Originally published in May/2020 in cafecomgeeks.com, auto translated by Google Cloud.
This review will not feature spoilers.
The memory of the announcement of that game is legendary. Perhaps one of the most important and striking video game announcements ever made, it is hard to believe that Final Fantasy 7 Remake is already in the hands of players. Its reception was amazing and its ending opened doors never imagined, respecting the past and opening a single wing for the future (pun intended).
It is important to remember that FF7R does not tell the whole story of that title. The game will have sequels (whether numbered or named) and these involve the biggest controversy of this Final Fantasy.
The development of FF7R started years before the last two games of the multiverse, these being Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts III. It is important to highlight that Kingdom Hearts III only counts on Final Fantasy participations, being a series of crossovers from the company. These last two games were highly criticized for the lack of resources directed to them, due to the multiple simultaneous productions in question — these three, in this case, which had strange endings that were a hit or miss for fans.
Anyway, Final Fantasy VII Remake proposes a revisit to the original story, considered by many to be badly polished due to its release time. Characters who were mere supporting characters receive great attention and participation here — this title, which is approximately 40 hours long, corresponds only to the first five hours of the original, which is the protagonists’ passage through Midgar.
Midgar is one of the most alive worlds ever made in the history of video games. Cities are alive, bursting with activities to do and problems to solve. The story, while slightly linear, fixed an extremely frustrating problem with past Linear Final Fantasies — what was once a lifeless (but extremely beautiful) corridor, is now a tight, vibrant and dangerous world. The maps, although not very varied, are within the expectations of a completely decadent and polluted world and no resident character of this leaves anything to be desired.
Speaking of characters, it is important to highlight each of them. Avoiding naming names, everyone has an extremely captivating charm, even the most hateful ones possible. The cast was excellent in their work and gave life to some of the most iconic characters in this type of media.
It is not possible to talk about characters in a Japanese RPG without talking about what they do. The gameplay of FF7R, which is the APEX of the entire franchise, brings variety and strength to the player. The point is that the game takes the original’s turn-based gameplay and mixes it with Final Fantasy XV’s varied action combat. The player can play “automatically”, similarly as in Xenoblade Chronicles, giving only commands to team members, as well as giving each action to the protagonists, in addition to these commands, which will occur only by spending a loading bar filled with the character’s actions. This brings dimensions of strategy to battles, preventing the player from fighting without thinking and creating new challenges for each new enemy.
The enemies of this game are nevertheless threatening at any time. Its variety is rich and leaves the player always afraid when facing a new enemy that can weaken his team in the blink of an eye if not well analyzed. Here comes the use of materials — energy orbs applied to the players’ weapons, giving several changes and powers, both active and passive. The player is encouraged to be changing these materials frequently to fight new challenges, giving a good rotation in the present abilities, both of the weapons, as well as the characters themselves, in addition to the materials, which ends in an enviable progression system for any RPG.
The only thing that can be considered a real defect in FF7R is not in the progression, but in the “filling” of the title. Due to a story where the protagonists are constantly running, fleeing and traveling between locations, it is difficult for the player to find space to revisit or make “extras”, at least not before unlocking the chapter selection (which is at the end of the game). There is still the possibility, but there is little incentive to do what the game gives you almost freely, be it discovering essential materials to the game, short stories or even moments when the player is penalized for doing what the game encourages to do in the story, which is something meaningless in view of the multiple and irritating times that itself warns the player that from that point on, there is no return (there are many times).
Contrary to this defect, the art, graphics and sound of the game are impeccable. The perfect evolution of twenty year old game, here every detail of the original is respected and praised. The game has an enviable photorealism worthy of completing console generation, taking the PS4 itself to the limit of graphic rendering (and almost shooting the video game off the table). It is remarkable how much this game pushes the console to its limits, costing even a little in small details of the performance (like rendering distance and pixelated horizons). Each character, place and moment was honored with work worthy of one of the most legendary titles in the history of video games, not to mention the soundtrack that is by far one of the best in recent years.
To conclude, it is important to dedicate a small moment of this analysis to the ending, even without touching spoilers. The most controversial point of this title without a doubt, it is noteworthy that the game doesn’t have remake in the NAME for nothing. Final Fantasy VII Remake is not a simple 1: 1 remastering or evolution (one to one in equivalence). The game has parts of the story added that are explained at the end as “a crossroads of destiny”, giving flashbacks not only to the rest of the original game, but also parts of the FF7 (Crisis Core / Advent Children) universe, which took several fans to absolute madness, but fact is — this game is not the same as twenty years ago. It is being REMADE, which may lead to divergences from what was originally established in history. Currently, there is no information about what will be changed in the FF7R timeline, but what the game presents is, in its very concept, “a correction of past mistakes”.
PROS:
- Best JRPG gameplay in years;
- Most incredible tribute ever made to one of the most legendary works in video games;
- Impeccable work in graphic and sound development (hitting it in the art department);
- Midgar proves to be one of the most alive worlds ever made in a video game.
CONS:
- Questionable linearity;
- Ending leaves players on a dangerous cliffhanger.
Score: ☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️ (out of 5)
PLATFORM:
- PlayStation 4 (reviewed platform, only available at the time of launch of this analysis).
Despite questionable development decisions, Final Fantasy VII Remake executes everything it provides with mastery. Its art is excellent and perfectly fulfilled by the design of the game, accompanied by an unquestionably well-developed gameplay. A legendary title that honors its name and provides, despite an uncertain future, something colossal for the franchise and universe.
