Overview

Few a game have left a mark on the industry as Final Fantasy 7, it's a game that was revolutionary at the time for it's approach to Turn-based combat, 3D-Graphics, cinematic storytelling, and it's rich expansive open world. It also had an impact on the video game industry popularizing a series that was able to get significant cut-through in the west. It also popularized a big missing piece of a genre, unknown to many at the time providing us many diverse and different RPG's that originated from Japan and opened it to a much wider audience. But I've done a whole video on what makes the original Final Fantasy 7 such a masterpiece, and the monumental weight that the entry has had on gaming. Which I'll leave in the description below.

But with understanding this weight and legacy that this game carries it is understandable why some would be skeptical of a remake. Like with any remake of an iconic video game, there are questions surrounding how it will play or be modernized and these questions are definitely prevalent around the discussion of Final Fantasy 7 remake.

Final Fantasy 7 is only the beginning of a three part trilogy. When I originally played the remake back in 2020 a part of me wondered if I love the remake because of its own merits or the source material that it is adapting and upon replaying both the original and the remake within a year I can say that I definitely do enjoy both of these games but for very different reasons. It's hard to say how I feel on the remake given that it is only a part of the broader story, but I can say that from what they've adapted that I'm mostly enjoying what they're doing here. But there is one key thing at play here that going forward will drive the feelings for many towards Final Fantasy 7, and that is how much the player is familiar with the material of the Final Fantasy 7 universe. This isn't just a game that reshapes the story for the original Final Fantasy 7, but one that re-contextualizes other works such as Crisis Core, and eventually this series conclusion which has already been confirmed to lead into Advent Children. The best comparison I can think of is imagining PS1 FF7 as Neon Genesis and thinking of the remake as the rebuild films, where they'll follow the skeleton of the original and then take it in their own direction and with us being only a month out from the long awaited sequel Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the stakes are high and only time will tell how the Unknown Journey continues, but for now with this video I'd like to reflect on what the remake was and the legacy of Final Fantasy 7 that it follows and defies, so let's get into it.

Story

The story for Final Fantasy 7 Remake kicks off retelling the iconic story of the ex-Solider turned mercenary Cloud Strife, who has taken on a job to assist the rebellious terrorist group Avalanche, who're fighting against the tyrannical corporation Shinra. The mission is to bomb one of the many Shinra reactors that power the city of Midgar, through consuming a resource called Mako, which is the planets lifeforce. The early chapters of Remakes story retell all the same pivotal details established in the original, but here in Remake, Square have taken the time to flesh out many different characters who served as minor role characters in the original, and honestly it actually is one aspect that I feel is really well executed. There are additional side stories to take part in too, which I feel vary in their overall quality and storytelling but we'll get to that later.

The overall reception to FF7 Remake has been fairly mixed amongst fans as many have wanted to have a faithful remake of the original game that they loved, and to be honest, the original is so fantastic that I can understand the want to re-experience this game with a modern approach. But the existing Final Fantasy 7 Remake's story whilst it does honor the source material of the original, only follows it up to a certain point.

Reinvention and Continuation

Because that's the thing with Final Fantasy 7 Remake whilst it does feel like a more fleshed out extension of the Midgar story that kicks off the game it does begin to throw in it's own variables and threads that towards the later half of this game, takes the story in a new direction and diverges the course of fate, and the game that we know and love into what has been dubbed "The Unknown Journey".

This leads me into one of the big points of this video from a narrative lens and that is, whilst Final Fantasy 7 Remake IS a Remake, it also isn't. In many ways to me FF7 Remake serves to work as a sequel to the original Final Fantasy 7, more than a remake that directly adapts the source material. Let me explain because as I've mentioned earlier in this video, the FF7 Re-trilogy serves to be a connector between the original game and the additional material and the conclusion of remake serves as an inflection point between the old and the new, and in the further inclusion and acknowledgement of this additional material. Don't get me wrong, as someone who is jumping into the universe for FF7 for the first time, remake will still be completely understandable, but it does callback to and play with the source material in a way that having played the original first gives remake a much more holistic experience, as there are some visions or references to events that newcomers would otherwise be unfamiliar with. It's something to be mindful of, because going forward into this trilogy, based on what is setup in Remake, a lot of the trilogies future will be weaving in the original game and spin-off titles into the broader story of the re-trilogy.

There's a really fascinating video from a YouTuber called Sleepezi who made a video, discussing how Rebirth in particular will be about the Memetic Legacy of FF7, which is the concept of ideas propagating that not necessarily need to be true or logical to survive and how remake diviates from the known path is not only a defiance of fate, but an opportunity for Sephiroth to taint and undo the truths and legacy that defined the original game and potentially succeed in this series.

Speaking of Sephiroth, if there is one aspect of the remake that I am still a bit iffy on it is how the Remake handles his presence. Whilst I do understand his reason for appearing I feel what made Sephiroth such a threatening and foreboding presence in the original FF7 is how little you saw this character in the opening hours, but you heard of him and saw the wreckage he left in his wake. Whilst I understand that within the context of the world and new journey that is being told here, this introduction of the character and his presence here makes sense, as his broader plans seem much more sinister in remake. However, this introduction for newcomers to this villain who is arguably one of the series best, is something to me that I feel may come across jarring as I feel that this illusive nature that set the tone for how much of a threat Sephiroth is as a character. This just further plays into one central message that I want to get across with Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and that is although it has the title remake, it does render the original material replaceable for first timers.

Story Section Conclusion

Where my thoughts fall for the remake of Final Fantasy 7's remakes story is that I love how it reimagines many of the iconic moments that made the original so special, but at the same time there are moments that can feel like padding to the story. However, I will say this, with the release of Rebirth and the 3rd entry I do feel that many of these seemingly filler moments that take place in Remake could hold more meaning in the broader context of this trilogy. Overall I am someone who enjoyed Final Fantasy Remake when I originally played it in 2020, and replaying it recently after re-experiencing the original I do still feel that there is a lot of things narratively that Remake gets right, but the ending and direction going forward is a daunting one, that could go belly up, or drastically exceed all expectations. But the wait now to see the journey continue is not far away now.

Gameplay

Combat

Modernizing Active Time Combat

So first and foremost when diving into the combat for FF7 remake the most obvious change that you'll notice which has ditched the active turn-based system, for a more active time combat system but still holds onto the core turn-based elements of combat, allowing the player to control and command the other party members sustaining the turn-based roots a more agile adaption of combat.

It gives way to make combat feel like a midway point between a modernized action game, whilst it still preserves the traditional turn-based active time roots juggling action and strategy, precision for each encounter, particularly the bosses, in quite a way that I feel Square hasn't been able to top since Remake. It is a perfect blend of combat that works incredibly well here in remake and it makes for not only exciting combat encounters, and strategy as the player, but unique and more versatile boss mechanics that can build on and evolve the bosses that we all know and love.

The combat also introduces some returning mechanics from newer Final Fantasy's here, with a stagger system that is familiar to anyone who has played Final Fantasy 13, but the system feels like it fits into the flow of combat much more seamlessly here in Remake. Throughout combat you'll see an orange meter slowly growing, and when exploiting an enemies weakness you'll throw them into a state called pressured. What this means is that playing more offensively and attacking will raise that orange bar faster . Then once the orange bar is full you'll trigger a state called staggered which will knock the enemy down and allow you to unload all your abilities on them and do a lot more damage. It is important to also note that different abilities that each party member has also allow for the amount of stagger damage to increase meaning that whilst you're always operating with this action combat flow, there is a lot of preservation of strategy and how you use your abilities that requires you to still think in a way that you would if it was turn-based.

The boss encounters in FF7 Remake all feel like they have been cleverly crafted to meet the finer details of the bosses designs, respect the mechanics and abilities they held in the original, and also serve a new twist that can better blend and challenge the player within the framework of this new combat system. What you are left with are some encounters that do encourage the player to understand many of the underlying gameplay systems, which we'll discuss in a moment, alongside the correct weapons and abilities to complete a given task.

There are a few minor issues that I experienced that I found popped up at times with the camera and how it follows slash doesn't follow the player or can obscure different enemies from the field of vision, alongside the lack of aerial moves to help deal with flying enemies which can feel a little awkward at times. These issues weren't enough to ruin the experience by any means, but I did feel like they were worth mentioning.

The overall combat experience for FF7 Remake was stellar and it feels like the optimal balance of it's turn-based foundations blended with the more modern action RPG elements that Square are trying to balance going forward with the series. The boss encounters all feel meticulous in how they're crafted and re-envisioned from their original counterpart, and provide a fresh new outlook and perspective on such an iconic game.

Exploration

The exploration in remake is fairly linear, and whilst it isn't a corridor simulator it may throw back some Final Fantasy 13 flashbacks for some. To me Final Fantasy 7 Remake's exploration is mostly as restrictive with a handful of chapters allowing you to explore a particular area and complete the few side quests that are available for the duration of that chapter. The overall structure of Midgar's exploration feels much like a bunch of corridors or paths, with a few open areas with enemies scattered in-between to pad things out, and it only becomes more noticeable over time. Whilst I loved the feeling of running through Midgar and seeing it brought to life in this way, I couldn't help but feel like the various areas such as the Sector 6 Slums, Wall Market, and Sector 5 were nothing more than mini-hubs, with void nothingness to fill the space between.

The next aspect of FF7 Remake that I feel is the Achilles heel of it's exploration is it's side quests. I have mixed feelings towards these quests as there are a handful like exploring Wall Street with Johnny, or spending time with Tifa in Sector 6, which are genuinely a nice touch. But then there's the quests where you are finding lost cats and killing rats and it just feels like pointless busy work, I get it'll appeal to some, but for me, I feel like there is much more that could have been done in the side quest crafting that could have communicated an hit home the divide between the lives of those on the lower plates.

It's hard to think or imagine a different approach that they could have taken with this aspect of the game, but I can't help but feel like a city a rich with substance, struggle, and conflict such as Midgar doesn't have much more compelling side stories to explore than a rat problem. I've been thinking this over recently because I thought back to Final Fantasy 16, a game which I played back when it released last year. Whilst I enjoyed many aspects of Final Fantasy 16's main story and combat, it's side content really did ring hollow for majority of its quest, with only 1 or 2 quests really leaving any lasting memory, and unfortunately FF7 in this department follows suit.

But not entirely. Where I feel Final Fantasy 7 Remake differentiates itself and in many ways redeems itself from what plagued FF16 is through the side activities present throughout the experience. This could be the battle colosseum, doing squats with the gym bros, doing the VR Missions to unlock new summons and materia, and of course there's a bunch of the humorous mini-games weaved in between the story components too. Whilst it is far from perfect here in remake it does feel like the team do have a good handle on how to handle exploration and once we're thrown into the world of Gaia I'm hoping to see them double down on this formula and provide a world that feels as realized as remake is. I guess time will only tell but if all the press around Rebirth is anything to go by, I believe that the linear exploration of remake will be a product of the location we were exploring and not the re-trilogies design, and personally I'm fine with that.

Gameplay Systems

Progression

Items & Materia Rework

Now I'd like to talk about the progression for FF7 Remake and I'll say that they've done an excellent job here with how the materia and equipment systems work here and how faithful they to the original. FF7 makes some tweaks but they're more to bolster and accompany the redesigned combat, whist preserving the core functions and features. Things such as pairing materia's together, leveling up materia's and the different types of materia, and how they intertwine with party members stats all remain intact, along with some new materia thrown into the mix to heighten the new combat system.

A new addition to the progression in Remake is a new progression tree for each of the party members weapons that you acquire. For those familiar with the original, many of the iconic weapons see a return in Remake with new abilities that are tied to each weapon. Using said ability frequently, will allow you to unlock a proficiency bonus for that weapon, meaning that you'll be able to use that weapons ability without needing the weapon equipped. It provides a good incentive to unlock and test new weapons and you can tell in remake they wanted to make sure that all weapons felt useful, because each weapon has a particular use or playstyle with some focusing on magic, others on melee, and others on pressuring the enemy.

What solidifies this sentiment of flexibility to me is how Square have handled t progression, through the use of different ability trees for each weapon that acquired. The weapon progression tree to feels like it pulls influence from the Crystarium system from Final Fantasy 13. Where there is a circular tree of unlock abilities and as you upgrade and level up your weapons, you unlock a new tree which will provide minor stat increases like more magic or attack damage, but also materia slots. The abilities themselves vary, but they do keep all weapons feeling like a viable option throughout your playthrough.

To bring the gameplay segments to a close, the Combat System, supporting gameplay and progression systems lock into place in a way that feels meaningful and satisfying. Final Fantasy 7 Remake combat and progression provide a fantastic blueprint for how you can adapt the Final Fantasy formula that doesn't feel estranged from its RPG roots, whilst serving up something refreshing with a more moment to moment sense of engagement, with flexible options and approaches to building and tailoring your party members.

Intermission Expansion

Final Fantasy 7 Remake would see an expansion called Intermission which follows one of the optional companions found in the original game Yuffie.

Yuffie's story is a new bite sized story that is engaging and runs for about 4 hours to complete and leads into the events of where Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will pick up from. The story follows Yuffie and her companion Sonon who have been sent on a mission from Wutai to infiltrate the Shinra headquarters in search of a powerful materia. The events of this story run in tandem with the events of FF7 Remake around the period shortly after the Sector 5 Reactor mission.

The Intermission expansion introduces some new mini-games that are interesting especially the reimagined Fort Condor mini-game for those who have played the original. It was a nice little detour to have collectibles for this mini-game and people who wanted to challenge you, and it is something that I hope we see more of in Rebirth.

The Intermission expansion also shows the introduction of synergy attacks which is an absolutely excellent inclusion, which further enhances the already brilliant blueprint for combat that I mentioned earlier, but it provides a range of new abilities and interesting synergized combos that take the visual flare of both individual attacks and pack a punch. These synergy attacks are one aspect of this expansion that I thought was always fun way to stagger enemies, and provides a good taste of what is to come combat wise in Rebirth.

Overall, I feel like this expansion is a great addition that I feel fleshes out one of the characters who I feel didn't get enough screen time in the original, and provides more insight to their travels and adventures, and leaves me excited for what is to come in Rebirth.

Visuals and Audio Presentation

Now I'd like to talk about the visual and audio presentation of this game because I feel like these are some of the aspects of remake. Whilst I feel that the open-world aspects of Midgar can feel a little static, it does feel lively in terms of the population density, and the visual presentation that sells the size and scale of Midgar. There is this incredible feeling looking up at the metal ceiling above your from the Sector 7 slums that really does sell the sense of grandeur that is the city of Midgar's size. The different areas that you explore are cleverly reimagined to bring to life the essence of the original game, I think of places like Wall Market with their Neon lightening, stalls and vendors, and shady alleys. All the characters look like faithful adaptions of who you'd expect them too.

The iconic soundtrack composed by Nobuo Uematsu has returned with many rearrangements and different variations of iconic tracks that defined the original. These adaptive music tracks, are used to set the tone and create a particular mood depending on if you're in combat, conversation, or exploring the world. It The remake would introduce some new tracks composed by series veterans Masashi Hamauzu and Mitsuto Suzuki. With Uematsu returning to write music for a Final Fantasy game, he would write what would be Remake's theme song and the song that would play during the credits Hollow. This song holds quite a strong significance within the context of Remake as Uematsu wrote this song as a reflection of Cloud's state of mind. It really is an insight into how fragile Cloud's state is and does tie in well to the running theory of the Sephiroth's plans to corrupt Cloud's memories.

The Re-Trilogy and Significance

The FF7 Re-Trilogy marks a strong significance for Final Fantasy 7 and the series more broadly speaking. It is a reimaging that many have been demanding since the original tech demo for the PS3 released back in 2005. As I've expressed in my previous video the original Final Fantasy 7 has carried across over the years a monumental amount of weight and influence that has permeated the video game industry and the Final Fantasy series to this day.

There is one other component that surrounds the Final Fantasy 7 Remake particularly and that is all the additional media that further builds on and expands the world of FF7, and for some that would come across off putting, and for others is something that further delivers and expands on a world that they love. But this divide in how people engaged with the additional media that surrounds the original is definitely something that will play into how people will feel about this remake, where the Remake's main story and expansion would introduce characters from Crisis Core and even Dirge of Cerberus with the Intermission expansion.

This inclusion to evolve the series, and choose to change particular parts of the remake was intentional and it does alter the events of the story. But the core premise that this remake trilogy is built around is defying the fate which is the original, meaning that the story going forward has the potential to retell and re-create a world that we can re-experience and love in a whole new way, that's if they are able to pull of what they're going for here. But this re-trilogy is also an attempt to also tie in all the external media into the main game here and make it canon within the remake's context. The reason that I believe they're doing this is that they'll probably continue to expand or even potentially remake the spin-offs post the conclusion of this trilogy. But it also allows them to add and expand more on the universe of Final Fantasy 7 with it's timeline being re-contextualized. That is what I believe the significance of this remake series ultimately serves. It is a way for people new and old to enjoy the world of Final Fantasy 7,and the remakes offer a new starting point for both the team and newcomers to get onboard with this universe.

Whilst I do feel that the direction that they're taking remake is a somber moment, I do also hold hope that this new trilogy can win me over, and make me excited for the future of this trilogy and whatever they'll do with the Final Fantasy 7 universe going forward. I ultimately enjoyed my time with remake but I feel the upcoming release of Rebirth will be the true make or break moment for this trilogy and the world of Final Fantasy 7 going forward. I'm cautious excited and hoping for the best, but only time will tell.

Conclusion

So to tie everything together Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a blueprint that takes many great steps forward in terms of it's gameplay and a daring new direction with its storytelling and defiance to faithfully follow the events of the original game. The story has many highlights from the original that genuinely put a smile on my face and a conclusion that leaves me cautiously optimistic about the future and new direction that they'll take this game. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy remake, because I did, both back when I played it in 2020 and again recently when I replayed it on the PS5. There is a lot of promise buried under the mystery and so many good ideas, and if Rebirth is able to address the middling side quests, and deliver on the story elements than I do believe that this trilogy will be on the right track to deliver the same highs that the original did back in 1997, but as it stands right now the remake is a great re-imagining that stumbles at times, but mostly does succeed at setting the stage for the path forward, and how well remake holds up in how memory hinges on the parts that follow.

Resources

• https://www.square-enix-games.com/en_AU/news/making-final-fantasy-vii-remake
• https://www.gameinformer.com/2024/01/08/the-making-of-final-fantasy-vii-remake
• https://genius.com/Yosh-morita-hollow-ffvii-remake-lyrics