Final Fantasy VII Remake
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PS4
Retail, online
In recent times we’ve found the word ‘remake’ has turned into a broad term. You have the typical HD upscalings that are ten-a-penny, like Shenmue HD; the graphical reworks that still remain faithful to the original, like Shadow Of The Colossus; then you have the full-on reimaginings like the Resident Evil 2 remake. And now, you have Final Fantasy VII Remake, which goes one step beyond by turning the original source material into a multi-game epic.
Many might turn their noses up at Square Enix’s plan to remake Final Fantasy VII across a undisclosed number of ‘episodes’, but after seeing the scope on offer from this first instalment, it’s clear the developers’ vision could not fit into one single product. This debut offering encapsulates the whole Midgar section of the original and turns it into its own 30-hour game; this means fleshing out and elaborating on plot points, while adding entirely new content – and for the most part, it works.
The added plot points mostly centre on the expanded roles of Biggs, Wedge and £49.99
Jessie, and are welcome additions to the Final Fantasy VII canon. What doesn’t quite work, however, are the sidequests you can get from various Midgar residents – at their best they are run-of-the-mill and only serve as a way to get a meagre Gil paycheck.
Combat has been completely overhauled in this 2020 revision to be extremely action-heavy – more in the vein of Crisis Core and Kingdom Hearts. While this might disappoint turn-based ATB enthusiasts, we find it actually fits this reimagining better than any old-school system could, and it is faithfully underpinned by the Materia system that fans know and love, along with a brand-new weapon-upgrading feature.
It’s always difficult for a game to live up to obscene levels of hype, however for the most part Square’s ambitious remake has nailed it. Not only is it an excellent love letter for fans of the original, it’s a fantastic action RPG in its own right. Don’t sleep on this reinvented classic.
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