The Planet Cries Out

Final Fantasy VII: Remake

Genre: Action RPG

Developer: Square Enix Co., Ltd.

Publisher: Square Enix Co., Ltd.

Platform(s): Playstation 4

Dear Square, I love you. No, seriously, like someone get me a new change of pants. This is actually happening. You thought I was excited for VtM: Bloodlines? Pfft! The beloved game from my teenage years has returned…in HD.

After years of talk, photos of what could be, and constant teasers and fan-made trailers, Square officially announced the remake of the infamous JRPG Final Fantasy VII to be released March 2020. This game is responsible for creating one of the most heart-stopping story-lines of all time, along with a cast of unforgettable characters that are still cherished to this day. 

As the gameplay trailer shows, we start off with the same iconic train scene as it rolls into the station at Midgar. The ominous Shinra reactor looms in the distance as Cloud stands tall, Buster Sword strapped to his back and ready to rumble. I was never a big Cloud fan, but damn if he doesn’t look good, spikey hair and all. Hell, everyone looks good (even Wedge!).

So what’s changing and what’s staying the same?

For fans of the original, the battle system is going to be something that may or may not take some getting used to. One of the biggest changes is that the turn based system is no more, replaced instead with a hybrid version of constant action and tactical gameplay. This type of system was first introduced in Final Fantasy XIII, where the characters are consistently moving about the battle field while the ATB (active time battle) gauge fills and players choose their actions (i.e. attack, magic, summon). Unlike FFXIII, however, players will be able to freely attack, dodge, and block incoming attacks which will slowly fill your ATB gauge. This will then allow you to choose an ability such as a magic attack or to use an item.

Cloud's "Cross Slash" Limit Break in action

And yes, Limit Breaks are still in the game and, like the original, fill the Limit Meter when you take damage (Dolphin Blow in HD anyone?).

Another cool new tactic is the ability to swap between characters’ mid-battle. The character you’re not in control of will still fight and dodge on their own, steadily building their ATB gauge for when you want to swap back over to unleash a Limit Break, spell, etc. It’s sort of like XIII’s Paradigm Shift but much cooler.

What made FFVII so memorable was the gripping story and its characters, and thankfully it looks like the story will be sticking to its roots. Barret, leader of the “terrorist” group AVALANCHE tells Cloud that the planet is slowly dying, and Shinra is the cause as they continue to suck Mako (the planet’s life-blood) from the world.

During the original teaser trailer, Sephiroth made his appearance, taunting Cloud (as usual), “Can you bear to see the planet suffer, Cloud?” Another familiar face was also introduced, complete with wisps of Mako and basket of flowers…

Oh, Aerith... Shut up, I'm not crying, you're crying!

And I saved (one of!) the best for last, the newest gameplay trailer including the infamous femme fatale with fists of steel; Tifa “don’t-f***-with-me-or-my-friends” Lockhart. For the love of all the is holy, thank you for giving Tifa a normal cup size… She was putting Lara Croft to shame there for a while, guys. Really.

You can watch the extended E3 trailer here which showcases Sephiroth and Tifa

In short, the remake of one of the most iconic games in RPG history looks like it’s living up to the hype. Pre-orders are available now at several locations, Amazon, GameStop, and Best Buy being a few. There will be two special editions along with the standard (which is just the game itself for $59.99 USD);

 SOLDIER 1^st Class ($329.00 USD) which includes:

·         FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE game

·         Play Arts Kai Cloud Strife & Hardy Daytona

·         Artbook

·         Mini-Soundtrack

·         Steelbook

·         Cactuar Summon Materia DLC

·         Carbuncle Summon Materia DLC

The other option is the Deluxe Edition ($79.99 USD) which includes:

·         FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE game

·         Artbook

·         Mini-Soundtrack

·         Steelbook

·         Cactuar Summon Materia DLC

·         Carbuncle Summon Materia DLC

I just thought of something... Knights of the Round summon... in HD. Holy. Crap. Ugh! Is it March yet? I’m going to be so broke…