Final Fantasy VII is one of the
most important games of all
time. The original 1997 title
introduced the Japanese RPG
to the world and bewitched a
generation of gamers.
Following the exploits of
teenage mercenary Cloud Strife,
it was years ahead of its time...
and its message about the need
to give back to the planet to
prevent Armageddon has hardly
lost relevance.
Square Enix knows this is one
of the most loved games ever;
and so, after years (decades!)
of fan requests, rumours andpundits insisting it couldn’t be
done, FFVII has returned.
The remake is a completely
new project, built from the
ground up in a modified version
of the Unreal Engine. Square
Enix is eking out the story of the
original in episodes, each game
focusing on one major portion
of the story. The first game, due
out on PS4 on 10 April, tackles
Cloud and his crew’s attempts
to sabotage Shinra’s activities
in the city of Midgar.
As soon as the camera pulls in
on Cloud, you can see this is a true
2020 game – one that extractsevery byte of power it can from
the console. Turn-based combat
isn’t turned on by default: you’re
encouraged to get up close and
personal with your enemies,
laying down attacks until you
build up enough points for a
special move. This system feels
like what Final Fantasy XV wa s
supposed to be: a perfect mix of
tactical and real-time.
By expanding the game in
meaningful ways, Square Enix
has created a title as relevant
to veterans as it is to people who
just want to play a bleeding-edge
RPG. It’s gaming gold.FIRST PLAY FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE PS4
OUT
10 APRG A M E S
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