turn-based mechanic of the classic Final Fantasy titles cannot be bested (which is true in some cases, with the recent FFXIII and FFXV having their teething problems when switching to a real-time battle system), however, in the case of FF7R, it seems that Square Enix have taken everything they’ve learned from recent titles that worked and have fined tuned it to make one of the smoothest and most satisfying battle systems we’ve ever seen. The ATB system that allows users to hit basic attacks building up a gauge which can then be used to unleash powerful attacks melee attacks or spells is exhilarating to use – not only that, but the ability to slow down time to plan your next attack evokes nostalgia to the classic system while also having the ability to hotkey moves for that free-flowing gameplay. Essentially it’s a beautiful fusion of old and new, allowing players of all ages and abilities to play, enjoy and feel thrilled by the game’s crazy action and mind-blowingly epic battles. On top of that, the use of Materia – orbs of magic which allow the user to harness different spells and abilities – is back and is more intuitive than ever before. Levelling up your Materia and making sure you have the right spells equipped to the right person before a boss battle is essential to winning the fight, and is one of the great RPG aspects of the game along with levelling up your weapons to your own liking.
The world itself is much bigger and more alive than fans of the original will remember – this particular game only covers the Midgar portion of the story (which, to some, might seem like a copout or will make them feel shortchanged at a glance) but, believe us, this is worth the admission price. Midgar is full of places to explore, side quests and mini-games to complete, people to meet and stories to hear. The voice acting is another new component for the remake over the original and, although we fell in love with these characters 23 years ago and chose our own voices for them, the voice talent behind the remake is utterly exceptional. Cloud is as moody as we remember, Barret is full of fire and Tifa and Aerith are powerful and compassionate – absolutely stellar work from all involved that allows everyone to connect with the characters and their story.
With stunning visuals, groundbreakingly smooth and inspired battle gameplay along with outstanding character work, one other component is the icing on the cake – the music. One of the most memorable elements of the original was legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu’s iconic score, from the Opening Bombing Mission to Aerith’s Theme and every battle theme in between, we honestly thought that it couldn’t be beaten – but we were wrong. FF7R‘s soundtrack takes these classic tunes and amplifies them by 100. Every single battle feels big, even if you’re only fighting rats in the sewer, and that’s down to the music. For fans of the original, these songs will bring memories flooding back and you will have goosebumps surging up your arms – simply gorgeous.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is a masterpiece – an absolute triumph and a perfect reimagining of a beloved classic. A welcome return for longtime fans to a world they love realised in much larger fashion, yet also incredibly embracing for new fans that are welcomed in with open arms with larger than life characters, epic battles and slick gameplay accessible to all. Even though this is just a small portion of the Final Fantasy VII story and lore, the fact that the game gives players an experience that will last at least 40 hours or more means that this title stands on its own two feet as an epic RPG – and the exciting thing is, there’s still more to come in the next instalment!
