Seven Wishes I Hope The Final Fantasy VII Remake Project Accomplishes (And What I Hope It Avoids)
The game is finally released today and I explain my wishes for the Remake going forward
“Final Fantasy 7: Remake” finally releases TODAY worldwide. I’ve played the original “Final Fantasy 7” game back in 1997 and it stands as one of the greatest games of all time and one of my personal favorites. I’m excited to see what this new remake has in store for a beloved game of my childhood. To celebrate, I’ll be doing an article series tackling on some different aspects of the game that I find interesting and what made it so memorable. Be careful as there are MASSIVE SPOILERS throughout this article series so approach with caution (if you care). Today’s article will focus on my wishes for this Remake Project, what Square can learn from the original game as well as it other supplemental mediums, and what possible mistakes I hope they avoid going forward.
It’s finally here! It’s kind of hard to believe it but this game does indeed exist ladies and gentlemen! I still can’t believe Square Enix managed to pull it off. They finally completed Final Fantasy VII Remake. This game has been in development since 2014 and was announced at E3 2015. We saw some gameplay footage at the PlayStation Experience Show in December 2015 and we haven’t heard anything about this game for nearly five years but we now finally have the full game in our hands! Credit to the development team for the hardwork put into developing this game especially during these trying times and it looks like it’s paying off. So far, it has a high metacritic rating with most publications stating that it’s a contender for Game of The Year. And considering how many great games have been released this year so far, it’s a high achievement.
Since most people have started playing this game (I will be shortly since I’m expected to receive the game at my home) I figured this would be a good time to express what I hope this Remake Project accomplishes in the future and what I definitely hope they avoid going forward. Square Enix has never done a large remake project of this magnitude. This is the first time a mainline Final Fantasy game is given the HD Remake treatment and this could either make or break the series. Most of the original team is back on board working on this project and they have the creative license to do what they see fit. I think they can do it justice but I’m also concerned they make some choices that might not suit my tastes but that remains to be seen.
Anyways, here are my seven wishes:
- ) A Balanced Three to Four Act Structure
The original game had a near perfect pace. It’s clear that Square Enix wants to include more content while staying true to the original. That’s actually fine because as I mentioned before, what’s the point of doing a remake if you’re not even going to reimagine some aspects of the story you’re trying to tell. That said, I think it’s best for them to keep the games at least three to four “episodes” (three to four full games). Square has already stated that they’re using the Final Fantasy XIII Trilogy as the base model for their “episode-based” game structure. That’s fine and there were three full games of those. We’re on the precipice of entering a new console generation since the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are right around the corner for their eventual release. We don’t need like six full games of this since that would be excess padding. Keep it simple but expansive enough for a full series of games that fans can enjoy.
2.) Incorporate the Positive Elements of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
The Compilation series was always something er…controversial to say the least among fans of FFVII but it does have some elements that were enjoyable and worked in terms of the overall plot and characterization: Barret’s side story in “On the Way to Smile,” Zack’s rise and eventual death in Crisis Core, etc. I would like to see those elements added to the Remake project and used in better light. Judging from the trailers, that seems to be the case. Good! I think it can provide some much needed spark in the game’s original plot and this would allow the world of Gaia to feel more alive than it did in the original game.
3.) More experimentation of the ATB combat system
I’m also basing this from the demo but I must say I am thoroughly enjoying VII Remake’s combat system. It captures the spirit of the original in terms of it being a turn based style RPG but it’s clearly action oriented that it feels modernized. That said, I would like a bit more freedom in terms of the game’s combat system. It’s somewhat inspired by the Dissidia series but I wouldn’t mind if it went further than that such as customizing combos, creating free chain attacks with your Materia, etc. Doubt that they will do this (I mean, that would be completely different from the original) but I would encourage them to at least look into it.
4.) More intimacy between the characters
Again, this is a given considering that this was already stated by Square that they would be doing this in the Remake but I do want to see budding relationships grow in the game (and I don’t just mean the “infamous” love triangle between Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith). I want to see Cloud and Barret develop a real comradeship as the series progresses. I want to know how characters like Tifa, Aerith, Red XIII, and the others feel about each other. There needs to be intimate dialogue that gives the player the sense as to the nature of everyone’s relationship. I also want to know Sephiroth’s “obsession” with Cloud and the homoerotic subtext between the two (oh trust me it’s there..and it’s not healthy!). By doing this, they can add a wholly, fully-fleshed out experience with the Remake series that I’m sure a lot of people would enjoy.
5.) More “Nomuraisms”
Since Tetsuya Nomura is directing the Remake project (as of now) I would like to see his trademark styles from his Kingdom Hearts games into the Remake. That means heartfelt stories that deal with emotional connections with people but also bats**t insane plot twists nobody would ever see coming. Say what you will about this guy but you can’t deny that A.) he brings quality to the games he directs B.) his “weirdness” in his games is what keeps him employed at Square Enix (that and the fact that he’s a damn good artist). I also want Nomura to make FF7 Remake his game as opposed to his predecessor. Nomura has to bring his vision and his personality into the game in order for it to take a life of its own. As I said, there’s no point to doing a remake if you’re just going for a beat by beat reimagining of the same game.
6.) No pointless, excess padding
I don’t mind a bunch of sidequests — it comes with the RPG experience — but they either need to pertain to the story and its impact on the world or provide additional secrets and gameplay content that can make it all the more enjoyable. I don’t want to be doing something completely inane and dull that won’t actually do much in the scheme of things.
7.) Keep the inclusion of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII characters to a minimum
I already know that some of the characters like Leslie Kyle and Kyrie Canaan are going to be included in the game. That’s fine because they added something unique to the world of FF7 but I’d rather not see individuals like Genesis or the Remnants of Sephiroth in this Remake project. They offered nothing to the Compilation series and their existence pretty much tied to “bad guys needing stopping.” They didn’t have a direct influence on the protagonists or evolve the story. They were dull so don’t have them in the Remake project unless their roles are different or they actually breathe life into the story.
And that’s it! I’m looking forward to enjoying this game during these trying times. I’m sure I’m not alone on this. Maybe I’ll do a follow up and talk more about the game and what the supposed conclusion means going forward but for now I’m going to just enjoy playing it. Thank you for following this article series with me throughout the week.
Let’s mosey on and enjoy this game together!
