Final Fantasy VII Remake
A loving reimagining of the original that delivers a new experience all its own.
Final Fantasy VII Remake really lives up to its “Remake” title. It truly is a reinterpretation of the classic 1997 release in every sense of the word. Meticulously rebuilt, Final Fantasy VII Remake succeeds at hitting the difficult balance between staying faithful to the original story and introducing elements that make it feel so fresh and new. Playing Remake is like returning to a place I once knew and reuniting with old friends I haven’t seen in years, but everything is so much more impressively detailed and fleshed out than I remember it. As someone who played the original in my formative years, plenty of moments bring a big goofy grin to my face and make plenty of feelings swirl around my heart, but there’s so much here for newcomers to enjoy too. As a loving reimagining of the original that delivers a new experience that’s wholly its own, it’s a spectacularly entertaining introduction to the world of Final Fantasy VII for modern audiences.
One of the main ways Remake manages to feel new is with its combat system. You now fight in real-time as opposed to the turn-based setup of the original, which makes it feel more action-oriented and fast-paced. Right from the start, you’re thrown straight into the heat of battle as you attempt to infiltrate a reactor in the all-famous bombing mission. You jump straight into combat against some of the corporation’s officers as Cloud, a mercenary enlisted to help the resistance group Avalanche deliver a blow to the Shinra energy company, which is causing harm to the planet.
The variety of combat styles you can take advantage of helps prevent the fighting from ever feeling too stale, which is aided by your ability to switch between characters at will. Whether it’s delivering a swift uppercut punch with Tifa who excels in close quarters combat, popping a barrage of bullets into an enemy high up off the ground with heavy-weight tank Barret, or delivering a finishing hacking blow with Cloud’s Buster Sword, the combat is satisfyingly varied.