GameTech: Final Fantasy all we could have dreamed of in perfect remake

Final Fantasy video game

Every now and then, developers get it right. They beat the hype. They promise something – and then they really deliver.

After more than 20 years of expectation, it’s genuinely surprising to say that Square Enix beat the hype with Final Fantasy VII Remake. Not only is this remake one of the year’s best games – in many ways it’s a more enjoyable experience than the original.

Final Fantasy VII is a treasured game, primarily because it was many people’s first role-playing game. For lots of players in the late ‘90s, they had never experienced anything like Square’s massive open world, emotional story and deep combat system. It was the original PlayStation’s flagship title, alongside Metal Gear Solid.

There is no competing with those memories, so instead Square Enix fleshed those memories out into something much more vivid, detailed and spectacular. In the original game, the city of Midgar was just a small portion of the overall journey, a launch-pad for the giant world beyond. However, in Final Fantasy Remake, the city of Midgar becomes the main character – it transforms into something huge, fascinating and ultimately becomes one of gaming’s greatest locations.

Yes, the Remake only covers the Midgar section of the game, which means the overall story is limited to those early stages, but it really doesn’t matter. Such is the outstanding job Square did with the city, that there are more than enough stories to tell in Midgar alone.

In fact, the Remake’s greatest triumph is that by making Midgar so much larger, the world actually becomes much larger with it, giving us more time and insight into these legendary characters. The relationship between Cloud and Aerith tugs at the heartstrings far more when they spend hours together, on their own journey through the city, building their trust. The Avalanche crew become far more fleshed out and likeable, to the point where you really care about them. The supporting cast is massively upgraded, with plenty of new characters that were never in the original, but feel worthy of their own games and content.

Most importantly, the people of Midgar themselves are revealed for the first time. The ‘lower class’ citizens who live beneath the city plates become much more relatable when you walk among them, whether that’s in the slum-like residential sectors or the sleazy Las Vegas-style Wall Market. The upper class who live on the plates, stealing Mako energy from the planet and leaving the poor in ruins, become much more villainous as a result of this newfound insight into Midgar.

In fact, even the notorious Sephiroth, who is arguably the game’s most famous and enduring character, is enhanced by this approach. Shinra, the corporation running Midgar and draining the planet of its life-force, become the primary antagonists in a way they never achieved in the original.

The Shinra president and his army of soldiers, leaders and mafioso-type henchmen become the most relatable villains that Final Fantasy has ever had, analogous to real-world leaders and dictators who control the populace for their own gain. As a result, Sephiroth becomes even more ethereal and demonic, lurking in the background – enhancing the legend that has built up around him over past two decades.

That aside, Final Fantasy VII Remake is just a beautiful game, with outstanding visuals, music and design. In some ways, it is reminiscent of God of War, with the focus on the ‘journey’ rather than open world mechanics.

It is better for that choice.

Some people will complain about the combat, which is understandable, given how much RPG mechanics have changed over the years. Role-playing games are no longer about grind or statistics alone, becoming much more action-orientated.

But the Remake does an excellent job of balancing action and strategy and is never less than exciting. Sure, it might be too easy for some, but so was the original once you figured out its tricks.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is the perfect example of what revisiting a classic should mean. It stands completely on its own merits as a fresh experience, while adding more depth and insight to Midgar and the character cast than ever before.

In fact, it is the ideal companion piece to the original, making us want to revisit Final Fantasy VII and view that old, simple world with new eyes. In short, it lived up to the fantasy, and it beat the hype.