Jason O’Toole
Credit: Square Enix
After playing through the Final Fantasy 7 Remake for a fourth time I can easily say Square Enix has released a masterpiece of gaming. The first part of this multi part remake project takes you up to the end of the Midgar section. The game is breathtaking to say the least. The amount of extra content and characters really do make this feel like a complete gaming experience with a little leftover to set up the future installments. Some of the new characters are in a lot of ways more interesting than the main characters, cough Andrea Rhodeo cough. The original game came out way back in 1997, cue the obligatory “I’m getting old” statement, and revolutionized how we looked at the JRPG genre and Final Fantasy as a whole. How does the remake compare to something like that? The answer is simple, Square Enix have again, like we’ve come to expect from the company, revolutionized the industry. Let’s break down some of the elements that make this game stand out from its predecessor.
Story
Cloud and the Shinra Building
As I said in the title of this article this will be a spoiler free review so instead of talking details I would like to compare this remake to the original. I am happy to say that the major story elements follow almost beat for beat the story of the original. Exploring locations from the original that we are all very familiar with at this point feels new and exciting. Obviously the visual upgrade is the first thing to take note of but it’s interesting to me how even the mundane details feel new. The way the story weaves to its conclusion will leave you with a great sense of nostalgia, while still throwing in a surprise or two to keep you guessing. It is clear that Nomura and his team have a great respect for the source material but are not shy about changing it to fit within the larger narrative they are crafting. Bottom line is, this isn’t your daddy’s Final Fantasy 7 and that’s a good thing. I think it would be quite boring if the game was exactly as we remember. I’m excited by the ending and the possibilities it opens up and I think you will be too.
Combat
Cloud in Punisher Mode
We all remember issuing commands to our party as they stood in a single line against an enemy that does the same. Like some Revolutionary War battlefield, we would just stand facing each other until one force emerged as the victor. While that may have worked for RPG games in 1997, those same tactics cannot be applied to RPGs today. With the likes of Witcher, Mass Effect and Dragon Age changing how we view RPG games Final Fanatsy had no choice but to evolve as well. To that end I think they have succeeded in creating a game that will become a metric for how we judge other games from now on. The combat is fast paced and visceral while still retaining some of that classic flair. The ATB gauge is a meter that fills as you use your basic attacks or take damage. Once it is filled you can execute devastating physical attacks, cast magic or even use items. Each character has their own gauge to fill and you can speed that process along by taking direct control of the character, which is a blast to do by the way and necessary if your going to tackle the game on hard mode. Final Fantasy games have always been compared to anime and this remake lets you feel that like never before. The first time Cloud leaped into the air to attack a flying enemy made me feel like I was indeed in an anime world. The battles only serve to reinforce this by having the characters perform impossible feats that defy the laws of physics and gravity. As a modern take on an outdated combat system goes, this one takes the elements you remember and re-mixes them into something truly spectacular to behold.
Characters
Honeybee Inns own Andrea Rhodeo
“This is a onetime gig. When it’s done, we’re done.” These are the first words Cloud utters in the game and it was clear to me then that this is is indeed the character I remember. It only got better from there as Barrett is still the same loudmouth eco-terrorist you know and love. Tifa is still a loving old friend of Cloud who wonders if their is something more to their relationship. Aerith is still the lovable silly pacifist that she always was and Red XIII is still the stoic intelligent beast we all loved back in 1997. The Shinra employees are still convinced they can find the promised land and will do whatever they have to in pursuit of that goal. Sephiroth is still the former Soldier turned megalomaniac that wants to destroy the planet to please his mother Jenova. The main characters are still what you would expect them to be but it’s the new players that really make this game something truly special. They really make this world feel real and lived in. One who stood out to me the most was the owner / star of the Honeybee Inn, Andrea Rhodeo. He is a fantastic man who teaches us a lesson about gender fluidity that is more relevant now than it was way back when. Point is, there is a whole bunch of new and returning characters that have so much to offer in terms of fleshing out the world that it feels more different than I ever could have expected while still retaining the feel of the original.
In conclusion, play this game! It has enough content to feel like a complete package and offers players new and old a beautiful experience that is as relevant now as it was way back in 1997. I really can’t wait to see where Nomura and his team are headed.
Stay Geeky!