Square Enix | Screenlife Reviews

For over 20 years, Final Fantasy VII has enjoyed a legacy as one of the greatest games of all time. The original 1997 release revolutionised the Japanese RPG genre, adopted by Western audiences unlike any of the entries that came before it – altering conceptions of an RPG with a fluid battle system, enormous 3D environments and a timeless soundtrack. At the same time, it was still decidedly Japanese when it came to much of the game’s characters, humour and overall atmosphere, resulting in a unique blend that not only secured Final Fantasy VII its incredible success, but also attracted one of the most devoted and die-hard fanbases in the entire gaming industry. So when the announcement came that a ground-up remake of the classic was coming after so many years, it was met with both resounding excitement and more than a little concern. Would it still be as epic and grand as we remember it being? What pieces of the adventure would have to be left behind? Will this remake do anything for those who never experienced the original? To quickly answer these questions and summarise the words that follow: the Final Fantasy VII Remake is incredible. While it may just be a piece of a larger picture at the moment, it is an experience brimming with tons of content, exciting combat and amazing personalities. After two decades we finally have the remake that not only does justice to the source material, but manages to push things even further.

For those uninitiated to the tale, Final Fantasy VII follows protagonist Cloud Strife, a military defector turned soldier for hire. Players join him as he begins a job with eco-extremist cell Avalanche, offering protection as the group prepares to destroy an energy reactor on the edge of the world’s largest and most powerful city, Midgar. The technological capital is completely controlled by the Shinra Electric Power Company, Cloud’s former employers and the entity that powers the city by siphoning and draining the Earth’s energy known as Mako. Believing that this practice is killing the Earth, Avalanche’s Barret Wallace has resolved to take the Shinra juggernaut down at any cost. Cloud is hired off the back of a tip from his childhood friend and fellow Avalanche member Tifa Lockhart, who finds herself becoming increasingly apprehensive as the group’s use of violence escalates. The opening mission also sees Cloud cross paths with Aerith Gainsborough, a local florist and healer that Cloud quickly discovers is far more than meets the eye. The general plot, characters and key moments all play out as they did in the 1997 original, and most of the above will be immediately recognisable to those with even a passing interest in the game. It’s important to note that this Final Fantasy VII Remake, as we have today, is not the complete adventure from the original – rather the opening events that occur within the city of Midgar. This is possibly the only point that detracts from the game overall, and it will really only hurt those who have taken the full adventure before. We know that there is so much more to the game outside the borders of this initial act – an enormous world littered with towns, caves, forests and people – so knowing that this world is cut off from us here can often be a bitter pill to swallow. However this first installment uses the opportunity to sharpen and focus its plot and features to such a point that you easily gain as much as you feel you may be missing.

First and foremost, the expanded character work included in the remake is phenomenal. Where the original presented us with blocky, emotionless character models and written dialogue, the 2020 version features fully voiced and realistic personalities with ample room to breathe. Each of the four main leads retain their basic archetypes from the original – Cloud as the cold, distant mercenary, Tifa as the calm yet powerful voice of reason, Barret as the fast talking brute and Aerith as the benevolent and confident free spirit. However it’s what this expanded adventure does with these characters that makes each of them so special, allowing for a far deeper look at how each interact with one other and the finer points of their own personalities. Cloud’s initial cold exterior is broken down here about as much as his entire arc in the original, with his actions later in the game designed to surprise both him and the player. Similarly, characters such as Barret who begin feeling stereotypical and predictable end up achieving far more character development and growth than you’d expect. Even side characters such as Avalanche’s Jessie, Biggs and Wedge are heavily expanded upon compared to the original, again subverting what you may expect at the outset. This is all in addition to the multiple new characters introduced in the remake, with some growing to be key figures in a game where they once never existed.

The expansion work within the Final Fantasy VII Remake is not contained to just characters, as the game’s world and features have also evolved to meet the new generation. Both the upper and lower levels of Midgar are now sprawling, bustling areas full of chatting locals, hidden paths and side tasks to keep you busy. Midgar is still quite linear when it boils down to it – with the remake being made up of many laneways and thin paths without ever really being ‘open-world’. However this is the same case as with the original, and the remake provides more than enough distractions to pull you from the beaten track. Fancy a game of darts? Perhaps some increasingly difficult colosseum battles? How about one of several side missions dotted throughout each of the major destinations? Participating in many of these activities will generally net you some useful items for the main adventure and completing groups of them will reward you with further plot and character moments as the story rolls on. While some new areas and missions can feel like needless extensions within an otherwise shorter game, most are well worth the time spent to soak up as much of the world as possible. Special mention goes to the events within the Honey Bee Inn, which – despite concerns that things would be toned down from the original – is an absolutely outrageous fifteen minutes that simply cannot be put into words. Exploring the sights and sounds is also helped immensely by how downright incredible the game looks, often turning even the most mundane slums or dimly lit streets into something special and memorable.

It’s worth mentioning that you won’t just be strolling through these lovely surroundings without a care, but rather tearing through them in a barrage of action, fire and gunshots. Enemies wander the roads and dark corners outside of landmarks, and there are no longer random encounters as there had been in the original. Battles in Final Fantasy VII Remake occur in real time, similar to how fights play out in both Final Fantasy XV and the Kingdom Hearts series. Each character has a basic attack which, after consecutive uses, charges a meter used to pull off more powerful moves and magic. Where the remake differentiates itself from many other similar games is in how specialised each character is. Cloud is a swordfighter that cleaves through enemies at close range with a variety of stances. Tifa is also a close range fighter, but instead fights with an incredibly fast and agile hand to hand style to overwhelm opponents. Barret quite literally has a machine gun grafted to his right arm, and so excels in picking off ranged enemies in a barrage of bullets. Aerith is heavily focused on magic, keeping the party alive and healthy while casting deadly ranged spells. You’re able to switch between active members of your group any time during battle to take advantage of these differences, or you can issue them orders on the fly as you continue an assault. Managing each of their strengths and weaknesses is key to overturning the odds in some of the tougher fights, and watching your crew cut through a group of enemies in a flurry of blades and explosions is always satisfying. For those looking to fight battles in a way more faithful to the original, there are classic battle options available and multiple difficulties on offer if you’re looking to mix things up – especially when you factor in the game’s chapter select and new game plus modes.

The 2020 Final Fantasy VII Remake is, quite simply, something amazing. Not only does it deliver on an enormous, decades old legacy, it also somehow manages to exceed it in multiple areas. The completely overhauled visuals, deep character development and broader plot growth are so huge that going back to the 1997 original now would just be a hollow experience. While it does sting slightly to know that this is just a taste of the full adventure, it almost works to build excitement more than it feels restrictive or disjointed. Excitement for what is to come for the rest of story that remains untold, and how extraordinary the following entries will be with the start we’ve been given here. An absolute must-buy for those interested or familiar with the series, and a great entry point for newcomers who want in on the hype. No snappy end quote, no witty conclusion, just get it. Play it. Love it.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is available now on PS4.

Originally releasing almost 20 years ago during the early days of the Playstation 2, the Final Fantasy series’ tenth main entry has seen a number of ports in recent years – all sporting a HD facelift to match. Leaving no stone unturned, you’re now able to take the journey through Spira on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch – the latter offering what is possibly the best way to sink hours into this meaty JRPG. And chances are, you’ll be sinking a whole lot into this one.

I should really start by saying, FFX rocked my 10-year-old world back in the day. Even after all these years, it still holds a soft spot for me as my first entry into the series – and probably my real first foray into story-driven games. Prior to this, my experience with gaming was based solely around jumping on crates, finding all the coloured gems and generally catching ’em all. I was too young to really tap into the game’s strategy and party building mechanics, but the underlying elements – the story, characters, setpieces and soundtrack – more than made up for my total lack of any skill as a wide-eyed RPG newbie. Over 10 years and several playthroughs later, it’s safe to say that these elements are still the biggest draw for me when it comes to picking up the adventure again.

For the uninitiated, FFX puts you in the role of Tidus, the young ‘star player’ of the biggest sports team in the city of Zanarkand. Through the opening scenes, the futuristic city is set upon and destroyed by an evil entity known as ‘Sin’. During the chaos, Tidus makes his way through his crumbling home and somehow gets himself pulled through a rift to places unknown. While searching for his way back, Tidus crosses paths with Yuna, a summoner of beasts who – along with a small group of ‘guardians’ – is travelling to Zanarkand in the hopes of destroying Sin. From there, you’ll travel down a relatively linear path across the major cities, villages, islands, temples and dungeons within the vast and beautifully realised world of Spira. Being an outsider – both as a character and as a player – you’ll spend much of this time slowly unravelling the stories of your multiple companions, as well as the world’s history and shaky reliance on religion and ancient tradition.

While it becomes quite complex towards the end of the journey, the plot is executed well and at a good pace. You’re never far from the next story beat, with each presenting a new piece of history, a better understanding of a complex character or a wrench thrown into carefully laid plans. A trip over an ancient, snow covered mountain will hit a wall, as one of Yuna’s guardians runs into the tribe he abandoned there years ago. Another member of your group will suffer an internal crisis when forced to cut ties to a religion he’s built his entire life upon. Watching these characters overcome their challenges and personal demons is half the story, it gives them real stakes and ties to the world they’re trying to save.

If you’re thinking this all sounds a bit like a sci-fi soap opera, you wouldn’t be wrong – however it’s not always traditional drama and danger during the group’s travels. Throughout the 30-40 hour adventure, the cast will be struck by lightning (more than once), crash a shotgun wedding, play in a championship underwater football game (the brilliant Blitzball) and will ride on the backs of 7ft tall yellow birds. While all these things sound like a circus on paper, each aspect is given a surprising amount of weight and relevance to the story at large. When that main storyline is teeming with revelations, betrayal, romance, death, religious subplots and complex twists, these left-field surprises offer a refreshing change of pace.

While story and characters are pivotal to any good fantasy game of this type, much of the action does come from testing your mettle against those that cross your path on the way. When you’re not deep in a well choreographed cinematic or major plot event, chances are you’ll be dealing with many of the game’s ‘fiends’ – creatures formed from spirits of the restless dead, unable to leave their former world behind. These monsters will range from small wolves and overgrown wasps, right through to ancient golems and zombified dragons – each generally requiring a different strategy or character to go toe to toe with.

While fairly adjustable in the late game, most of your party members will be a specialist in a general RPG role – swordsman, black mage, tank, thief and so on. Your swordsman will be able to quickly strike through smaller enemies, while your black mage will ignite icy monsters with the wave of a hand. Similarly, the team’s ranged specialist will make short work of airborne fiends, while the thief pulls mechanical enemies apart piece by piece. You’re free to fight enemies any way you like, however there’s almost always a weakness to be exploited. But if there isn’t, you can always fall back on one of Yuna’s summonable ‘aeons’ – great beasts bestowed upon her throughout the adventure to aid in destroying her ultimate enemy. These beasts are truly grand in scale, ranging from a ladylike nymph made of solid ice, right through to an enormous mummified monstrosity that is not in keeping with Yuna’s otherwise calm and pure appearance. While calling on these spirits can give you an edge in combat, many of the later bosses will have means of shutting them down to keep you on your toes.

I should also mention that all battles here are fought using the old school turn-based system, which means random encounters and waiting your turn to take a swipe at something. You’ll be able to know the order in which your enemies and your party will attack, allowing you to plan out each play and anticipate what you’ll see in return. It’s done well, but might catch modern RPG audiences off-guard at the start. It’s probably best to not get your hopes up for any of those other modern RPG conveniences making their way to these ports either. While the remasters have brought overhauled visuals and a great new soundtrack, there have been no extras for the console version as there have been for other recent ports in the series. There’s no speeding through battles and story beats at the press of a button, and there’s no option to skip cutscenes. If you’re a veteran returning for another playthrough, or even trying to get through a bunch of scenes to the battle that just sent you back to the main menu, these extras would have been handy. That being said, FFX is built on its well told and engrossing plot, so you can’t really blame them for fleshing this out in grand scenes and events as much as possible.

It also helps, then, that one of its most recent ports has been to the Nintendo Switch. While it’s been available on a portable device for some time, releasing on the PS Vita a few years back, the Switch allows it to be played on a much larger and more powerful screen for a wider audience. Being able to pick up and play FFX so easily is a huge plus, whether you’re looking to simply see the climax of the story, or if you’re aiming to sink many more hours into the tale’s optional late-game content.

If you’re in the latter category, your primary concern will be Spira’s multiple hidden super-bosses – the ‘Dark Aeons’. These are the corrupted forms of Yuna’s collected beasts, and you best believe they’re a challenge. They will almost definitely require a party of maxed-stat characters, each equipped with their respective upgraded ‘celestial weapons’ (a feat that requires a crafting process on a whole other level). Alternatively, you can instead lose hours to a deep and complex Blitzball career, travelling the world recruiting and developing an unbeatable team for various rewards (but mainly for that sweet, intangible glory).

However you choose to spend your hours along the way, FFX continues to offer a genre-defining experience full of diverse and interesting characters, compelling storylines and a fantastic soundtrack. The linear nature of the world will seem a little dated by modern standards, but it does help to keep the plot engaging and rolling forward with a decent pace. A must-play for fans of the franchise – and a good place to start for those looking to dive in – FFX is just a quality old school JRPG that can sink its hooks in and steal an entire weekend. Heck, I’m probably sitting in front of the thing somewhere right now.

Available now on PS2, PS3, PS4, PSVita, PC, XBOne & Nintendo Switch