What To Be Excited About
1. The Visuals
The original Final Fantasy VII was a graphical showcase back in 1997, but its dated visuals certainly haven’t aged gracefully. This is one area where the Remake already seems to be an improvement. The game is being completely rebuilt for the PlayStation 4 using Unreal Engine 4 and makes use of all the graphical capabilities of modern hardware. The game’s world looks livelier and more detailed than ever, and if its trailers are any indication, Final Fantasy VII Remake is set to be as much of a visual spectacle as the original was.
2. The Combat
One of the biggest changes that Final Fantasy VII Remake introduces is in how its combat works. Whereas the original game featured classic turn-based battles, this Remake has a new real-time action combat system. This ambitious change in structure may turn off some old-school fans who loved the classic battles of the original game, but there’s sure to be plenty to like about the new style of combat. After all, the Remake is being directed by Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura, whose games are known for their fast-paced and exciting action battle systems. If done right, this new combat style could make battles come alive in spectacular fashion.
3. The Scope and Scale
Final Fantasy VII was one of the most ambitious games ever created when it first released on the original PlayStation. This scale was unfortunately limited by the weakness of its hardware. With the power of modern graphical capabilities, however, Final Fantasy VII Remake is finally able to fully realize the incredible splendor of its world the way it was always meant to be. Even from the few glimpses we’ve seen in trailers and screenshots, the game’s city of Midgar already looks grander than ever before, and the rest of the game’s world of Gaia is sure to follow suit.
4. The Music
If there’s one thing that’s almost always characterized the Final Fantasy games, it’s their fantastic music. Final Fantasy VII is no different, with one of the most iconic game soundtracks ever written. Fans will be glad to know that the game’s original composer, the legendary Nobuo Uematsu, was brought on to remaster his own music for the upcoming Remake. While he was unfortunately forced to step down midway through the project due to ongoing health issues, knowing that he was involved at all should be good news for fans of his work. With modern instrumentation and recording, this remake is sure to do justice to Uematsu’s incredible compositions.
What To Be Worried About
5. Changes to the Gameplay
Final Fantasy VII Remake is more than a simple HD version of the original game. Instead, it’s a complete reimagining of it, and major changes to the core gameplay are sure to come with it. We’ve already seen that the combat system has been completely overhauled, and there will inevitably be big adjustments in other areas as well. There’s so many questions about how the game will be altered: What will overworld exploration be like? How will the pace of the original game be changed? How will Limit Breaks, Summons, and Materia, three of the most significant features of the original game’s combat, be implemented? These are big questions, and there’s no guarantee that Square Enix will answer them in a way that satisfies all fans and captures the original’s iconic spirit.
6. Changes to the Story
Final Fantasy VII is renowned for its intricate narrative. However, with the many modifications that the Remake aims to introduce, it’s likely that this story won’t remain unchanged. It’s no secret that Square Enix hasn’t had the best track record with storytelling in their recent major titles. After all, many fans were disappointed in the story of the last main Final Fantasy entry, 2016’s Final Fantasy XV. Ideally, the original story would remain intact with only a few changes being made to make it suitable for the Remake’s new ambitions, but with Square Enix being so determined to reimagine every aspect of the game for the current generation, it’s uncertain how much the story will be affected and whether its changes will be for the better.
7. The Structure
This is perhaps the single most controversial issue surrounding Final Fantasy VII Remake. When the game finally launches, it won’t come in one package. Instead, it will be released in multiple separate installments. This is a massive deviation from the original game’s structure, which, although it was printed on multiple discs, was still released as one game. While it’s possible that this new structure will allow the Remake to be grander and more large-scale than ever, there’s no denying that Final Fantasy VII was meant to be a single game, not a multi-part epic. This will drastically affect the entire structure and flow of the game, and there’s no saying if Square Enix will be able to pull it off effectively.
These are a few of the biggest points about Final Fantasy VII Remake that should either excite or concern you. There’s still a lot of mystery around the game, but it won’t be long before Square Enix sheds more light on it. The developers have promised to provide more info on the game this month, and it’s almost guaranteed that the project will feature prominently at the company’s E3 presentation on June 10th.
What are your hopes and concerns for Final Fantasy VII Remake? Let us know with a comment below.