Final Fantasy VII: Remake was at PAX West 2019, and while the demo was the same from E3 2019, a few of us finally had the chance to play it. A detailed presentation of the new combat system preceded the demo, but it was one thing to have it shown to us and another to actually get hands on with it. Overall, we came away wanting more from this ambitious reimagination of the classic RPG.
We were pitted against the Guard Scorpion, which was the first real boss fight in the original, but of course, things played out differently with the graphical and gameplay overhauls. FF7 Remake's adaption of the ATB system has you hitting basic attacks in real-time while you build up your ATB gauge to stop time and make decisions on using special abilities or casting spells. It's a great mix of real-time and turn-based mechanics that stays true to the foundation laid by the original game.
Cinematic touches were peppered in throughout the boss fight to heighten tension. And juggling between Cloud and Barrett to pull of different attacks created a nice dynamic of playstyles. While it was just a small snippet of the game, it's exciting to get hands on with it. We'll get the first part of Final Fantasy VII Remake on March 3, 2020 when it launches for PlayStation 4.