By Caleb Phelps
Platform – PlayStation 4
Developers – Square Enix
Publishers – Square Enix
Release – April 10, 2020
Genre – Action, role-playing
On March 2, 2020, a demo for the highly anticipated “Final Fantasy VII Remake” was released for PlayStation 4 users. Square Enix announced “Final Fantasy VII Remake” in 2015 during the biggest gaming event of the year, E3. However, new information for the game did not surface until E3 of 2019. This demo was released in anticipation for the April 10, 2020, release of the game and showed players a whole different version of the 1997 classic.
The Classic Final Fantasy
“Final Fantasy VII” originally released in 1997 as a PlayStation exclusive title. The famous RPG follows the adventure of Cloud Strife, a mercenary who joins an eco-terrorist group in order to stop a world-governing organization from using the planet’s life essence as a source for energy.
In terms of gameplay, “Final Fantasy VII” has three distinct modes: the world map, the field and the battle sections. At random times, battles start when exploring the overworld, and these battles were overall divisive and required strategy. The player then must command his allies in order to deal damage to the enemy, inflict status ailments on them, heal the party or give power-ups to the party. However, battles were slower paced due to the game’s ATB (active turn battle) system. This system forced players to wait for a meter to fill before they could input a command, giving the battles a more sense of strategy.
The New Final Fantasy
Square Enix surprised gamers on March 2 by releasing a demo for the highly anticipated remake, allowing players to get a feel for what the game will play like when it releases in early April. The demo starts at the very beginning of the game where the protagonist, Cloud Strife, is beginning his first mission as a mercenary. The demo takes the player through the entirety of the mission, allowing the player to only play as Cloud and his first party member, Barret.
Veterans of the original “Final Fantasy VII” will be highly surprised to see the combat system has completely changed. Now the combat controls are similar to “Kingdom Hearts,” another Square Enix title. Players can now swing Cloud’s sword with the push of a button, but time limits the player’s use for abilities. In order for Cloud to use a spell such as Fire, the player must use the command menu and command Cloud to perform a move. Luckily, time slows down to give the player enough time to find the command they are looking for and activate it with no consequences. With this new combat system, the game is much faster and stylish compared to the original, giving a sense of originality to the title.
Graphically, the game is impressive for this year’s standards. Models are wonderfully detailed, and animations are smooth and accurate. Playing this game on the PlayStation 4 Pro with boost mode on also makes the game run even smoother and gives the player a spectacle as they witness an optimized 1997 classic for 2020. Unlike the original, “Final Fantasy VII Remake’s” characters were given full voice actors, and all of them perform their roles especially well. Cloud Strife’s voice is by Steve Burton, and the voice given fits the character well. The entire soundtrack for the original “Final Fantasy VII” has a tremendous change as it is more orchestral and much higher quality than the PlayStation original. Unfortunately, the classic “Final Fantasy VII” battle victory theme song is nowhere in the game, but this is a minor issue compared to the rest of the positives the demo holds.
“Final Fantasy VII Remake” releases for PlayStation 4 on April 10, 2020, for $60, and it is worth the price. “Final Fantasy VII Remake” will also come out on Xbox One in 2021 so Xbox users will also be able to enjoy a remade classic.
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