While your memories of the original Final Fantasy VII may be almost sweet, but let’s not forget that making the game look so good on older PCs had to be compromised. Like most sections of the game running at a horrible 15 frames per second.
It’s a harrowing thing to have to face through 2022, but there’s now a way out for PC users, thanks to a mod that boosts the entire game’s frame rate to 60 frames per second. From the overworld to encounters, it’s consistent throughout, and if you’re thinking this is just a small change that won’t make a huge difference to your enjoyment or appreciation of the game, think again.
Just so you have a reference, here’s a video of what the framerate looks like in the original version when you’re engaged in combat:
choppy! Tsunamods’ 18-minute video below walks you through it all, shows comparisons between the old and new FPS numbers, and includes installation instructions. I set the video to start at a certain point, but this really shows how smooth the whole thing looks now:
It’s amazing how a single change can change the look of the game so much! The buttery smoothness just makes the whole experience look a whole lot cleaner, and the creators are rightly so excited about the whole thing.
If you want to install the necessary files and try it yourself, Links to the necessary downloads can be found in the description of the YouTube video. Note, however, that as of today, it works best with the original 1998 version of the game. If you have the newer Steam version, you’ll need some workarounds to get the required animations to work are best summed up in this comment.
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