Title: Final Fantasy VII Remake
Developer: Square Enix
Genre: RPG, Action/Adventure
Released: 2020
Rating: 8/10
Embark on Cloud’s epic journey of self-discovery, stopping Sephiroth and saving the planet! Easy enough, right? In the first of three FFVII remakes, team up with a group of passionate environmentalists (read: eco-terrorists) to explore Midgar and defeat Shinra… for 2,000 gil.
Pros:
Gameplay
The overall gameplay was very satisfying. The real-time fighting with the ATB gauges, limit abilities, pressuring, and staggering was extremely intense and rewarding. Materia abilities added a strategic element to battle prep. The different Midgar sectors were fun to explore and provided lighter side games and quests to complete. And the standard conveniences were much appreciated like the chocobo fast travel.
Moral of the Story
Eco-terrorists or passionate environmentalists? The moral of the FFVII Remake story is especially apropos and relevant to today’s real world situation. Stopping a corporation from destroying the planet is an admirable and critical mission that we should all take to heart.
The Bad Guys
The bad guys were top-notch in FFVII Remake. You’ve got the obvious antagonists with Sephiroth and the Shinra leaders. But the ones that really infuriated me in the best possible way were Reno, Rude, and Roche. I look forward to their character development in the upcoming FFVII games!
Soundtrack
This game easily has one of the best soundtracks I’ve ever heard in a game. My personal favorites were Electric de Chocobo and Due Recompense. The music did a phenomenal job triggering the perfect emotion for each scene.
Cons:
The Never-Ending Ending
The end of this game is an absolute slog of seemingly endless boss battles. It makes you question if you’ll ever actually battle Sephiroth at all. And oddly enough… the Sephiroth battle wasn’t the hardest one for me. If I never see Motor Ball again, it’ll be too soon.
Overall…
This was the first Final Fantasy game I’ve ever played and it did not disappoint! I absolutely loved getting to know Cloud and friends and experiencing the story for the first time. As a gamer who can’t compare it to the original, I thought it was extremely well done and easily a top-tier gaming experience.
Caroline’s Library 