Developed By: SQUARE ENIX
Published By: SQUARE ENIX
Platforms: PS4
Reviewed On: PS4PRO
Before getting on with the review I would just like to thank the amazing folks down over at PlayStation Asia who provided BunnyGaming with a review copy of which this review is based on. I will do my best to keep the spoilers at a minimum for the maximum enjoyment for those of you who will finally get their hands on the game.
For as long as I can remember, games have always been a very close part of who I am growing up. At a very young age, I was fascinated because of that sense of discovery, escapism, and boundless possibilities that games provide. Even so gaming back then (at least where I grew up) was a privileged hobby that only a lucky few could indulge themselves in so I did whatever I could to visit friend’s houses just to watch them play or get a couple of hours in myself. Then one fine day I went to a friend’s place and saw him playing a fascinating and intricate game. That game was Final Fantasy VII and back then I didn’t know what an RPG was so even though I was curious it didn’t grab my attention yet. A short while after I remember my parents buying us our first PC and words cannot describe how we just absolutely lost it because back then having a PC was a big deal. One of the first few games we got was a game that my brother borrowed from his friend because he was curious about it and as you guessed it was Final Fantasy VII. That was my first time trying the game and got only as far as the reactor as I had limited chances to try it and soon enough the game was returned.
A few years after that I managed to get myself a PlayStation (after weeks of begging and negotiating) and one of the first few games that I got was Final Fantasy VIII because who didn’t see that intro fight between Squall & Seifer and not get hyped up. This was my first time that I was able to go through a mainline Final Fantasy title even though I still did not grasp how things were supposed to work in an RPG, so I cheated to be a walking god. It’s strange how I specifically remember it was after Balamb Garden that I realized I wasn’t having fun and I restarted the game fresh and learned everything about the game and played it the way it was meant to be played. That was the moment I fell in love with the Final Fantasy series.
The first time I finished Final Fantasy VII from start to finish was when I did a marathon for Final Fantasy VII, VIII & IX before Final Fantasy X came out. The game itself has spawned spinoffs and even movies that expanded the lore and mythos of what is probably the most beloved entry in the Final Fantasy series. When that fateful trailer above premiered at Sony’s conference at E3 2015 it just blew everyone’s mind around the world. It was real and it was finally coming and although the initial hype and excitement that enveloped fans around the world (including me), there were still questions on how they were going to pull this off. More information came out that the remake was not going to be the whole came but only dealing with Midgar and then it was confirmed the game would be moving forward as an Action RPG sewed more doubts even though the Kingdom Hearts series managed to pull off the balance relatively well. Final Fantasy XV released and although there was a sense of general positivity when the game came out, the general feeling on the battle system was good but not as good as it should have been. The demo for Final Fantasy VII came out in March and a lot of fans who tried it enjoyed it. For some reason, I downloaded the demo but only tried it a couple of weeks later as I was kind of afraid of not liking it and when I eventually got around to it I ended up enjoying the demo but it didn’t blow my mind. So, when I finally managed to sit down with the full release what impression did it leave with me? Let’s just say that from the moment I started the game I just did not want to put the controller down the same way when a beautiful day unfolds, you just don’t want it to end.
Gotta Look Forward Not Back
I think the biggest question on everyone’s mind is if this game is only going to be the first part of a series of games that will be telling the Final Fantasy VII saga then does it work? It does! How is that possible you may be asking as they are only remaking the first few hours of the original game into a full-fledged game? That is because of how expertly they have paced and expanded that experience that feels incredibly wholesome and satisfying. For those who have played Final Fantasy VII before the general story beats are about the same with a few noticeable adjustments that in my opinion has somehow made it better.
A great deal of it is because of the added emphasis on a deeper appreciation of characterization. The main cast of characters that include Cloud, Barrett, Tifa, & Aerith have had their characters evolved with nuanced performances that just add so much depth and complication to them. Although for most of the game it feels like the stakes are always getting higher and higher, there are moments peppered throughout that let the characters linger and breathe to develop them. What I love most though is how they have also elevated the supporting cast of characters like Jessie, Biggs, Wedge and others to the point that they do not feel like throwaway characters meant to pad out the story. There is a function and purpose for their appearance in the story and although some supporting characters get more screen time than others it felt like they were used appropriately and left you wanting more. I genuinely cared for them a whole lot more here than I did in the original game and their story arcs were well done. I would be remiss to also not include the incredible cutscene direction that also provides absolute badass moments of action unfolding that makes your heart racing with excitement.
I know you must also be wondering at the end of the game does it feel like a cliff-hanger which may or may not influence your purchase or enjoyment of the game. For me, it did not feel that way because in the end what they were trying to achieve was done exceptionally well and instead of making me feel let down, I felt like I was on this incredible epic journey that ended where it was supposed to and I can’t wait for the next entry in this saga. I did not expect them to stick the landing, but they did.
As for another question that fans might be clamouring to find out about is how much of an influence is Sephiroth in this game. You might be disappointed to know that it is not that much but I loved every single time he was on screen as they have transformed him into this sort of horror moviesque presence that feels so heavy and terrifying every time he appears. The way they build and tease him is nothing short of masterful.
A Symbol of Reunion
Right off the bat, I noticed that the graphics look much improved from the demo. Not that the graphics were anything to scoff at, but everything just looks less pixelated (especially Cloud’s hair) and the whole experience is just genuine eye candy. I mean it really made me wonder how far we have come along from the days of in-game graphics being pixelated and the CGI movies always being such spectacles and now the in-game graphics look just as amazing. The amount of detail that I have come to appreciate in the game is nothing short of impressive. From the look of the characters alone which are incredibly detailed to the added effort on how your characters display their equipped weapons in cutscenes even complete with slotted material being showed (with the exception being the CGI movies). I mean it’s one of those things where they did not have to do but they did it anyway with the multiple weapons each character can equip. The amount of impressive details in the characters are only further heightened with the amazing motion capture and animation work that has been put in. One example would be Barrett’s daughter Marlene and every single time she is on screen, she is just adorable.
When it comes to the environments as well, I enjoyed how they took their time to develop each area you go to as much as possible as they all left quite a lasting impression. The populated areas feel lived in and clustered just right. You know sometimes you can just tell when there is a specific NPC that the game is driving you to, but it doesn’t here. Even from the first area you go to Sector 7, it feels very lively and the amount of ambient dialogue work put in also really adds to it with people talking about their everyday problems, to what’s going on currently, to even funny random things that suddenly pop up. I am not one to care about ambient dialogue but here more than a few times I stopped to just eavesdrop and that brings me to my next point is that aside from the amazing graphics, the sound design in this game is insanely good.
Battling is fast and furious and whether you might be slashing, punching or shooting it always feels so satisfying when hits land and aggravating when the enemy returns the favour. At one point in the game, I realized that my controllable character’s footsteps sounded “wet” when walking along a path with some sort of substance on it and I felt impressed by that because most games would not bother to add sound effects to such a minor thing.
I think probably one of the best highlights throughout my playtime is the soundtrack for this game which is phenomenal! I mean this game just keeps on giving with how good it gets as the classic tracks from the original games are updated and every single one of them sounds so damn good.
However, there are a few minor things that can affect your playing experience which is fixable, and I do hope is fixed in a patch down the line. The first is a strange texture streaming bug that affects certain things like a door you first encounter in Chapter 3 because a cutscene will specifically highlight it. The strange thing about that bug is the texture doesn’t just load slow, it never loads in at all. The next thing that I did notice was how that there are certain parts of the game that for some reason sound much louder than the rest. There was one chapter later in the game where the battles were noticeably louder for some reason and then the chapter after that felt okay. Maybe it won’t bother you as it did me, but I even remembered checking my volume control if I had accidentally turned it up. Then there was one bug which was probably the worst one as during a later section of the game where Cloud must crawl through a vent to spy on some individuals. Along the way, two other vents just serve as minor world-building events where you can spy on NPC’s having conversations. The bug I found was that when you look down both vents you can’t ever escape it as the button input to press X to go back does not work. The only way is to reload a previous save file and not look down those vents. So, until it is fixed just make sure you save before.
Hold On To The Hatred
The game can look and sound like a million bucks but how does it play? Well, for the most part, I can say that I enjoyed the gameplay but of course it isn’t perfect, and I will get into what isn’t great later.
Well, to start with at the start of the game players will be prompted to pick Classic, Easy or Normal mode to play the game. I went with Normal because I like a challenge. Players will be in control of only one controllable character at any moment in time but later your team will expand and during battles, you can swap between them. Each character attacks normally with the Square button to build up their ATB bar, usually has an alternative fighting mode (like Cloud’s Punisher Mode) or a heavy attack assigned to the Triangle button, the Circle button is where you can enter tactical mode and open up your menu to queue up Abilities like Braver (a strong downward slash) or Spells (like Fire, Thunder, Blizzard & etc). The X button is for dodging attacks, holding down the R1 button is for blocking and holding down the L1 is where you can assign Quick Skills when you have a favourite or powerful ability or spell you want to execute immediately. One of the most frequent buttons you will use is the L2 button where you can immediately open the menu of the other characters in your team and queue up their next moves as soon as their ATB bar fills up. The battle system is quick, convenient and just a whole lot of fun when you get in the rhythm of it.
Players will also have the option of getting different weapons, armour and accessories that come with different benefits and perks. In the case of weapons, the more your character levels up, the weapons level up with you and then you can assign points to unlock latent skills in the weapons to enhance them, for example, an additional +6 to damage or unlocking new materia slots. Materias (if you are not familiar with them already) are unique colour coded jewels that contain learnable abilities, Spells, Passive Bonuses, and Enhancements. Depending on the materia, you will have to use them more frequently to unlock more potent spells or enhancements to help you survive longer in the battles that will come your way. I think I have covered generally what to expect from the systems players will encounter in the game so then how does this all come together in battles? Well for the most part as I mentioned earlier it is very fun but there are obvious shortcomings that can frustrate the unprepared (I know I was on more than one occasion).
Firstly, the lock-on camera can be a mess especially if you are dealing with enemies that zoom around the map quickly or flying enemies. The lock on camera doesn’t exactly position itself well so you might find yourself attacking an enemy you know is there, but you just don’t have the time to spin the camera around manually. This is further aggravated when you control a melee attacking character fighting against a flying character which can just be unfun. I’m not saying it’s bad it is just very situational. At times it is better to not lock on and there will be times where locking on is a matter of life and death. Speaking of, even on Normal mode, there were times where I took my foot off the pedal in battle and I died so fast it wasn’t even funny. This is because of the enemy A.I which will automatically aggro on the character you control and do their best to obliterate them most times ignoring the other party members. At times it can get hilarious because as soon as you swap characters the A.I will immediately shift their focus again and then try to obliterate that character too. I mean it is interesting and challenging if it wasn’t because of how you can get stun locked to death, but it keeps you on your toes for every battle. That, in turn, leads into how you must always have the right materia for the right battle otherwise it is a battle of attrition and survival where you try to whittle the enemy life down all the while trying not to die. Sure, you can just restart before the battle but who wants to constantly be doing that for each battle. Eventually, you will realize that certain weaknesses come up more often than others so you assign the corresponding materia to counter them. Again it might not bother you as it did for me even though it doesn’t feel like a very major problem, but it just feels like there is something there that is just slightly off because I just want to keep improving my other materias and I can’t do that due to the lack of slots.
So aside from the main quests, there will also be side quests for the player to complete but only during certain chapters of the game. These side quests serve as story breaks to introduce special enemies and provide a chance for the player to get certain equipment from defeating those enemies. They mostly just serve to raise the profile of Cloud being a mercenary for hire in whatever sector he is in. The only issue I have with these side quests is that Cloud doesn’t really feel more recognized like maybe ambient dialogue acknowledging his exploits but maybe that’s just wishful thinking as most of the quests are easy to do. It’s just mostly sending you to point A to B to C, etc. I wished that they decided to make it more reflective and evolving with the journey Cloud and party takes throughout the game.
Also, there are some boss battles in this game that are so tension-filled that when you beat them it just feels so satisfying.
What I Loved
- Graphics – You really can tell that Square Enix pulled out all the stops to make this one of the best-looking games they have ever released.
- Pacing – Maybe some sections might feel like filler, but I felt like those were few and far between.
- Soundtrack – The music in this game is sublime. They took an already epic soundtrack with the originals and elevated it to the stratosphere.
- Boss Battles – There were some boss battles in this game that were just so epic and coming from the unlikeliest of sources for me at least.
- Story & Characterization – I enjoyed how they decided to expand a lot of the main and side characters with more depth or even restraint to give certain characters such menacing presence in the overarching saga that will be unfolding.
- Care & Detail – I really couldn’t help but notice the amount of detail that went into this game like Materias and weapons showing in cutscenes. I mean even the goofy way that Aeris runs is replicated here. There are other little things like lines of dialogue that foreshadow things that will happen down the line that you might not even notice the first time playing through it but it just really shows so much thought went into so many things.
What I Wished Was Better
- Bugs – Those minor bugs prevented an almost flawless experience.
- Battle Camera & Flying Enemies –I don’t know how they can improve it honestly as some enemies are fast and relentless and making them slower for the camera to catch up will only hinder the experience especially in smaller spaces. Maybe limit flying enemy encounters to when a ranged party member is available would probably go a long way.
Verdict
When the credits finally rolled around, I clocked in around 51 hours and it was 51 hours that felt like it went by briefly. Sure, I mean if you just power through the story you probably can finish the game at around the 30-hour mark but I’m the type to really explore and just soak in when I find a world worth investing in and Final Fantasy VII Remake is just a triumph to celebrate. I did all the Colosseum & VR battles, the side quests and even did the darts, squats and pull-up challenges to get the full package. There is so much more I wanted to share in this review, but I want you the readers to feel the joy I felt while playing this game and to discover that for yourselves. When it was first announced at E3 2015 I was one of those fans who pumped their fist in the air in celebration. I never thought back then I would be stepping into the gaming industry as a professional and even more so never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be reviewing a Final Fantasy game. The next entry really cannot come soon enough and more than anything I am just incredibly excited that everyone gets to experience this amazing game very soon and I can’t wait to talk about it with all of you. DUN-DUN-DUN-DUN….DUN-DUN….DUN-DUN-DUN!
