This one is a big problem for me as I’ve never been a fan of Japanese action RPGs. I’ve always found the way the general gameplay experience is designed to be counterintuitive and often frustrating, which is fairly common in Final Fantasy VII: Remake. But my lack of interest in these styles of games doesn’t just revolve around game design. No, it’s also because I’ve never really touched anime, which means that the very nature of the gameplay, the endless flurry of wielding swords, and the portrayal of the characters and the way they interact with each other always strikes me as excessive or offensive. I’ve been wanting to play FFVII: Remastered for a while, though, for two reasons, to be precise. The first is the absolutely stunning nature of this video game and the incredibly high quality it’s made with. Another is that FFVII is generally considered one of the greatest games of all time, which is how I finally started to experience it.
So, a little over a week ago, I decided the time had finally come, and I set out to work on this game, which I didn’t expect to ignite a fire within me, nor that it would take this long to conquer. But it does, and I’m glad that’s the case, because for the most part, I find myself completely immersed in what’s on offer. When I was in chapter 4 or 5, I was totally blown away by the story and most of the cast and their motivations. Don’t get me wrong, there are cracks in the otherwise infallible armor and the cracks will only start to spread as I continue my journey, but given the entry I really think I’m going to have a hard time falling in love with this game and expect it with all my heart Losing interest after a few hours and saying that my impression of the game was positive was a very surprising revelation to me.
Right now, you can see the brilliance of the engine Square Enix made for this remake, and what it allows developers to do. The visuals are close to the best I’ve seen in a game, and the gameplay itself (albeit on PS5) is smooth and fluid. Again, the story is well thought out and fleshed out in such a way that FFVII’s truly complex and bizarre story doesn’t feel complicated or overwhelming. From a novice or someone who has never really cared about Final Fantasy, the time spent exploring each plot point is a very welcome design.
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This also extends to the combat and RPG systems, which are handled in a way that makes them feel approachable and understandable. Considering that many great Japanese action RPGs, like Soulslikes, are designed in such a way that you’d need a notepad or an inventory management degree to figure them out, the simple yet profound nature of FFVII: Remake is another of the game’s Huge positive. Beyond that, combat is more than simple abilities and spellcasting (or rather, it can depend on how you like to play), you get an immersive and approachable game.
But that’s not to say I don’t have some issues with this title. That said, for whatever reason, developers and longtime fans must absolutely love being destroyed in battle, in a sense, especially many bosses are designed to constantly CC (crowd control) and leave you Lower status effects, which basically make it practically impossible to play the game. A lot of times, this won’t affect the outcome of the fight, because assuming you’re using your allies and abilities, staggered effects, materials and spells correctly, the boss should be more than just playable, but spend most of the fight on the ground, Or paralyzed, or sleeping, or frozen, or knocked over, or knocked back, or trapped, or being a rather useless frog (I think you get my point) is frustrating to say the least. When it comes to fast-paced combat games like this, I’ve always had a mindset that anytime my hands are taken off my controller/mouse and keyboard, it should be repurposed for gameplay. So the really excessive nature of the crowd control system in FFVII: Remake is one of my biggest frustrations.
Again, while the narrative and story is largely handled well, I can’t help but think it could cut some fat in a few places. I’ve probably never really beaten FFVII myself, but I’m well aware of the true length of the game and how little FFVII: Remake tackles. That being the case, I can’t help but think that some parts of this title could be trimmed or removed altogether. The entire story arc of Cloud and Aerith’s desire to be Don Corneo’s next bride, and equally, in my eyes, the entire multi-chapter lengthy adventure that takes place after Mako Reactor 5 is destroyed when Cloud is separated from Avalanche are two prime examples. Even if both are only shorter, the entire FFVII: Remake will still be over 20 hours long, so that’s not a huge loss.
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But again, these are usually minor setbacks in the game and are the exception in most cases. The story, the characters, the combat, the progression, the art style and the sound, are all very well done and it rubbed on me in ways I never expected. Now that I’m done with the game, along with the more succinct Intermission DLC, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth has slingshotted onto my list of most anticipated games of 2023, and likewise, I’m now on Crisis Core: Ultimate later this year. There is also considerable interest in Fantasy Reunion, as well as Final Fantasy XVI coming next year. Will it fascinate and shock me like FFVII: Remake? Well, that remains to be seen, but am I starting to see the brilliance of the Final Fantasy series? no doubt.