Final Fantasy VII Remake Completionist Review

The early release of F inal Fantasy VIII: Remake is due to COVID-19’s complications. We’re not complaining. This title has been on our wish list for years. It’s surreal that this game is finally coming to fruition. After countless rumors and tech demos that were ill-fated, as well as a multitude of spin-off games, April 2020 marked one of the most celebrated JRPGs ever. Can it live up to the unsurmountable hype associated with the name Final Fantasy VII? Shortly, I am happy to report that the answer is yes. However, it’s not without caveats. It’s not perfect, and I didn’t expect it to. This title is not a masterpiece. There are many flaws. This is a review of the remake from a completionist’s perspective.

This is why I was determined to finish the game. Playstation users are used to earning the platinum trophy. I, however, wanted to go that extra mile and complete the Final Fantasy VII Remake play log upon completion. Although I respect the opinions of those around me, I also found that many reviewers seemed to rush through the game, rushing the content. It is important that players take the time to enjoy each of the 18 chapters of the game. This review is based on someone who has played the game for nearly 80 hours. This much time is not necessary to fully enjoy FFVII.R, but players will be left with a hollow experience if the narrative and map are linear.

Environmental Design

The immersive environments of Final Fantasy are some of the best in the modern Final Fantasy titles. Modern visuals have always lacked something. It’s harder to create a sense of “reality” in a 3D world than it was with the beautiful pre-rendered backgrounds that games like Final Fantasy VII or VIII used. The developers of VII’s Remake were able capture the dystopian feeling of Midgar down to the gritty detail of each of the denizens. The towns are crowded with people who all have two lines of dialogue expressing their opinions on current events. This seemingly minor addition adds immense value to the game by immersing you in Midgar.

The environments are usually beautiful, but they can be pixelated in some areas. It’s obvious that the PlayStation 4 could not handle such a high-detail rendering, but its flaws are more noticeable when everything else looks good. These backdrops are straight out of a PlayStation 2 title. This would have been acceptable 15 years ago.

Music Composition and Sound

The game’s sound is exceptional in almost every way. In some cases, the remade versions of the original tracks are better than the originals. Due to the haunting sounds that the playstation hardware was capable of producing, the game loses some charm. The modernized composition is impossible to reproduce, but it does an amazing job of capturing the emotions of a 23-year-old game. Dialog, however, has a more lukewarm change in direction. The original didn’t have voice acting, and instead relied on blocky character sprites for emotions. This was a surprising feat, even today. The voice acting in the remake proves to be inconsistent throughout the 38+ hour campaign. Some highlights are Britt Baron as Tifa and Erica Lindbeck as Jessie with the occasionally spectacular Barret monologue delivered by John Eric Bentley. While Cloud and the remaining core characters do adequately at their role, it becomes obvious who the newcomers are on the cast versus veterans who have voiced in various other video games, anime, and even movies.

Gameplay

As far as gameplay goes Final Fantasy VII Remake is exceptional in nearly every way. Leveling isn’t a slog-fest and is a constant reward for the player, the materia system is an admirable revamp of the oversimplified systems of old, and the added weapons upgrade system keeps all weapons relevant throughout the entire campaign (The Buster Sword still is the most well-balanced weapon even 50+ hours in, thankfully). What makes the entire system work, however, is the game’s excellent combat. I’ve played and have completed nearly every mainline Final Fantasy title and few come close to the heights Final Fantasy VII: Remake reaches with its action-oriented combat with the ATB system baked into it. As with other fans, I was worried about the game feeling to “hack and slashy”, particularly after the demo ended with players pretty much just mashing on the Scorpion Sentinel for 8 minutes straight. Thankfully, as the game progresses and more combat mechanics, party members, and materia are inserted into the equation, the combat begins feeling surprisingly tactical.

Players are able to quickly swap to any of the three-party members at any moment, utilizing their kit optimally. Enemies also possess their strengths and weaknesses that aren’t exclusively tied to an elemental affinity. It incorporates the game’s weapons as well, with Cloud not always being the best option in any given engagement. Sometimes that manifests with players swapping to Barret to shoot down those hard to reach turrets that rain fire on your squad, in other cases it could mean becoming Tifa to pound on hard-shelled opponents that prevent combos from Cloud’s hulking sheet of metal. There is almost always a reason to swap regularly, for better or for worse. The worse being due to A.I. pathing issues and just straight up sucking in some encounters. The A.I. gains ATB (currency earned through real-time attacking that can be spent to use abilities, items, and magic) at a snail’s pace, providing no noticeable impact beyond their basic attacks. Using ATB in combat is crucial to surviving an encounter and without character swapping only the character the player takes charge of accumulates it at a rapid pace. In addition, the aggro/threat system so simple it hurts.

The character the player is in direct control of is the one receiving enemies’ attention. While there is certain materia that can change the conditions of this aggression, it generally does not change even 40+ hours into the game. The threat system is initially frustrating, particularly in encounters where an enemy’s signature moves are stun locks (incapacitates characters over and over again). Yet, in Hard Mode, players have generally learned how to exploit this system through rapid character swapping. This tactic confuses the enemies’ pathing and causes brief moments of inaction, allowing the player to act freely. No it is not necessarily cheating but it can diminish the challenge of some fights while cheapening the experience.

Continuing on to the difficulty, I suspect most players will experience practically no issue completing this title on normal mode (with the exception of one surprise encounter mid-game). It’s for that reason I cannot recommend playing on Easy or even Classic, as they present such little challenge that combat becomes trivial. The fun of this game IS the combat and without the fights, Final Fantasy VII: Remake just doesn’t have enough content going for it. While I dislike the notion of being reductive in a game I enjoy immensely, it simply is the truth that much of the story structured through a linear pathway. The freedom of choices reign in the combat encounters and the load outs of weapons, equipment, and materia the player can choose from.

In fact, some of the most fun I had were in the coliseum-esque sections where players do battle with waves of enemies. Learning the ins and outs of enemies, especially on Hard Mode where most encounters have the potential to wipe an unprepared party. While difficult on Hard Mode, anytime I would become frustrated with a battle, I realized that I’d overcome them with careful planning and preparation. I could no longer expect to beat an encounter with raw numbers, I had to strategize. This is when a Final Fantasy game is at its best.

Story/Narrative

For fans of the original Final Fantasy VII, you will be happy to see many story elements recreated but with modern technology. Emotions that couldn’t be conveyed with the limitations of the Playstation console are on full display here with detailed character models. Segments that were only minor beats in the original game are blown into entire chapters in the remake, adding incredible depth to the relationship between the members of AVALANCHE. Barret, in particular, steals the show on numerous occasions with his tough demeanor but caring soul. As the story progresses both him and Cloud, who both were intentionally insufferable in the beginning hours, thaw out and create an endearing dynamic. This character development felt authentic, given what they had been through. I’m also relieved to see that Cloud, the stoic mercenary, doesn’t remain a one-note character throughout the story.

In regards to the ending, just be aware of how divisive it is. Fans are going to be split on whether they liked it or not. That isn’t to say its good or bad but prepare to find yourself in either camp after the credits roll. Don’t take my or the rest of the Internet’s word for it, however. The best kinds of art are interpretive and it is up for you to decide how to feel about it.

Conclusion

How long is Final Fantasy VII: Remake? A run-through on normal, without skipping any side quests, took me around 37 hours to clear. A run-through on Hard Mode, while trying to complete the Play Log takes around 70-78 hours. There is a lot of meat here so if you value length to justify your purchase you are completely covered. For fans of the original Final Fantasy VII be warned: there is a ton of padding in the remake. While I didn’t shirk at the opportunity to learn more about characters and see an expanded version of Midgar, there are ridiculous aspects of the game that serve to only lengthen one’s runtime. I can’t go far into the details without spoiling the game but the padding isn’t exclusively limited to side quests. There are mainline activities that feel entirely unnecessary and don’t add much to the game’s lore. This perhaps is the game’s biggest shortcoming, yet it doesn’t take away to the exceptional experience the game otherwise provides.