The Final Fantasy VII Remake Looks More and More Promising for Die-Hard Fans

Final Fantasy VII needs little introduction. Squaresoft’s (now Square Enix’s) 1997 PlayStation classic holds up as arguably one of the most iconic, enduring video games of all time. And for good reason. The story, hefty with themes of perception, identity, moral grays, bioethics, capitalism, classism, war, environmental crisis, loss, humanity—and the cost of it all—remains relevant, relatable, and and poignant through the churn of time. It’s been 22 years since the game’s release, and as of today, there are only 173 days remaining until fans, die-hard, casual, and all in between, receive what they have been clamoring for since protagonist Cloud Strife first vaulted off a Midgar train and into gaming history.

Redone, but instantly recognizable. Square Enix

March 3, 2020, marks the release of the first episodic installment of the long-awaited Final Fantasy VII remake. For the better part of the past two decades, hopes for a remake looked grim. In 2005, to hype the PlayStation 3, a “tech demo” showing a redo of the opening scene of FFVII debuted at E3, lacking some clarity that it was only a demo showcasing the capabilities of the upcoming system. This sent fans into a frenzy (I still have a copy of the Game Informer issue where the “remake” was covered), and the excitement, demand, and anxiety for a legitimate remake never subsided.

Although Final Fantasy VII spawned a plethora of spinoffs—referred to as the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, including a 2006 film—Square Enix seemed determined to focus on other projects, trying to replicate the success of its megahit elsewhere. But despite some objective successes, nothing ever quite topped VII (how could it?), and finally, in 2015, a legitimate remake was announced.

C’mon newcomer, follow me! Square Enix

This is a video game that, for a great majority of its fanbase, isn’t just a game. Maybe it is because the themes of the story were presented in an accessible metaphor to a hyperreceptive age group, or because of the cultural impact it had at the time of its original release (boys of the late ’90s openly comparing notes about being moved to tears as a primitive achievement trophy). Maybe it is because there hadn’t been anything like it before in its groundbreaking cinematic visuals, or because of the music of Nobuo Uematsu (live Final Fantasy concerts are still being performed around the world to this day, and all of them include a performance of the quintessential FFVII final boss theme, “One-Winged Angel”). Maybe it’s nostalgia for the jewel in the crown of the golden era of PlayStation gaming. Or maybe it’s just because Final Fantasy VII truly was a phenomenal game.

And with that comes a whole lot of apprehension, along with the excitement. The trepidation is merited; we are in a glut of remakes across media. The sentiment of changing something deeply beloved can be unsettling, and whatever it is about FFVII, it feels profoundly personal. Producer Yoshinori Kitase, director of the original game, stated in an interview at E3 the remake would not be a one-for-one recreation but rather a retelling for a modern audience. This is, in ways, sorely necessary; in others, nerve-racking. In a story that is so profoundly philosophical, that changes shape depending on the angle you view it from and how deeply you invest in it, and that is known for a show-stopping, gut-punching, unforgettable ending that left a large portion of gamers unsure of what the hell happened, that fear is justified. Die-hard fans have spent decades unraveling, dissecting, questioning, and carrying the experience with them, long after they finished playing. Several of the installments of the FFVII Compilation directly retconned the original and rendered incredibly important components pointless. Square Enix has been sloppy with the IP. Apprehension is not out of place.

However, a new trailer debuted today at the Tokyo Game Show, and with each new peek, these fears seem to be dampened.

The music, though much bigger and bolder and more unapologetic in its epicness, is still clearly recognizable to the original source, quelling rumors that Uematsu would not be involved. Cloud, Barret, Tifa, and Aeris look and sound fantastic, while feeling fresh. We are given a look at most of the Turks—Reno, Rude, and leader Tseng—and hear them too. The combat looks exciting, fluid, and gorgeously cinematic. Summon Shiva and Ifrit are shown briefly, as well as the status effect of “frog” (Cloud keeps his little Buster Sword!). Sephiroth makes an expected appearance, AVALANCHE gets a bit more screen time, and there’s a tease of minigames featuring a Wall Market gym. And Don Corneo, the icon of one of the most buzzed-about and potentially problematic scenes, makes an appearance, confirming that he and his “certain tastes” will indeed be included. (Not yet confirmed is whether that’s Mark Hamill voicing him.)

There are some reveals I personally don’t like. The fact there appears to be natural light and vegetation in the slums of Midgar is a contrast to the oppressive, unsanitary, dangerous, and artificial living conditions present (and important) in the original. A completely unrecognizable character is shown in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot, along with the commentary that he belongs to SOLDIER, a superelite military faction of the Shin-Ra corporation and a central element to the story, which points to the inclusion of entirely new characters.

But with every new look we are given, it becomes clearer that this remake is not just a cash grab, a final milking of Square Enix’s most beloved and dependable IP. It looks more and more like a labor of love, a celebration of and ode to something undeniably special to all, by many of the people who originally made it.

And maybe, for the most devoted, invested, and skeptical among us, it even looks like a golden shiny wire of hope.

Nature versus nurture. Square Enix