Aerith Gainsborough is one of the women that vies for Cloud Strife's affection in the "Final Fantasy VII Remake" (Photo courtesy of Square Enix)

 

I was wrong about “Final Fantasy VII Remake.” When it was first announced, I didn’t see the point in redoing the landmark Japanese role-playing game. It was a title that shined brightest at its release but hasn’t aged well.

 

At its 1997 launch, “Final Fantasy VII” erupted onto screens with an incandescent hype. It showed fans a new world where polygons and computer-generated images brought surreal worlds to startling life. Back then, the graphics were groundbreaking and the soundtrack equally as epic, setting the tone for an era of video games.

 

Unfortunately, what was revolutionary back then is primitive now, and the visual pizzazz that Square Enix hung its hat on seems trite. One can only be impressed by so many dazzling cut scenes and fancy attacks before they all feel “meh.” “Final Fantasy VII” was a distinct product of history, a game that arrived at the right point and time, capturing the wide-eyed imagination of a generation. I had doubts that a 2020 remake could duplicate that sense of wonder.

 

But somehow Square Enix found a way to elicit that feeling. Part of that is due to the inherent nostalgia, but it’s the team’s careful approach to the “Final Fantasy VII Remake” that makes the difference. With more than 20 years of video game advancement since the original, the team rethought almost everything about JRPG and made a classic even better.

 

The difference between the remake and the original is in the details. It’s like seeing a masterpiece in a photograph and then seeing the same painting at the museum. The former gives viewers an idea of the picture but to get the full experience such as the picture’s size, frame and brush strokes, they need to see it in person.

 

In a similar manner, the “Remake” doesn’t just tell the same story with prettier graphics. Square Enix overhauls everything and retells the story of Cloud Strife with a more measured approach. It follows the former super-soldier-turned-mercenary as he takes a job with Avalanche, a ragtag group of fighters battling the Shinra Corporation. The giant conglomerate is sucking the life force out of the planet and this resistance force faces an uphill battle stopping it.

 

In this iteration, more of the spotlight falls on tertiary characters such as Jessie, Wedge and Biggs who were extras in the original. The “Remake” fleshes their characters out and also smooths out the history of its pivotal heroes in flashbacks. The story even manages to capture the agonising choice players face between Aerith Gainsborough or Tifa Lockhart as the romantic lead for Cloud. They’re written and voice acted in a way that makes veterans of the series fall in love with both of heroines again.

 

The other half of this successful formula is a complete revamp of the combat system. For years, the franchise has struggled to evolve combat beyond turn-based systems. What fans have gotten are strange hybrids that awkwardly blend the old style with the action-oriented newer one. With the “Remake,” Square Enix finally balances the two.

 

The combat relies on square being used for attack with defensive options of dodging and blocking. This gives the “Remake” the feel of a simple action RPG, but the developers layer in more advanced attacks with the triangle button. Those actions differ depending on the character and that gives each hero a distinct style.

 

The more important element though is how Square Enix reintroduces the Active Time Battle system that has been a hallmark of some of the best entries in the series. The “Remake” elegantly incorporated this vital feature into the real-time battle system. Players can attack at any time but to use spells, abilities or items, they need to wait for their ATB bar to fill. That can be sped up by players taking control of a character or it can be modified via gear. Whatever the case, the ATB adds a strategic aspect to combat that already requires smart spacing and timing.

 

It takes a few hours to adjust to the combat, but once players understand the nuance, it becomes shockingly fun to play. Add in the character progression through weapons and materials and players can customise a party of three to take on challenges in different ways. The system has potential but players likely won’t realise it until later.

 

Because of its slow burn, the “Remake” covers most of the story in the city of Midgar. The “Remake” doesn’t have the full campaign. That’s a danger because it’s uncertain whether Square Enix can pull off the same quality as this first section. With the inevitable follow-up, players will enter unknown territory as the plot sprawls out and players face a wider in-game world and likely a new generation of consoles. This epic endeavour could end like “Breaking Bad” with a fantastic finale or it could devolve like the last seasons of “Game of Thrones.”

 

The one factor going for the “Final Fantasy VII” is that the foundation is already strong and the “Remake” reinforces that. Here’s hoping that Square Enix doesn’t leave players hanging for too long as it reimagines one of the most important games of all time.