5 Reasons Why The Final Fantasy VII Remake Is A Great Idea (And 2 Reasons Why It’s Not)

Choosing a favourite video game of all-time is an extremely difficult task, but if push came to shove, a huge percentage of gamers out there would select Final Fantasy VII as their all-time favourite. Japanese role playing games were already successful to a point, but it was the seventh instalment of the series that popularized the genre worldwide and changed the landscape of gaming forever. Few games have evoked such a loyal and devoted (kind words for obsessive and borderline psychotic) following. So, naturally, talk of a potential FFVII remake has consumed RPG message boards constantly since the game's release in 1997. Despite the steady stream of spinoff movies and games that the original title generated, many had still given up hope that a remake would ever become a reality. The release of a HD update for the PS4 seemed to be the closest we'd ever get, short of slashing a goats throat and selling our souls to the Sony gods. Turns out there's a few less goats in the world now, as E3 2015 made the dreams of millions come true, finally confirming that a FFVII remake is indeed on the way. With most of the original core team back at the helm, expectations are of course ridiculously high, fuelled even further by brief footage shown at the event. As teasers go, this one was even more cryptic than most, but that didn't stop a million gamers from simultaneously exploding all at once. There are plenty of reasons to be excited about the Final Fantasy VII remake, but it's worth proceeding with caution here. The hype could raise expectations way too high, inevitably causing the same crushing disappointment that some felt while watching Avengers: Age of Ultron or anything Pixar has made since Toy Story 3 (Inside Out aside), so it's worth bearing in mind the potential pitfalls alongside the reasons it could be awesome. Join us as we break apart this announcement in more detail and try to suppress our over-excited child-like giggles. Let's start with the positives... 1) Making A Million Fanboys (And Girls) Happy The most obvious benefit of the FFVII remake going forward is that Square will finally be giving the gaming public exactly what they want. Although remakes aren't particularly welcomed by cinematic audiences, it's hard to imagine a game that's been more highly anticipated in the past 20 years, remake or not, so this move makes perfect sense for Square Enix right now. Since FFVII was first released in 1997, fans have had numerous spinoff games and even an animated movie released to whet their appetites, but nothing so far has come even remotely close in comparison to the original game. It's a testament to FFVII that people are still obsessed so many years later, particularly as Square Enix has always been keen to revamp each Final Fantasy's focus with every instalment. Fortunately, the developer is finally listening to consumer demand, satisfying fans while also making the company a shit ton of money in the process... but it's not about that, of course. Right? 2) Improved Graphics Graphics aren't integral to the success of a video game, but a clunky or dated aesthetic can certainly distract players from becoming fully immersed within the gaming world. As the first Final Fantasy to use 3D graphics, FFVII was groundbreaking upon its release, but while the pre-rendered backgrounds still look good, the actual 3D doesn't hold up as well today. This shouldn't matter necessarily as gameplay will always be paramount, but the stunning design of Midgar and the rest of FFVII's world deserves to be enhanced by sexy new graphics. The movie Final Fantasy: Advent Children looked gorgeous and that was over a decade ago, so the potential shown off in the new teaser trailer is hugely enticing, finally giving us a real glimpse of how gorgeous this remake could actually look. Just imagine it, being able to see Red XIII's tattoos up close, every individual strand of hair on Aerith's head, the intricate seams of Cloud's dress.... errrrr, you all know what I'm talking about. 3) Introduce FFVII To A New Generation No one wants to be that old person preaching to the youth about how music/games/Tom Cruise films were better back in their day, but FFVII will soon be twenty years old and its doubtful that many young gamers today would be keen to try a direct port of the game when Assassins Creed 14 has just been released. A new generation of gamers put off by the old-fashioned gameplay and even older graphics of the original FFVII deserve a chance to be blown away by one of the greatest games ever made. It's simple as that. The iconic characters and unforgettable storyline could still have the same impact that the original FFVII had all those many years ago. Off the top of my head, it's hard to think of many games that people look back on this fondly and although, nostalgia is a powerful thing, those who have played FFVII more recently through Steam or the online Playstation Store can attest that the game is still an incredible achievement, even today. 4) Updated Gameplay From the battle systems to the way materia was used, the gameplay of FFVII is often heralded as the benchmark of Japanese RPGs, but it's easy to look back with rose-tinted glasses and ignore the admittedly minor flaws of the game. Remember struggling through random battle after battle when all you wanted to do was reach that damn Mako reactor before the clock finished counting down? The summons were the most impressive yet for a Final Fantasy game, but there's only so many times you can watch Ifrit throw that damn fiery boulder before you pray to the gaming gods for that skip button. And then there's that ....... mini-game. Jesus Christ. The FFVII remake presents a perfect opportunity for the already excellent gameplay to be refined even further, overhauling the more dated mechanics for modern day gamers. Let's just hope the developers don't draw inspiration from the battle system used in FFXIII. Just no. 5) Plot Changes This might sound like a negative, but the plot of the FFVII remake could actually benefit from some changes. Now hear me out, before you assume that I'm condoning they butcher the story or that I even dislike the original plot. The tale of Cloud's fight to protect Gaia from the forces of Shinra is epic storytelling at its best. FFVII produced some of the most memorable video game characters of all-time, making it hard for players to choose a dream team once they reached that final disc. While subsequent instalments in the franchise are unfairly overlooked in the aftermath of FFVII's popularity, it's hard to find a more compelling villain than Sephiroth or even a more poignant moment than the loss of Aerith. At the risk of inciting the wrath of millions, or the far smaller number who have continued reading up to this point, a remake of FFVII would certainly benefit from a few changes here and there. The developers have already promised that they will be making some alterations and although this may instil fear in some, this could turn out to be the best thing about the game. What made the original story so compelling in the first place is the twists and turns that shocked players who were fully engrossed in the story. Those wishing to experience FFVII again will already know everything that's going to happen, so the smart move would be for the developers to play with our preconceptions and shock us in all new ways. Of course, this could also backfire and incite millions of fans to burn down Square Enix HQ in a mad rage, which leads us to a couple of reasons why the FFVII remake might not be such a good idea... 1) Too Many Changes? Ooh, now this is a tricky one. On the one hand, a direct port already exists for FFVII, so an exact replica of the original game would be redundant. Why shell out your hard earned gil for an expensive remake when you can just buy a cheap replica of the original game? However, changing too many things could ultimately anger and estrange an entire generation of fans, the majority of whom will be Square's key demographic. Changes are to be expected, but if the game is altered beyond recognition, Square Enix may lose sight of what made the original FFVII so special in the first place. This is the fine line that movie remakes have to straddle on a regular basis, but few classic video games of this caliber have received the same treatment, aside perhaps from the original Resident Evil and Tomb Raider. However, the difference between these games and FFVII is that RPGs are far more intricate in their design, delicately balancing their story and gameplay mechanics in a manner that still needs to satisfy the majority of gamers. Creating a successful RPG is a tightrope act on a good day and no other RPG will arrive with the same crazy high expectations as FFVII... so you could argue that Square are basically buggered either way really. Good luck to them! 2) Looking Back Isn't Always A Good Thing... It's no secret. In a cynical bid to cash in, Hollywood has become obsessed with the past. There are currently over a hundred sequels in development and the trend for remakes, reboots, prequels, sequels, threequels and god knows what else is only accelerating. Although there are exceptions to the rule, this has led many to believe that there's been a genuine decline in cinematic quality. The question here though is whether the announcement of the FFVII remake signals a similar trend heading to the video game industry? There's two ways of looking at this. On the one hand, Square Enix are giving the fans what they want, celebrating an iconic moment from the company's past in a way that appeals directly to the nostalgia of loyal gamers. However, there are also those out there who see the remake as a money grabbing attempt to ride off past successes. Whether the FFVII remake is good or not, Square Enix will still build money forts with their earnings for generations to come. The new FFVII is a guaranteed gold mine for the company, so let's hope Square put the time and effort into ensuring that the game lives up to the high standards of fans worldwide. Should Square Enix look back or focus on exciting new games? Will the FFVII remake live up to the hype? And will Cloud wear a dress again? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.