If Final Fantasy VII was a person it would be old enough to vote in the next election. In the video game industry products can seem dated after 18 months, but Final Fantasy VII is still regarded as one of the greatest games ever made 18 years after its release.
It’s this legacy that Square-Enix is banking on with the remake of Final Fantasy VII, which was just announced at Sony’s E3 conference to rabidly positive reactions across the world.
Since the release of its first title in 1987, the Final Fantasy series defined Japanese role-playing games in the west. The original Final Fantasy sold more units in the US than Japan, and brought US gamers a world and story much more detailed than the arcade beat em’ ups they were used to.
However, only two of five Final Fantasy titles were released in the west as JRPGs were still considered a niche. That all changed with the release of Final Fantasy VII on the first Sony PlayStation.
Final Fantasy VII was the first RPG to truly transcend its genre internationally.
Final Fantasy VII was the first RPG to truly transcend its genre internationally. Its refined gameplay, cinematic storytelling, and cyberpunk anime aesthetic won a massive audience in the US and Europe. The games’ characters remain some of the most iconic in geek culture, and its story was one of the first to demonstrate that video games are capable of tackling the same adult themes as novels or films. The millions of copies FFVII sold also helped to establish the fledgling Sony PlayStation as the top brand in gaming, unseating the seemingly unbeatable Nintendo.
Eighteen years and three PlayStations later, action-based western style RPGs make up the most popular franchises in all of gaming while turn-based JRPGs are back to being niche products. Final Fantasy has struggled to redefine itself by experimenting with faster-paced action and online play to mixed results: Final Fantasy XIII was received well enough to spawn two sequels, but Final Fantasy XIV was such a debacle that the game had to be rebuilt from the ground up just months after release.
This should make a Final Fantasy VII remake a no-brainer for Square-Enix, and fans have been begging for one since the debut of the PlayStation 2 in 2000. HD remakes are ubiquitous in gaming, as they are an easy source of cash and development can be outsourced to no-name studios. However, that’s not an option for FFVII.
Final Fantasy VII was created just as games were transitioning from 2D graphics to 3D graphics and the game sits awkwardly between the two eras. In FFVII you move your rudimentary 3D character over pre-rendered 2D backgrounds. It worked at the time, but it won’t work now and there’s no way to update the game without remaking all those detailed 2D drawings into fully fleshed out 3D worlds. Remaking FFVII will require a level of talent, artistry, and effort equal to what was put into the original.
Remaking FFVII will require a level of talent, artistry, and effort equal to what was put into the original.
More, the original FFVII was entirely text-based while all top level modern games are fully voice acted. While details haven’t been announced, it seems entirely likely that Square-Enix would need to include significant voice acting in the game if it’s to compete with modern RPGs like the recently announced Fallout 4.
A Square-Enix official once stated it would be “impossible” to remake Final Fantasy VII because creating detailed 3D versions of the world was too massive a task. Square-Enix would prefer spending their time on a new property, one that hasn’t already been milked for spin off games, anime, and endless amounts of toys as Final Fantasy VII has. However, the longer Square-Enix waited to make the remake FFVII, the higher expectations would have been, and the more likely the final product will fall short.
But these concerns are minor compared to major amounts of love fans still have for Final Fantasy VII. For millions of gamers, FFVII was the first time a videogame let them visit an immersive world, filled with living and breathing characters. The sprawling adventure of FFVII is beloved by millions of gamers, and if Square-Enix delivers it will soon be just as loved by millions more.
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Is it wrong that I’m more excited for Just Cause 3? Possibly because I didn’t grown up with the FF series like everyone else on earth did.
I didn’t know Just Cause 3 was being made! Actually, I didn’t even know 1 and 2 existed before this post.
Its a big risk of Sqenix though, If they mess this up like the rest of thier last FF games since 10, then I doubt they will make it out of this one alive as a company much longer, It would be a massive disrespect to all FF fans around the world, 7 Is truly special for many, including myself, I consider it to be the only “perfect” game ever made
That was a great surprise yesterday. However we have only seen a fraction. No further info has been given so we dont know what kind of battle system they will use or how far they are in production, i just hope its going to be a worthy remake.
and after that a ff8 remake please