Let's Discuss the Potential of Final Fantasy VIII Remake

[Mercen-X]

A month into the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake, we now have a fairly decent gauge on how SQEX might approach their Next-Gen titles should they ever decide to do more remakes... which, let's face it, they will. It's all a matter of when.

Which aspects of 8 do you feel most lend themselves to what potentially would be another ARPG? What features do you think would be destroyed and do you care?

The story would likely be totally rewritten, presenting questions like: will they bother with the Time Compression plot? Will they resolve the R=U mystery? What the hell is the deal with the tattoo on Zell's face?

The remaster of 8 was "nice". But Remake proves it could be so much better. Were it to be released (probably no sooner than 15 years from now), what would you be most excited to see?

[Slothy]

should they ever decide to do more remakes... which, let's face it, they will. It's all a matter of when.

Smaller remakes like the 3D version of FFIV or Trials of Mana sure. But I would be willing to bet money we never see a remake of any FF from them that puts as much time and money in as the FFVII remake. Simply will not happen.

[Mercen-X]

Money generates money. If the VII episodes match their projected estimates of success, they'll redo VIII (and likely VI) in similar fashion. It's easy enough to do "simple" remakes from the (s)NES generation. Just take the whole game as is and slap prettier graphics on 'em. But VII has raised the stakes for Nex'Gen remakes. They can't go backward. Don't get me wrong. I highly doubt they'll pull a Midgar Episode and have fans spending 40-hours just trying to reach Deling City. But it is likely they'd only adapt the first half of the game. Bear in mind the original was presented on FOUR discs.

[Fynn]

FFVIII will most definitely not get a remake on this scale. This is mostly because 1) VIII was always far more divisive than VII and 2) the FFVII Remake is less a response to fan demand (though that's definitely there too) and more Nomura, Kitase and Nojima just wanting to do it before they retire as a kind of passion project. There'll be no one left to helm FFVIII like that after them. I mean, obviously Nomura is the youngest of the bunch and he's not retiring, but he's got a Kingdom Hearts to run and I've never seen him particularly have a passion for VIII.

Now, if Tabata were still around, we might have had a chance for a VI remake like this, but alas.

[Mercen-X]

So then I take it that further discussion of a project we assume is doomed never to see the light of day is too painful a subject for this forum.

[Slothy]

Money generates money. If the VII episodes match their projected estimates of success, they'll redo VIII (and likely VI) in similar fashion. It's easy enough to do "simple" remakes from the (s)NES generation. Just take the whole game as is and slap prettier graphics on 'em. But VII has raised the stakes for Nex'Gen remakes. They can't go backward. Don't get me wrong. I highly doubt they'll pull a Midgar Episode and have fans spending 40-hours just trying to reach Deling City. But it is likely they'd only adapt the first half of the game. Bear in mind the original was presented on FOUR discs.

Money doesn't generate money. Customer interest generates money. And I can guarantee that the number of people who would be as interested in an FFVIII remake as people were in an FFVII remake are substantially fewer. FFVIII wasn't as popular when it came out, it didn't have as big an impact on gaming, and it's not as fondly remembered by pretty much anyone except the few FFVIII super fans.

I also object to the notion that the FFVII remake has set some bar they can never back away from. That's simply not true. The market will still have no shortage of low effort and higher effort remakes. Though I doubt we'll ever see another company do a remake of one game as multiple games ever again. I mean I'm as anti-capitalism as they come and even I think that's bad business.

Also have to agree with everything Fynn said.

So then I take it that further discussion of a project we assume is doomed never to see the light of day is too painful a subject for this forum.

Nah we were just sharing our thoughts on why we don't particularly think one will ever happen. You and others are perfectly welcome to continue discussing what you'd want to see if one was made. Those kind of hypotheticals can be a lot of fun so I don't want to take that away from anyone. I've said my piece so it's not like I'll just keep jumping in to say "but it'll never happen" or something annoyingly rude just to kill the fun for you all. I don't really have anything to add in that regard because I'm just not a fan of FFVIII. If a remake ever did happen I wouldn't be a person it's being made for.

[Wolf Kanno]

I agree that SE will likely not put in the same level of effort for an VIII remake as VII, but I do feel a remake will happen sooner than later. I imagine VI and even FFX will likely see a remake before it.

I've thought of the idea, and a few months back I posted a thread about how I feel VIII's Junction/Draw mechanics would make it really interesting being re-imagined as an Action RPG. As for other changes, I can see them fleshing out the cast a bit more and perhaps making Ultimecia's motive easier to understand so we can bury this R=U nonsense. Funny enough, Kitase has mentioned in interviews that he did like the "Squall is dead" theory and I can imagine they may add more elements to make you second guess if they actually went along with it.

There is certainly a lot to work with in VIII's scenario and content for expansion and rewrites so a remake would be fascinating.

[Lord Golbez]

The ending of the FF7 Remake would have been more fitting for an FF8 Remake (no spoilers, just saying without further comment which would be spoilery).

[Mercen-X]

Let's see. A remastered remaster of the FF8 remaster.

• Voice-acting for plot-critical scenes and FMVs (and "action" sounds).
• New animations for Guardian Forces (with a new name, 'cause GF has always been: no).
• Zell's Limit Break is so close to being awesome, but it needs some work.
• Maybe some party member-specific sidequests or alternate outfits to help make your companions somewhat interesting.
• "Forming the band" at Fishermancs Horizon should happen automatically as it was a boring and tedious sidenote.
• All summons should be bosses (except Carbuncle) instead of boss draws.
• I only recall two battles where the enemy reacts differently. Ifrit comments if you some Shiva and Seifer (if you defeated Odin) instigates the arrival of Gilgamesh. There should be more of these because this makes battles interesting.
• Expand on the Laguna segments, let the characters grow more and have them be playable at game's end. Also Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin need more development.
• If an ARPG, maybe only Squall can be controlled directly while you issue commands to the others. Just a thought.

[Mercen-X]

• Junction would function differently (well, naturally, but just don't ask me how)... maybe some creative limitations.
• The first battle between Squall and Seifer would be playable. Squall's scar can be avoided (it was a stupid aesthetic that added nothing to the story or his character)
• There would be voice-acting for everything, obviously.
• Giving Selphie a tour would be non-optional (or faux-optional like Aerith's flower)
• Renzokuken would be Squall's default attack with the selectable alternates as his abilities/Limit Breaks. R1 would obviously remain in conjunction with his regular attacks to "pull the trigger." R1 would essentially function as all characters' "unique" skill activation.
• Quistis' Laser Eyes would be her "unique" skill in which she would ensnare an enemy with her whip (rather than just tagging them) and then fire away. Her Limit Breaks would be either Degenerator, Micro Missiles, Gatling Gun, or Pulsar.
• The mission to obtain Ifrit would be expanded and would involve venturing to a separate continent ('cause why does the school have access to Quetz and Shiva when Ifrit is right next door? Dude even acts embarrassed to be defeated by Squall so it's obviously the first time. But why?)
• Zell's fighting style would be the same as Tifa's only using different abilities/LimitBreaks.
• Dollet would be expanded with its own sidequests (because who needs to feel a sense of urgency anyway?) We'll also see more action from the rest of SeeD that was supposed to be deployed. Alsodid anyone else find it rude and unnecessary that one of Balamb's ships slammed through a marine wall that was obviously built by Dollet and not the Galbadian invaders? It didn't save time, there was no one immediately nearby to fight, and now Dollet has to shell out for the cost to repair that section of wall.
• Seifer's fighting style will echo Squall's but with access to different abilities and LimitBreaks. Squall will acquire Hyperion after the first Seifer/Edea battle.
• As per the original, you can defeat X-whatever (not trying to remember its serial number) for SeeD points, but like Abzu in 7R, you'll face it again later in the story.
• Zell's hoverboard will have a more sleek design. Hell, Zell himself will be better designed. Oh, yeah, and we'll get to use the hoverboard.
• Timber will be expanded and have its own sidequests (is this any surprise?)
• In Deling, Quistis' group will not travel by sewer because they will not be trapped in Caraway's office because Quistis will not have the dumb idea to say she's sorry to someone inconsequential to her current goal during an active mission.
• We will not find out the SeeDs grew up together in an orphanage and got mako-amnesia from their GFunctioning. There was literally no point to this reveal. It was totally irrelevant and nonsensical.
• Ultimecia will clearly explain that she knows she is destined to die at the hands of a SeeD and will alter time to prevent that certainty.
• Triple Triad won't be played by everyone everywhere and characters won't magically be holding cards that represent themselves or one of your party members they happen to be close to. TT needs a lot of work.
• Seifer will not kill Odin because WTF!?
• SeeD written exams will either be much harder or won't exist.
• Finding Ellone won't be as troublesome as in the original.
• Moombas will be redesigned.

[Shauna]

Merged threads - they are functionally the same thing.

[Jessweeee♪]

So then I take it that further discussion of a project we assume is doomed never to see the light of day is too painful a subject for this forum.

It is for me! Literally everything I love about this game would probably get cut in a remake because those were the things that made it unpopular.

[Mr Gashtacular]

it would be the best game of all time

[Wolf Kanno]

Gameplay thoughts will take way too long, but I'll mention some story changes I would like to see:

• More Laguna sequences. Maybe a few extra that pop up if you manage to find his Timber Maniacs.
• Give Seifer more purpose in the plot. He always felt really aimless for someone giving so much billing and foreshadowing.
• Flesh out Ultimecia, I still feel like she's the most generic villain of the PS1 generation. Of anything, I would just like some real backstory on Time Compression, how does she know about it, why is the process so convoluted, and does it have any connection to Hyne.
• Flesh out the rest of the party. Let's talk about Zell's grandfather let's explore why Quistis is a prodigy, let's see more of what Selphie was like before she met the party, and let's learn more about Irvine. Basically, I would like to know what happened between everyone getting adopted but before they joined Garden.
• Make the GF amnesia twist carry more weight. Have more scenes later where the party starts to forget things, and let's really explore this story potential.
• Give NORG more story presence.

[Karifean]

I think an FF VIII remake would struggle with Squall's constant inner monologues especially. You can have the occasional "narrating inner thoughts out loud" of course but I'd imagine it doesn't work quite as well voiced as with text boxes. Thoughts move faster than spoken lines and the pacing of fully acted scenes would be extremely off if Squall's inner monologues had to be spoken out as a scene is ongoing. It works in text because it makes the pace of the scene a bit more abstract.