An important difference from the original was the plot. Final Fantasy VII Remake is not just an adaptation of the classics to modern standards, but also its complete processing with the addition of a new story.
The developers used the events of the cult game, inserting between them many new details and whole levels with their own history and unique moments. You will learn about how Avalanche characters prepared for an attack on the second reactor, get to know Biggs (who now looks like Charlie Sheen), Wedge and Jesse, be surprised at the huge flying ghosts that Iris sees, you will laugh at the top of the voice in a chic music scene in Honey Bee Inn (she’s a lot cooler than the moment with the dancing Dante from Devil May Cry V), not to mention new side quests with their own little stories.
Stage setting, except for a couple of slightly strange moments, will delight all connoisseurs of cinema art. Interesting angles and a competent change of plans help to imbue characters and enjoy the story.
Unfortunately, the company failed to fit everything within the framework of one release. Therefore, we will have to wait a few more years to see the final.
After FFXV, many were worried about the level structure in Final Fantasy VII Remake, but everything is fine with it. The Tetsui Nomura team used the hybrid design of the world, in which the corridor sections go in harmony with compact sandboxes. The missions themselves are mostly linear with small branches and secrets, the search for which is rewarded with unique objects and matter. And settlements, such as urban areas with Avalanche headquarters, Iris’ house and Wall Market, are made in the form of open areas with dozens of characters.
People basically do not just stand still, but do something. Someone paints the facade of the building, someone drags bags or barrels, regulars sit nearby in the cafe and listen to music, and a cat watches them. Even on missions, you can notice that Shinra soldiers are trying to clear the area of mutants using service flamethrowers.
Of course, if you look closely, you can see that the guy with the bag walks in a circle, and other passers-by can ridiculously collide with each other when their routes intersect. But, despite these small flaws, the atmosphere of the whole world is preserved. Largely due to the dialogues that people around the protagonist constantly lead. They discuss the latest events, characters or ask for help, which complements the plot and creates a sense of the living world, rather than cardboard scenery.
Side tasks are displayed in a special menu and almost always have a convenient tracking system through green pointers. The instructions consist of several screensavers with dialogs and unique events and involve exploring the environment in search of certain characters or creatures. Due to the compactness of the zones and the convenient system of quick return to the quest giver, they do not take much time.
In addition, additional activities include errands from Chadley, who studies matter and asks you to perform certain actions as part of battles with monsters. For example, make 20 scans. This is done in the background while you play the game, and does not require manual activation or grind, which is very convenient. For performing challenges you get a chance to buy unique material at the lowest price.
Chadley also invites you to take part in spectacular VR fights against creatures to call. If you win, you get a summon as a reward.
In general, most of the side activities in the game are well rewarded, so skipping them is not worth it. Even the study of optional sections of story missions can lead to an unexpected find, like a new sphere of matter with a powerful creature.
With all the splendor in the game, there are several problematic points that can disappoint. For example, some areas in locations may be covered by invisible walls and fences that cannot be jumped over. In some places, developers beat the dimensions of the hero’s sword, which, due to its size, cannot reach it in narrow rooms, but then, together with his hands, it partially falls into the polygons.
Of course, all this can be attributed to conventions that do not interfere with enjoying the game, but which just cannot be justified is a very uneven schedule.
Often FFVIIR looks simply amazing, striking with an incredible level of elaboration of characters, effects and details, which, together with the chic setting of battles and cutscenes, make us doubt that we have before us a game, and not an animated film in the spirit of Advent Children. But sometimes artists and programmers break the bottom: textures can begin to resemble designs with PS2 and PS3, the environment begins to dazzle with corners, and the backdrops look like 2D backgrounds from the original game for PS1. It can be seen that some textures are simply not loaded. We tried to reinstall the game on SSDbut the load still remains. Representatives of the publisher wrote to us that there will be a patch on the first day, but so far it is not clear what exactly it will change.
But the game works very stably and does not slow down in 4K-mode to PS4 Pro. In addition, Final Fantasy XIII composer Masashi Hamaudzu has done incredible work on music. All original compositions were written by Nobuo Uematsu – they have long become classics. In the remake, your favorite tunes sound not only accompanied by an orchestra, which gives the scene an epic scale and monumentality, but also in various other arrangements. Here you can find famous motifs in the manner of reggae, hip-hop or power metal.
Due to the specifics of the gameplay, fan-favorite winning fanfares are heard here in exceptional cases and often in an unexpected way. The moment was very amusing when the battles go one after another to the dynamically changing accompaniment of the orchestra, and after the victory, one of the heroes sings the famous motive.
In turn, the characters make fun of the fact that it is time for them to come up with victory racks in order to look better in the frame, and then after some time make them after winning the Coliseum. And by the way, their voices in the English version sound great.
