

I don’t want a game I can casually blow through because I know all the nuances. The famous mechanical scorpion boss at the sequence’s climax forced me to focus, paying attention to all its movements, and changing back and forth between Cloud and Barret as the need arose.Īnd when it comes down to it, that’s what I want out of this remake. The combat is much more challenging and relies on a good grasp of the tools at your disposal. The same section in FF VII was a simple tutorial that you could generally blow through, ending boss included.

When it does, you have access to more specialized moves and magic. While this is happening, the ATB gauge is still filling up.
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In battle now, you’re free to do basic attacks whenever you want, switching between modes at will (for the character Cloud, this was simply a faster, lighter style and a stronger, slower one). FF VII Remake evolves that battle system in a natural and, more importantly, fun way, taking cues from previous FF games and action RPGs in general.Īnd I believe that change is emblematic of the demo in general: evolution and polish – mostly (I’ll get to that later). When it did, it was that character’s turn to make a move. Those nuts and bolts on his shoulder must be a DIY jobīased on the hour-long demo, developer Square Enix has done a really nice job of catering to nostalgia while evolving the game’s systems.ĭuring battles in the original, you waited patiently on your side of the battle field while your ATB (Active Time Battle) gauge filled up. It felt like a real place – a great modern recreation. It had so many more nooks, crannies and doors than the original. The remake caught me off guard – and delighted me – when I discovered that the Mako reactor (essentially a power plant) that I know like the back of my hand revealed a much greater, fleshed-out version of itself. It became ingrained in my mind in a way that only something experienced during that time can be. It’s surreal playing a remake of a game that I first played when my brain was in its prime developmental years. I took a look at the free demo of the first episode (available on the PlayStation Network Store).

FF VII Remake will be released episodically, with each episode purported to be the length of a full, meaty game. Now, 23 years after the release of the original, that question will finally be answered.
