Square Enix
WhenFinal Fantasy VII Remakelaunched in 2020 , tension were high .
Fans of the originalFinal Fantasy VII , both a genre- and puerility - defining RPG , were already skeptical about the projection due to the fact that it would only accommodate a very poor piece of the 1997 release . Those frustrations would get deepen by some much more serious unity : Remakewould launch weeks into the societal closing off era of COVID-19 . Despite get a fond critical response , the strange remake would quickly become a polarizing game among fans . Even Digital Trends wascritical of it at the sentence : “ Although the completeFinal Fantasy VIIstoryline is a fascinating , emotional globe - trot escapade , this first 40 - minute romp is anything but . ”
Square Enix
It was an understandable response , but hindsight is 20/20 . The further we move away from the tense context that define its launch , the sluttish it is to seeFinal Fantasy VII Remakefor what it actually is . With fans currently buzzing about its upcoming sequel , the seemingly more faithfulFinal Fantasy VII Rebirth , it ’s time to giveRemakethe critical review it merit . set up aside the nostalgia goggles and you ’ll discover one of the most subversive big - budget video games ever made .
Bound by fate
WhenFinal Fantasy VII Remakebegins , it seems like a absolutely faithful modernisation of the original RPG . We get a intimate opening night successiveness where worldly-minded Cloud Strife engages in some ecoterrorism , blowing up one the evil Shinra ’s defilement - have reactor . Its a much longer sequence than it was in the original , but it ’s moderately by the book liken to other retooled sequences .
That ’s a bit of a artifice . The risky venture snuff it in a radical direction later on on when Cloud and company are haunted by mysterious Whispers that seem to be controlling their fortune . As it turns out , these creatures ( dubbed “ plot spectre ” by critics ) are trying to force the gang to sting to the original ’s successiveness of consequence . They quite literally stop Cloud from deviating from the handwriting . That outre revelation all switch the focus of Cloud ’s Midgar adventure , putting him in a struggle against the literal concept of destiny .
If you never drive around to playing it , you may probably sympathise why citizenry feel a little miff .
No , Final Fantasy VII Remakeisn’t a 1:1 recreation of its iconic similitude — but that ’s what make it special . The Logos “ Remake ” in the title is a bit of a red Clupea harangus . It ’s not that the gameisa remake ofFinal Fantasy VII ; it’saboutremakingFinal Fantasy VII .
The bluff labor create more sense when you view it through that metatextual electron lens . Cloud and fellowship are n’t justRPG heroes , but stall - indium for the creative squad adjudicate to devise such a daunting projection . The originalFinal Fantasy VIIis a beloved game that means a mess to its fans and the gaming industry as a whole . A remaking would have to contend with hard emotions , making it difficult to deviate from its iconic story . Any writer working on a revisit would be bound by fate , ensnare in a predetermined script defend by its own plot ghost : protective fans .
Rather than trying to dodge around that realness , Remaketurns subtext into text . The result is a wildly insurgent game about our fight to break spare from lot . That ’s delivered inclassic Final Fantasyfashion , full of derisory escalation and a fight against God , but it ’s an fabulously humanist tale too . We get to see Cloud take control of his own story alongside a development squad confidently laying out its own vision for the domain ofFinal Fantasy VII . It ’s a liveliness - swear game , one that posits that we ’re masters of our own destiny . And that ’s especially hopeful in context of use of a story about the inevitable destruction of our planet due to climate change .
Even dissentious piece ofRemake‘s conception subroutine in that artistic context . Its tight , linear horizontal surface reenforce that melodic theme by trapping musician in claustrophobic corridors with an inevitable exit dot . Rebirth , by dividing line , will toss players into subject - macrocosm spaces — a reflection of the party ’s newfound exemption . Controversial decision like that giveRemakeits power , allow Square Enix to deliver a amazingly focus story where every vista feels thematically run aground .
Though I ’ve always feel likeFinal Fantasy VII Remakegot a bad rap at launching , the split chemical reaction to it only reinforce its point . There was immense pressure for Square Enix to deport on fan expectations . Straying from the original ’s path would be a risky move that would undoubtedly ruffle some Chocobo feathers . But you do n’t often make great art without sheer decision . Final Fantasy VII Remakewouldn’t be the masterfully self - reflexive game it is without dare to refuse tacky nostalgia ( if you want to see a companionship turn over your memory into Johnny Cash , try the microtransaction - filledFinal Fantasy VII Ever Crisis ) .
Remember that when you dive intoFinal Fantasy VII Rebirthon February 29 or hear its new free demonstration today . It could n’t exist without the serial fighting back against its own plot ghosts .
