Reviews

"Final Fantasy VII Remake" Levels Up

Midgar, the City of Mako Shines Bright Once More

Editor Ethan Miller

The original Final Fantasy VII is one of the most beloved and important games in existence. It holds a special place in many’s hearts as the first JRPG to become truly mainstream. So the announcement of the Final Fantasy VII Remake all the way back in 2015 was an exciting prospect. But news later came later in the form of interviews and a new trailer showcasing the game in action. With the flip of a switch, I was both in awe and filled with worry. The game would no longer feature the ATB Battle System that the series had popularised, instead opting to feature a Kingdom Hearts-esque battle system. And the game would be released in parts, with the first one to be taking place entirely on Midgar? I had a lot of questions, but with the first part of the Final Fantasy VII Remake Project now in hand, a lot of my worries are no more.

The change and the most eye-turning one is the fact that, yes, this game takes place in Midgar and nothing else. Every happening after the party’s escape from the city’s walls are omitted here to be tackled in the next part. But don’t let that idea fool you. This is still a fully-fledged Final Fantasy game. My first playthrough took me around 35 hours (and that was without a lot of the side content). From the iconic Opening and Bombing Mission all the way to the party’s escape, Midgar is the sole focus. It is a focus that ultimately works wonders. Midgar has been expanded beautifully, with new areas to explore and quests to flesh out the world. Wall Market especially has gotten a major facelift, with mini-games and sidequests galore. Even someone like me, who knows the original game like the back of my hand, had no trouble getting lost in the neon-tinged streets. Midgar really feels alive here, more than it ever has, with NPCs littering the streets that react to events of the story and even comment on popular characters.

The expansion of Midgar doesn’t stop at the city itself, as the characters have been fleshed out, with Avalanche really shining here. Wedge, for example, a character who was really only comedic relief, now feeling like a full-fledged human being, with dreams and aspirations. Midgar’s story feels far grander here, as well, with elements that only felt like Sephiroth’s warmup routine now feel like a legitimate subplot. That being said, the overall story of Final Fantasy VII does feel a little less epic, but that’s a tradeoff that’s to be expected with a project like this. There are some more glaring negatives, however, mainly the inconsistent pacing issues, especially towards the end (more on that later) and some obvious padding that made some quests tedious.

The presentation here as been upped tenfold. Visually, Final Fantasy VII has gotten such a massive overhaul in a way that no remake has truly ever been able to do. Remake is one of the most beautiful games out there, it is impossible to tell the source material came out almost two decades ago. A standout to me is the opening cutscene. The opening of Final Fantasy VII is one of the most iconic scenes in gaming, establishing the sheer scale of Midgar in a way that no game had done before. That scene has been recreated almost shot for shot, being a true showcase to just how far gaming has come since. I laughed and teared up as the Opening Theme swelled and the shot of Midgar that had been etched in my mind since I was five flooded my view and ears. The music here overall is without a doubt fantastic. The sounds of Migar have been beautifully recreated, being backed by a full orchestra, and it is magic on the ears. Classic tracks such as the Prelude and the Main Theme are all here, with many new remixes and rearrangements in the fray to add variety. It respects the vision of the original while updating the sound and feel to the new presentation.

The other major change here is the combat system. No more is the turn-based ATB system of old. Well, sort of. Regular attacks are performed with the square button, pretty standard action game affair, but what sets this game apart is the implementation of an ATB gauge that fills up with every attack. Once it’s full, commands like magic and Limit Breaks can be performed with the press of the triangle button. This triggers a Tactics Mode, where you can issue commands for both the currently controlled character and your party members. This isn’t a standard action game. There is a level of strategy here that forces you to examine each combat encounter. Every battle feels like its own puzzle, it’s a hard to master system but it’s so rewarding to do so. Once I got into the system, it was thrilling, with me switching characters every thirty or so seconds to maximise the total possible damage.

The real question here is whether or not people who have never played the original can jump into this game and feel right at home here. That’s a question I’m more conflicted about. There was a reason I only briefly touched on the story. There are many new additions and changes to the plot, some small and others major. A good chunk of these changes make sense, being a result of the aforementioned splitting the story of Final Fantasy VII into multiple games. Plot elements that came after Midgar are sprinkled in here much earlier and some characters make appearances where they originally didn’t. That’s par for the course with a Remake like this. The changes that are more drastic, however, are the ones that leave the future of the Remake Project in question.

Throughout the story, dementor-like creatures called Whispers start to appear, seemingly at random, sometimes terrorising the player, other times saving them. When Red XIII joins the party, he explains, "Perhaps best described as arbiters of fate, they are drawn to those who attempt to alter destiny's course and ensure they do not." They make sure that events of the original Final Fantasy VII happen. In layman’s terms, they show up whenever it looks like the story will differ from the original. There’s a point in the game that a character is about to reveal information that Cloud isn’t supposed to know until much later, but the Whispers interrupt and drag the character away. Eventually, you successfully kill the Whispers, which is when the story makes major changes. I won’t spoil any of these changes, but there are many times where many elements of the original game are revealed through flashes, no doubt spoiling players who haven’t played VII.

And it is with that which makes it really hard to figure out who to recommend this game to. While there is more than enough here for newcomers as the game stands alone remarkably well, there are moments that are bound to confuse those who haven’t taken the dive into the PSX original. To those who have even a slight interest in Final Fantasy VII, I strongly suggest you play the original first before diving into this Remake. This is not a substitute for the original. But to those who have no intent on tackling the almost tenty-five-year-old classic and to fans of the original, I cannot recommend this game enough. It is worth every bit of time and money you will be investing by jumping here and I am very excited for what the future of the Remake Project holds. This game is without question one of the best that I have ever played. It pays such a wonderful homage to the original that made me feel so many emotions. It was almost like experiencing the original for the very first time, which is no small compliment. To fans of the original and newcomers alike, I eagerly welcome you to the wonderful world of Final Fantasy VII.