By now you have already seen the news – you can finally play the Final Fantasy VII Remake in your home with the newly announced PS4 ad. If you want to know about this beautiful new way, download the demo and work on yourself that you will never be able to do. It mocked the PS1 players back in 1997, and I'm happy to say that the 2020 version is just as strong.
If you missed the original PS1 or any of its subsequent releases, think of the bombing as a cold open to the rest of the game. You were thrown into the misleading process of capturing the Mako Reor, the device that Shinra Electric Power Company creates for all modern wonders. Caught by this process is likely to take power from the planet itself, a fact Shinra chooses to ignore. Naturally this doesn't sit well with some people, namely the original heroes of Final Fantasy VII.
NEW TEST
The demo – and the main game – starts with Barret, Cloud, and the AVALANCHE team climbing into the facility, breaking in, and planting a bomb on Mark Reactor 1. The battle for the furious boss, the wind blows, and the demo ends. It came into effect 23 years ago, and it still rides today.
But at the end of that demo, our first experience begins. Shortly after the explosion, Cloud and the rescuers fled underground and scattered into the streets. This sequence takes about 10 minutes in the first game, with just a few scenes and camera views to sell the action. Currently, Cloud terrorizes her by using columns, escaping fires, and rooftops by Shinra soldiers all the time. Citizens are lying on the streets, chaos reigns all around you, and you are left wondering, was this bomb worth all this?
And this sequence is what made the FFVII Remake so intriguing to me. I see how Square Enix plans to not only expand, but also to enrich first-hand experiences and moments that further market the impact of such an attack. While the real deal was doing a pretty good job in 1997, replacing 2020 completely transpires destruction of flames, damaged NPCs, infrastructure devastation, and a ton of chaos as drawn by Shinra goons. There are many very important moments within the city of Midgar that can benefit from this treatment, so I can't wait to see how they play out in the backup.
Chapter 2 also adds an encounter with Aerith and, believe it or not, the flashback / hallucinatory manifestation of Sephiroth. This universe is new, and it does a great job Sephiroth helps, a rare presence in the world of FFVIIR. You look at Cloud not only for body length, but also for confidence; knowing that Cloud appeared in these opening moments, he was clearly mentioned in this quote from his past. I won't go into the changed names or what's really going on, but it's interesting to see how much FFVIIR will play with the imagination of the fans in attendance. The result feels like a game that is welcomed by new players, but is new even though you know beforehand that it's back.
THOSE ARE READING
From this point we move on to another file that eventually goes to this game. Melee expert Tifa joins Cloud and Barret, and is ready to roll out another reactionor. As you can decide by demo, the battle system has invaded to build ATB charges and use money that shows power, spells, or items. Each character also brings something different to the struggle, such as the long Barret characters or the powerful Cloud Punisher scene.
Some enemies are cheaper. Some require good posture, good ATB use, and use all three characters to pressure enemies in a steady state. When you are in shock, you can really pour out the pain. Players are also given the opportunity to choose between this versatile mode (complete with defensive muscles and control shortcuts in Ability and Spell), or Classic Mode where characters automatically attack and control ATB use.
The money we played was able to reach the mighty Summon Materia. Materia assists the spells of characters and other abilities, and Summon Materia gives access to the character embedded in that particular Name – in this case, Final Fantasy mainstay Leathan. When called upon, the beast will fight alongside your party itself, or you can destroy the ATB in a powerful attack (while still having your ATB power). If the enemy you fight is weak at the strength of the Sonsons, you can eliminate all the lotta damage briefly.
Case in point the battle was fought with Abzu, the boss we had fought with recently in the demo start. In this case I had Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith at my party, which was the last one to get Ifrit. He knocks on the scene with a fire … heated … and he envies me very much, giving me time to cool down and make up for the cost. I didn't sample the Ancient Mode but I would say that the default method really makes you consider each action. Mashing attacks are good and all, but the bosses and enemies have all kinds of tricks that make you change tactics quickly.
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By the time our meeting was over, I was eager to get a new Materia, to prepare for the battles, and to see how much Square Enix's content added to the actual information. Almost any moment I can remember from the past – President Shinra's encounter with the trio near one of the reactors, or the simple minigame pressing buttons, for example – has been completely re-imagined and acted in a way that makes regular times feel fresh again. Love this one I've seen so far and I can't wait to see everything else that Midgar has to offer.
