• 5 Concerns About the Final Fantasy VII Remake Announcement

    5 Concerns About the Final Fantasy VII Remake Announcement

    It finally happened. Square Enix have dropped us the bombshell of the decade – Final Fantasy VII is being remade for the PS4 with a sleek graphical makeover. Fans have been shouting, wailing, begging SE to do it for years and their prayers have finally been answered. Now don’t get us wrong – we're just as excited to finally get confirmation on this as the next guy, but ever since the announcement was made and we got a glimpse of what the game is intended to look, we’ve had certain… concerns. Of course, considering how large the FF fanbase is, and how beloved a game FFVII is, it goes without saying that not everyone will be satisfied with the final outcome. Here are some things we feel may happen in this remake that will make most fans angry.

    5. The game will play differently



    The gaming industry has undergone substantial changes over the years. What was acceptable by the gaming public at large in 1997 when FFVII originally came out may not be as hotly anticipated nowadays. Turn-based combat is one such element that used to sit pretty well with everyone back in the day, but now attracts so much scrutiny that we really think SE might be thinking of changing the combat in Final Fantasy VII. Many fans of the original adore the old school ATB system, but if the company decides pandering to the nostalgia of long-time fans is not enough, they will probably opt to attract a new crowd using a system that is considered much less dated. So, it’s likely that we’ll get an action RPG much like the upcoming FFXV or the recently released Type-0 HD. Other options include real-time/turn-based hybrids like FFXIII. Though at this point only time will tell what changes will be made to the gameplay, if any. Hopefully, we’ll at least get to play around with the materia system, even if in the end it turns out the only character we get to directly control is Cloud. Speaking of changes…

    4. You know the tone won’t be the same



    As many EoFFers have already pointed out, Final Fantasy VII had its fair share of bizarre scenes. And we remember them fondly – all the weird squats we made Cloud do, the infamous Honeybee Inn sidequest, and even Barret and Tifa’s hilarious banter when climbing the Shinra building. Now let’s try to remember Advent Children. It was nothing but dead, gray, joyless brooding. It appears as if at a certain point the creators just forgot that on top of having a story that’s trying to be more serious and deep, Final Fantasy VII was really quirky and fun. It's very likely that the tone we got served in that movie and other entries in the dreaded Compilation is what the creators might stick to for this remake. Now that we're at Advent Children

    3. The characters will be unrecognizable



    In the film, Cloud is emotionally stunted due to the trauma he has endured in the meantime between the game and the sequel. It may be presented with all the subtlety of a brick to the face, but it is nonetheless justified. However, Cloud’s personality retains the same depressive symptoms both in Crisis Core and Dissidia, which makes absolutely no sense. Remember that cocky ex-SOLDIER asshole who was in it all just for the money? And how in the past he was a bit dorky but still incredibly determined guy who practically killed Sephiroth despite holding no potential whatsoever? Yeah, all things considered, Cloud was pretty badass. But that’s not how he is remembered by SE, and I am really concerned that this broody Cloud from the Compilation is what we’ll be getting in the remake. If only that was the worst influence from the Compilation we could get…

    2. You know they’re going to tie into the Compilation, and oh boy, is it a mess…




    We usually don’t talk about the Compilation, and for good reason. Not only is it responsible for the drastic tone shift mentioned earlier, but the amount of retcons in this expansion of the FFVII universe is staggering. Final Fantasy VII was self-contained and that made it great. Sure, there was a deep backstory to the world and the characters that had the potential to be expanded but it was still not really necessary to expand on it. Crisis Core and Dirge of Cerberus have introduced some of the worst twists to that universe – the goddess of the planet (who doesn’t really make sense in the context of FFVII), the Deepground (makes even less sense) and Genesis. While the former two may be considered a mixed bag, Genesis and his poetry are universally loathed by the fanbase. But in the context of the FFVII universe, all of these elements are now considered canon, for better or worse. Then again, we may be getting ahead of ourselves, complaining about things that in the end may never even happen because…

    1. The Final Fantasy VII remake will take forever to come out



    If the troubled development of FFXV has taught us anything, it’s that a cool concept trailer with a promise of more still to come and not much else doesn’t really bode well for the game’s expected development period. Square Enix doesn’t seem to have caught on. So far, Final Fantasy XV has been in development for almost ten years, changed directors and numbers. Not only is the trailer barely a hint of what is in development now, just like with Versus, both projects were initially directed by Tetsuya Nomura who, bless his soul, is a tad too meticulous when it comes to polishing his babies. Then again, maybe the reason FFXV was stuck in development hell for so long is because Final Fantasy VII was being developed at the same time and we’ll get to play it sooner than we expect? Only time will tell.

    So what worries you most about the announcement of Final Fantasy VII on PS4? Let us know in the comments!
    This article was originally published in forum thread: 5 Concerns About the Final Fantasy VII Remake Announcement started by Fynn View original post
    Comments 127 Comments
    1. Ayen's Avatar
      Ayen -
      Nothing worries me. Nothing that has been listed on this article worries me, but then again I'm not a FFVII purist. I know they could make a shot for shot remake and people will still find things to complain about. That's why my heart goes out to the development team. They'll still make money, they'll likely get very good reviews on all the major sites, a bunch of happy, happy campers, and then the complainers. Such is the circle of the lifestream.
    1. Pumpkin's Avatar
      Pumpkin -
      What's wrong with turn based anyway

      Great article! You covered most of the things I could see being a concern!
    1. Del Murder's Avatar
      Del Murder -
      I don't have any concerns. The great thing about a remake is that it won't take away from the original. Like I said in the other thread, if you want something with all the great elements FFVII had, then go play FFVII. It's still awesome.

      I actually hope this is not just the original game line for line but with voices and updated graphics. I hope it updates everything else as well while paying a good homage to the original. If it doesn't, meh, FFVII still exists in all its glory in many different forms.

      The timing issue, well, we've waited this long. I can wait until they are finished with it. Maybe my kids will be old enough to play it by then.

      It's telling how far SE's star has fallen that the day after we get the announcement of one of the most anticipated games in their history, we get articles about concerns.
    1. Carl the Llama's Avatar
      Carl the Llama -
      Like ToriJ and Del, I have absolutely no concerns, the original game isn't going to cease to exist and lets not forget, while people say they have lost faith in Square Enix for games like FFXIII and all its extras, they were (to me at least) games I thoroughly enjoyed playing, sure they weren't as epic as the games of the PSone era, but they delivered to me a great experience. Plus your forgetting, this is Final Fantasy VII, the story is already there, and while they may or may not add elements of the compilation its still going to be an amazing game.

      The Main thing I am looking forward to is seeing how it plays, the gameplay to me is THE most important feature of the game, and I have yet to encounter a Final Fantasy game that doesn't have great gameplay (this is again my own opinion) and the team working on FFVII knows how important FFVII is to the fans... we have been asking for a remake for over a decade, lots of careful planning is bound to be necessary. Besides if they smurf this up they know it will be the death knell for the company, because if they mess up a game that already has amazing elements in it up, how can they have a future producing games that people will be interested in playing?

      tl;dr I have utmost faith in the Square Enix, and I am 100% confident that they can and will produce an amazing game.
    1. Psychotic's Avatar
      Psychotic -
      I would be surprised if they kept all the quirky humour. They're certainly not going to keep all the bad translations like "This guy are sick" as they removed them from the Steam version.

      I also hope they don't have Cloud be mopey as shown in the compilation. He was never that. In Midgar he just struck me as the straight man to everyone else's - from Barret, the Shinra, Don Corneo, Aerith etc. - anger, craziness, cheerfulness, whatever.
    1. Fox's Avatar
      Fox -
      You know, I don't think this criticism of Cloud being overly mopey in the Compilation is a particularly fair criticism. In Advent Children, yes it was annoying but it was at least an important plot point, so I don't think the attitude that 'he was like that in AC therefore he'll be like that in the remake' is well founded. Crisis Core is more the one I want to focus on, as people seem to think he had no cause to be mopey there, he should have been the same swaggering, confident dude he was in VII.

      But he wasn't that dude in VII, at least not until the latter stages of the game. For most of the game he was Zack. He had assumed Zack's position and emulated his personality. It wasn't until after the life changing events that occurred through VII that he gained that confidence for himself, and I don't believe for an instant that the experience of playing Zack for so long didn't leave a lasting impression on his attitude.

      In Crisis Core, what was Cloud? He was a foot soldier who had failed to achieve his dream. It's no surprise at all that he didn't have that skip in his step, you know?
    1. Psychotic's Avatar
      Psychotic -
      Let me rephrase. He's been mopey in every appearance since VII. You can explain CC away by the context of where he was as a character, but what about games without a context? Dissidia for one, but his appearances in Kingdom Hearts were especially bad. I am concerned that this is how Square view Cloud and why they think he is a popular character, because it's boring and insipid compared to the actual VII Cloud.
    1. Mirage's Avatar
      Mirage -
      I hope they keep this guy are sick, but only in the subtitles, while aeris would use the right words in the voice acting.

      I also hope they put in a fake "change disc" screen after she dies.
    1. DanielCLFFF13's Avatar
      DanielCLFFF13 -
      Well if the gameplay change to action RPG then... I might have to skip this remake...
      I like the classic ATB system better...
      I personally like the new ATB system implemented in XIII series... Yeah, the downside is that can only control one character...

      If they decided to remove some scenes and or events... and change it with more appropriate ones... Another reason I'm not going to get the remake...

      As for other things... I just hope it's just as good as the original...

      But this is my opinion
    1. Freya's Avatar
      Freya -
      Well in that interview neo linked in the other thread they said

      While the teaser trailer had a more darker feel to it, fans can be rest assured the game will still have some of its iconic and yet silly moments, like when Cloud has to cross-dress as a woman. “Please look forward to it,” Nomura said when asked about the cross-dressing scene.

      so that's nice that they'll not get rid of those things.
    1. Ayen's Avatar
      Ayen -
      So there's one concern you can cross off your list.
    1. Fynn's Avatar
      Fynn -
      To be fair, a lot of the points were exaggerations and I was just trying to come up with athings that would send a lot of fans flying in a fit of rage if they happened

      Honestly, after hearing more about the game, the only thing that I'm really concerned about at this point is the Compilation integration. I would really rather just forget the whole thing ever existed.
    1. metagloria's Avatar
      metagloria -
      Quote Originally Posted by Mirage View Post
      I hope they keep this guy are sick, but only in the subtitles, while aeris would use the right words in the voice acting.

      I also hope they put in a fake "change disc" screen after she dies.
      No fake...I hope they actually put it on 3 discs.

      I'll chime in with others and say I have no concerns whatsoever. I've played the original seventeen times; I know it inside and out. I want to experience that world fresh and anew. I want a retelling of that amazing story. And, crazy as it may sound, I trust Square-Enix to not tarnish the legacy of what they and everyone else knows is their greatest title. If they understand that they have to make this remake, then I think they also understand that they have to make it faithful. For example, someone on reddit was worried they might remove All Lucky 7s. Are you kidding me? That's exactly the kind of detail they'll have to include! They'll do it right.
    1. Ayen's Avatar
      Ayen -
      Quote Originally Posted by Fynn View Post
      To be fair, a lot of the points were exaggerations and I was just trying to come up with athings that would send a lot of fans flying in a fit of rage if they happened

      Honestly, after hearing more about the game, the only thing that I'm really concerned about at this point is the Compilation integration. I would really rather just forget the whole thing ever existed.
      Admittedly, there'd be no better time to retcon the Compilation than with a remake. Especially if they care about ironing out plot holes since I hear the Compilation only created more questions than it answered. We'll see.
    1. Mirage's Avatar
      Mirage -
      If they retcon the entire compilation in the process, I have no problems with deviating from the original game's events and script.

      I am also completely fine with a very different combat system. Perhaps still ATB, but one of the more evolved ATBs we've seen in recent games. FF13-2 and FF10-2 did ATB pretty well.
    1. BlasterDarkRen's Avatar
      BlasterDarkRen -
      I guess I am the only person on this planet who like Genesis then? I'm honestly torn about whether I want him to appear or not though. I want the story told properly but what that means is open to debate.
    1. escobert's Avatar
      escobert -
      The battle system is my main concern.
    1. Ayen's Avatar
      Ayen -
      Quote Originally Posted by BlasterDarkRen View Post
      I guess I am the only person on this planet who like Genesis then? I'm honestly torn about whether I want him to appear or not though. I want the story told properly but what that means is open to debate.
      I never felt very strongly about him. They were obviously building him up as this major antagonist after DOC and CC, but nothing ever came of it.
    1. Freya's Avatar
      Freya -


      fans reactions to them saying to look forward to the crossdressing
    1. Wolf Kanno's Avatar
      Wolf Kanno -
      Nomura confirmed that the plot will be expanded and changed a bit.

      Kitase mentioned back in the day that he would likely alter elements of the game he was either dissatisfied with or felt has aged poorly but he would also consider the fan reaction to such changes.
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