Does Final Fantasy VII Remake really live up to its hype?

While we’re spending more time indoors, many of us are seeking home comforts – and for a lot of people this comes in the form of videogames. The recent release of Final Fantasy VII Remake (FF7R) is the ideal dose of nostalgia to sit back and enjoy.

Originally released in 1997, Final Fantasy 7 is a role playing game (RPG) developed by Square/Squaresoft (now known as Square Enix after merging in 2003) on Sony Playstation, and is the seventh instalment of the Final Fantasy series. 

The groundbreaking game quickly became a cult hit and is regarded as one of best video games of all time, with many people still re-playing the original today.

Fans of the classic are now able to enjoy their favourite Final Fantasy VII characters Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Aeris (Aerith) and more in mesmerising HDR and 4K resolution.

Here we delve into whether this long-awaited remake of the videogame cult classic is worth playing and why Final Fantasy VII is still one of the most popular games in video game history.

Why was Final Fantasy 7 so popular? 

Being the first Final Fantasy game of the Playstation generation, and the first 3D game of its franchise, it had a lot of expectations to live up to, especially after its successful and much admired predecessor FF6, which came out on the SNES in 1994 (and later re-released on Playstation in 1999).

And for a whole new gaming generation, Final Fantasy 7 may have also been the first in the franchise that they had ever played. The game was also separated onto three separate discs, implying it would have lengthy gameplay and stunning graphics. 

Between the loveable characters (including the infamous Sephiroth), fun combat system, outstanding rendered cutscenes, moving narrative and impressive soundtrack, it simply stood out from the rest, and players have admired Final Fantasy 7 ever since.

What is Final Fantasy 7 Remake about?

Set in the city of Midgar where Cloud Strife, a former SOLDIER unit now turned mercenary lends his aid to an organisation called Avalanche, to take down the Shinra Electric Power Company, which has been controlling the planet’s very life force as mako energy. However, Cloud is unaware of the epic consequences that await him.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a breathtaking reimagining of one of the most groundbreaking games in history, this fully standalone game is part one of the Square Enix project.

Is the Final Fantasy 7 remake the full game or does it only take place in Midgar? 

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is not the full game and the story will be released episodically. Part one only takes place in Midgar, where Square Enix has packed hours of content into the metropolitan city to keep players busy until part 2 is released.

How long does it take to beat Final Fantasy 7 Remake?

If you play it at a regular pace, it will roughly take around 40 hours to beat the Final Fantasy VII remake. This includes completing all 18 chapters of the main quest and some side-quests. 

Note that some side-quests are not available on your first play through. Finishing all 26 side-jobs and end-game content will roughly take 45 hours. 

Is Final Fantasy 7 Remake open world?   

While there are sidequests and the ability to explore Midgar in-between main chapters, the game is not open-world in the traditional sense. It is still very much a linear game with a main plot to follow and complete. 

However Director Tetsuya Nomura explained, during a YouTube series, that new areas will be opened so that players can ‘explore more of those places that they wanted to see in the original.’ This means gamers can look forward to wandering through new districts of Midgar in the future.

What is the Final Fantasy 7 battle system like?

The real-time battle system is quite different to the original Final Fantasy 7, which makes it refreshing and fun. However, items, magic and summons can be awkward to access, which can sometimes make the combat more of a hack and slash as opposed to a traditional RPG system.

For players who prefer the turn-based battle system, there is the option to switch to Classic Mode, which is essentially a menu-based RPG system. This allows characters to fight automatically, so the player can focus on selecting commands.

What’s the general verdict from Final Fantasy VII Remake reviews?

While the first instalment of Final Fantasy 7 Remake has mostly received positive reviews on Amazon, some have also been pretty negative. Some people claim the game is not a remake and argue it is ‘a blatant cash grab’, due to its episodic release and ‘unnecessary’ extra content. Some are also criticising the game’s combat system, describing it as ‘a frustrating clunky mess’.

However almost 70 per cent of shoppers who left five star reviews, seem to be much more impressed by the game. One customer wrote: ‘I played the original as a kid and to this day its still the best game I’ve ever played. To say I was excited for this is an understatement. I was like a child on Christmas morning when it arrived, exactly like when I first played the original on Playstation One.

‘The first thing I noticed is how incredible the soundtrack is. Its all the original music but it just sounds brilliantly nostalgic. The visuals are also incredible. This games brings to life characters that only lived in block form previously. All of a sudden it’s like they’ve become real. 

‘The gameplay is vastly different than the original. You can pick classic mode which I have been told plays more like a turn based game but this puts the game on easy difficultly which I didn’t want. 

‘The last thing I want is to wait 20 years for a game and then to just rush through on easy. So far the combat is a little button bashing with only the one boss making me use my brain. Its still fun don’t get me wrong but I’m hoping as the game goes on just bashing square becomes less effective.

‘The story is the same as the original but plays at a different pace. You are introduced to a certain character here much sooner than in the original. I’m glad its slightly different as wheres the fun in knowing whats at every turn.

‘So far this game lives up to the hype and my lofty expectations. I cannot wait to experience more of it and if it continues like it has started then its going to be a fun ride.’

When will Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 2 be released? 

Square Enix has confirmed plans for Part 2 are already underway, but fans are still left very much in the dark about an official release date, which is yet to be confirmed.

Recent comments from Final Fantasy 7 Remake producer Yoshinori Kitase were reported in a post by Dualshockers. He says: ‘The fans have been waiting for 23 years for this game, and I’m happy we’ve been finally able to deliver it to them.

‘It’s a full-fledged game that can be enjoyed by itself, but its story is far from over. With this first game, we showed how there is great potential for the future, and we included many hints regarding what’s coming next.’

Kitase-san also added: ‘I’m looking forward to seeing the fans’ theories on social media regarding what could happen now. We will keep in touch with everyone so we can all make this project grow together.’

The Final Fantasy 7 Remake development team previously spoke about the highly anticipated Part 2 last June during E3 2019.

Kitase-san said planning for Part 2 of Final Fantasy 7 Remake had already begun. The FF7R producer said: ‘While the development team finish the first game in the project, we are continuing to plan and outline the overall volume of content for the second.

‘Due to the work already done on the first game we anticipate development of the second game to be more efficient.We have our own internal schedule and plan, but for now we’d like to focus our information on the first game in the project.’

In November 2019, Final Fantasy 7 Remake director Tetsuya Nomura also confirmed that development on the next instalment had already begun. Nomura-san said: ‘We’ve already begun working on the next one as well, but I’m confident that playing through this title will expand your expectations just like the world that extends beyond Midgar.’ 

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