Final Fantasy VII Remake is finally a game...
I suppose we should start there, given the tech demo tease fans were graced with back in 2005. Final Fantasy VII, originally release in 1997, holds a special place in the hearts of JRPG fans from all around the world. For many it was an introduction to a more mature and nuanced story, one that would prepare them for the narrative complexities to come in the form of Metal Gear Solid just one year later in 1998. For others, it truly defined what it means to be a fan of turn based games. An entire generation of tabletop fans, and anime lovers, found common ground in the form of the Final Fantasy series. But for most of us, it took what was an already popular franchise and moved it into a new generation, the detailed backdrops, animated characters, and CG cutscenes took our imaginations on a wild ride across a vast world. After the tech demo led to rumors, which led to empty promises, for 13 years, fans were told to wait. Finally the day has arrived. And while Final Fantasy VII Remake succeeds in crafting a deeper version of its originality, it fails in its outdated development. Only a game from 23 years ago could feel this genuine, and also feel like its ideas came from the era RPG's left behind.
Make no mistake, there are very few RPG's that can please everyone. Final Fantasy VII Remake has found a way to give its fanbase the itch they've been craving while crafting a game that is easy for a new generation to be a part of. But its flaws aren't with its incredibly detailed world, its worthwhile, if hard to understand story, or its well-crafted characters, but with its structure and systems. Final Fantasy VII Remake attempts to mix and match a cornucopia of mechanics from other games, each as easy to recognize for hardcore fans of JRPG's as the next. Final Fantasy XV's hack and slash combat is slammed together with Final Fantasy XII's ATB system that allows players to actively choose commands on the fly. It works well to keep fights interesting, even in the latter stages. As the story progresses, it becomes easier to navigate the UI, issuing commands while pummeling your foes with the iconic Buster Sword. This system feels better with each fight, and players will feel a sense of accomplishment the moment your rewards pop up on the screen.
The proficiency system, however, is lifted almost directly from Tales of Vesperia, allowing characters to keep skills inherently attached to the Weapon's they've used along their journey. Unfortunately, like Tales of Vesperia, Final Fantasy VII Remake suffers a bit from over-simplification: skills are easy to acquire, materia is easy to find, and weapons are easy to upgrade. Not once did I feel like I had made a mistake with my character development, even if I felt like I was purchasing weapon upgrades blindly or watching Chadley spoon feed me Materia that made my journey much easier than expected. Now I didn't want Final Fantasy VII Remake to be Dark Souls by any stretch of the imagination, but rarely, if ever, did I feel the need to reassess my decisions. The Buster Sword was always the weapon I returned to, Auto-Cure was always on Aerith, Assess was always Barret, and Elemental Materia was always attached to my weapon, embuing my attacks with that element. Rather than letting failure define my decisions, Assess, which I acquired in the first 2 hours of the game gave me the answer to any problem with very little consequence. Maybe I could chalk this up to what would be 23 years of RPG experience since the original Final Fantasy VII, but more often than not any challenge was met with very little issue. Which meant the spotlight was shifted to what I was doing more than how I was doing it.
So much of my 35 hour playthrough saw me eye roll at the shoe-horned inserted content meant to stretch this adventure to a trilogy of titles, and at the same time I found myself in awe at the aspects of the experience that brought back those moments of joy. Crossing the rooftops to escape the Turks in Sector 5, fighting for a spot to meet Don Corneo, and even getting a drink at Seventh Heaven showcased some of the things that make the world of Midgar one of the best the gaming industry has ever seen. Even facing the reality of Avalanche's actions as the 1st Mako Reactor burned in the background of Chapter 2 was a welcome addition and added context to the adventure. But for every Wall Market and Seventh Heaven, there's a collection of "Be a Mercenary" quests that, in fantasy, act as pit stops. This playthrough saw me flow through the story with relative ease, with only half of the side quests completed and 1 Summon acquired: the one given by the tutorial. Very few, if any, of these side adventures brought that feeling of nostalgia or meaningfulness to the experience, a shuttering “Oh, right, this is a video game” moment that, in reality, feels like a pitfall than a pitstop. Most of the other side quests simply reinforce Cloud's role as a Merc: a role repeatedly told to the player, with fetch quests and bland "go-here, fight this" events that new players may find tedious and tiresome compared to the intensity of the main story.
For all of its seamlessness and narrative drive, it’s when the story chooses to remind me that its a video game that the ambiance is removed, revealing its few, but jarring, flaws. Things like puzzles and boss fights, meant to pad the adventure time, head-scratchingly felt out of place. Mechanical Arms in the tunnels making up Sector 6 were a slog, while an entire chapter dedicated to an intense Motorcycle fight became one button boredom, especially when the tunnel you're fighting in always turns left. This brings us to the crux of my problem with Final Fantasy VII Remake. While the technological advancements and visual standards of the game feel like they belong in 2020, its missions, systems and structure feel dated to their rumored, and ultimately delayed, development time in 2005.
This review was difficult. I've come to the realization that Final Fantasy VII Remake comes with baggage that needs to be acknowledge, a history that needs to be respected, and a remake that needs to be addressed. However, the reality is that the game industry, and gamers at large, are not the same anymore. While 9 year old me may feel like Final Fantasy VII Remake is a masterpiece reserved only for those who understand the events of the game based on my experience in 1997, 17 year old me may be slighted by the fact that he's had to wait for 15 years to even get to this moment, nitpicking the worst of the game just out of spite of being left excited since 2005. But I truly believe the truth, as with most things, is in the middle. 32 year old me loves the emotional resonance of well thought out characters, adores the world building elements, and even appreciates Square Enix's attempt at diving deeper into the missing context that wasn't there before. But 32 year old me also feels like he's playing a game that actually hasn't left 2005 yet. The result is a game that steps on its own feet, hitting its stride when its story matters, and stumbling when it tries to pad out everything else for extra run time. Which is a shame too, it’s been 23 years since the original, and more often than not, I just wish this visually stunning Remake didn't feel so much like a stunted Remaster sometimes.
*EDITORS NOTE*
Made an adjustment that acknowledges that Final Fantasy VII's tech demo was showcased in 2005, not 2007.
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