The 10 Year Wait for a Final Fantasy VII Remake Announcement

It has been almost a month since Sony’s press conference at E3 2015, at the conference they announced many things that made me excited as a PlayStation fan. The announcement that had the
most effect on me was the Final Fantasy 7 remake. The Final Fantasy series holds a special place in my heart as a fan of JRPGs, Final Fantasy VII was the game that changed my perspective on storytelling in video games. I learned that video games weren't a child's play thing anymore; it was a medium of entertainment that can tell a better story that movies and TV couldn't. Hearing a remake of my favourite entry in the series excites me for sure. I won’t lie I teared up a little when I saw Cloud in the trailer, it feels like I’ve been waiting a decade for this promise to be made.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that this announcement was a decade in the making, I say that because it was at E3 2005 that a Final Fantasy VII tech demo was revealed showcasing the power of the PS3. This tech demo’s purpose was to excite developers but it mostly excited fans on the idea of a Final Fantasy VII remake. I think that was the moment when fans started voicing there need for a remake and with the rise of social media in the last 10 years that voice has got even louder. With the announcement I think I need to get some earplugs now.

The Squaresoft that released Final Fantasy VII in 1997 is not the same company that we know today, a lot of things have changed since they merged with Enix in 2003. Since the merger I don’t really think Square has put a lot of their attention on their Japanese game division, they have been concentrating mostly on their western games; in the last two years or so that kind of mentality is changing thankfully. Right now is the best possible time to announce a remake for Final Fantasy VII with that 20th anniversary not too far way.  The remake has the potential to be a great if done right by Square Enix.

I’m not very skeptical of this remake but there are certain factors that I am worried about. The idea of a remaking game is taking what you have and modernizing for today’s audience. That can include the story, character models, the battle system and many other aspects that make the game what it is. For the script of the game I have no doubt that they will edit more than a few scenes, thinking back Final Fantasy VII had some silly scenes that I hope they keep in.

The game’s battle system is another thing I’m not that worried about but I’ve listen to opinions of people who are. The battle system does need to be traditional but I could see them doing a hybrid of a traditional and a real time battle system; a better version of Final Fantasy XIII’s battle system being done is what I imagine will happen. I like to believe that the developer of this project and Square Enix know what they’re doing. The spirit of Final Fantasy VII needs to be alive in this remake just like any aspect of the game. Then there is the character of Cloud comes into question.

Hey don't give me that look, just put a smile on Cloud

In Final Fantasy VII Cloud was a character that had his serious and funny moment in the game, but over the years when the character has showed up in other media like Kingdom Hearts, Dissidia Final Fantasy and Advent Children; personally I’ve only seen the serious Cloud. It makes a person want to see Cloud crack a smile or laugh once in a while in those games, I hope they show us the Cloud we remember from that original game. I have no idea if they would do this but I do hope they extend Zack’s presence in the game since I found Crisis Core to be such an interesting game that added to the story of the hero that came before Cloud.

With Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts 3 heavily into development in addition to the Japanese games they announced at their E3 conference, I can’t help but wonder if Square Enix can manage doing a Final Fantasy VII remake. I guess it makes it easier that the remake is being developed by an external developer; having it done externally has its pros/cons and hopefully Square Enix can manage it.

At first I heard the developer was CyberConnect2 who have a reputation with there .hack and Naruto games. I could see that happening since they did develop Final Fantasy VII G-Bike for mobile, which for all we all know could have been a test to be a developer for the remake; from what I’ve seen of that game they passed. There really hasn’t been any confirmation on the developer of the remake, but I hope it is CyberConnect2 since they are one of my favourite Japanese developers.

I will admit I have my concerns about the remake like anyone else. I don’t really have an idea when

I guess the reunion wasn't just wishful thinking

this remake will come out but best case scenario they release it in 2017 for the 20th anniversary. I think the E3 trailer is all I need for 2015, with some time I hope developer takes their time and Square Enix releases some more information of the game in 2016. I don't really think I need to repeat myself on how excited I am for this remake,I hope everyone is excited for this as I am.

Written By Dennis Price

Check Us Out:
Twitter: Twitter.com/undiscoveredr3l
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/UndiscoveredGaming/247858188717869
Tumblr: Undiscoveredgaming.tumblr.com