The Final Fantasy 7 Remake is worth your time and money.

Skip The Chat (TLDR)

• For those who have been living under a big dumb rock the Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a ‘remastering’ of the incredibly popular Final Fantasy 7. In this regard, they produced a game that has an existing fanbase and already had high demand. It’s filled with incredible graphics, amazing action, fast-paced battle sequences, and emotional heartbreak. The game is great, but it still has a few kinks to work out in future installments. The amount of time, energy, and effort that went into this game make the $60 price tag worth the investment (even if you check out the game a year from now). I’m eager for the next installment of this incredibly popular franchise, but I hope SquareEnix can keep their fans happy and satiated during the two-year downtime between titles.

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• If I just told you the game was breathtaking and amazing, I would be satisfied with my review, but this wouldn’t do the game justice. Every aspect of this game is a strength. The polish on the game is amazing, as each scene, each character was recreated in astonishing detail. In addition, there are added cutscenes, cinematics, and storylines that only work to enhance the player’s experience.  I guess one feature which is both a plus and a minus were character reactions. The voice acting is decent, but the conversations still feel a little stilted. Cloud is bashful or unaware or reactive all a little too slowly.
• One thing that I really appreciated was the never-ending combination of enemies to face. It really is a nod to SquareEnix’s library for how many PvE interactions there are. Sometimes I adjusted my armor and materia to deal with specific enemies only to discover the next ones require an entirely new arrangement. After some quick research (PowerPYX) I learned that there are over 114 different enemies that you can encounter. This is so unnecessary and yet incredibly appreciated. Just thinking about designing that many more different enemies for the next two installments just sounds exhausting, so thank you.

Needs Improvement

• The impressive nature of this game is not without its faults, so I will address a few weaknesses. The linear storyline sometimes restricts the player from exploring more of this immersive world. There were many times when a whole town was available to explore, but only three buildings were accessible. It would have been nice to discover various new destinations and interactions and it could be interesting for games to think about other interactions outside of weapon and gear shops. What if my players need to grab a quick massage, it's expensive, but gives them a 30-min buff in battles? I often think this whenever I find myself at a theme park like Universal Studios, LET ME EXPLORE!
• The game provides multiple opportunities to control its various characters and navigate a small side story with them at the helm, but there were many times throughout the game where I would have liked to swap out which character was my leader. Not in battle but in navigating the world.
• The biggest issue though was in the game’s targeting system. I found myself constantly annoyed when trying to interact with items, but my character wasn’t lined up perfectly enough so nothing would happen. I aggressively mashed the interact button while simultaneously moved the character back and forth trying to line them up. It’s an easy fix, just widen the interaction field.

Opportunities for the future

• I’d like to suggest opportunities for the franchise to explore which may or may not already be in consideration, but with future installments there should be a reward for players who went the extra mile in Chapter One. I am a completionist, as I know many other gamers are. This means I feel compelled to explore every nook and cranny leaving no item or materia behind; each mission or side quest needs to be completed to 100% or risk needing to restart at the last check point. It would be a welcome addition for player’s gear, equipment, stats, or something to carry over into the future chapters that acknowledge player’s hard work.
• The Final Fantasy 7 Remake is lucky (although my wallet is not) because there are still two more installments coming out. SquareEnix has opted to release the Remake in three chapters with each one coming out roughly two years apart. This sounds like a lot and initially I was annoyed, but ultimately it makes sense. Every aspect of the game is breathtaking and it’s easy to imagine how much time and effort goes into each detail. In the wash the full game will cost players $180 to enjoy the full experience, but this is over a period of 4-5 years so it won’t feel like you’re shelling out every penny all at once.
• In addition to fixing some of my concerns above, it would be nice to consider a multiplayer aspect to this game. It sounds ridiculous considering the nature of Final Fantasy 7, but hear me out. The Final Fantasy franchise has a wealth of characters who frequently cross over between titles. It could be interesting to introduce these, or characters from the game, or create entirely new ones who could explore the world together. Final Fantasy 14 kind of does this already, but I imagine the FF7 version allowing players to pit their characters against each other. Different Avalanche, Wutai, Ancient, or Soldier factions; Gold Saucer coliseum matches; upgradable gear, materia, and infinite combinations to assist in battle. I know it probably won’t happen, but I’m just putting this out there into the universe.

Things to watch out for

• I think the biggest issue for the FF7 Remake will be the longevity between releases. The PS5 will be releasing in six months which means the second installment will have to be designed for both the PS4 and PS5. The PS5 is supposedly designed to be backwards compatible, but I’m certain PS5 players will want to experience the game with next-gen graphics, while PS4 players won’t want to be left behind if the third and final installment is exclusively released for the PlayStation 5.

Okay, lets wrap it up

• I believe the trend of remaking classic video games is going to continue (personally I want to see Chrono Trigger get its due), so the FF7 Remake team is going to need to keep the hype train running at a steady pace. We don’t need too much at once or else games may experience hype-fatigue, but SquareEnix will need to remind players what’s so great about the second installment. A lot happens throughout this series, but most players note the first chapter as the most memorable.
• I think the Final Fantasy 7 Remake team needs to start assembling game play clips, teasers, and trailers, but most importantly, the release dates can’t slip! The first game felt long overdue and I for one want to keep the information fresh in my mind as long as possible.