My Final Fantasy VII Remake wishlist – Reader's Feature
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Loading... - Cristian Castillo
- 07 Jul 2020
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A reader offers his advice on what should, and shouldn’t be changed about the Final Fantasy VII remake, from the music to the combat.
Final Fantasy VII touches its fans (and creates a unique hysteria) in a way that iconic franchises like Zelda, Halo, or Metal Gear never do. After the E3 announcement of a remake came glee, followed by trepidation. Now everyone has a wishlist. But instead of being too specific, here’s five broad asks for the Final Fantasy VII remake – and perhaps all Japanese role-players these days.
1. Keep turn-based battles
This seems to be the number one request of fans. Action RPG for me means mashing away at the ‘X’ button while your characters keep talking, desperately trying to find a potion while you’re being hit, and computer-controlled allies whose actions you have no time to watch or care about. This is not Final Fantasy VII. The ATB system was a perfect mix; the fights were clear, steady but tense.
2. Don’t make it too dark
This comes from our collective paranoia that Square Enix desperately wants Final Fantasy to be ‘grown-up’, and that they worry about some parts of Final Fantasy being quite ‘pantomime’. Lots of parts of Final Fantasy VII are indeed pantomime, childish, and downright odd. The fact everyone still talks about those sections means they are fond of them. A large change in tone would be too sombre, and really rather dull to play.
3. Clarify the story
Did anyone really understand ALL of Final Fantasy VII’s plot? I had to have a mate write out the background of Jenova, Professor Ghast, Hojo, Lucretia, etc., etc. for me when I first played through I was in the sixth form, and I still didn’t get it. Nearly all Japanese games and animes have over-complicated plots with too many characters. I want clarity without overcooking. I’d be thrilled if Square Enix stood firm on Aeris, too.
4. Keep the music
A no-brainer. An option to switch between reworked and original would be super, and sadly unlikely. The voice-acting is going to be hard on many fans’ ideas of what Cloud sounds like, but it’s an inevitable addition. PS: original menu sound effects would give that ‘feel’ and get fans grinning from the outset.
5. Better monsters
There’s one point early on in Midgar when you fight a house. Yes, really. I’ve never understood Square Enix’s inspiration for its field monsters: they are neither cute nor fearsome. Dragon Quest stands head and shoulders above Final Fantasy in this respect. While I’m not expecting such comic stylings, a more organic feel to the creatures that roam the land would help create a more believable universe.
Square Enix are not doing an HD remake, they’re doing a whole new version. The investment they’re making is clearly huge, and almost philanthropic for fans. So go easy on them! It’ll be impossible to please everyone, and this isn’t a Kickstarter. Many fans would change almost nothing, so I’m thankful that Square Enix have said they’re going to mix things up a bit. Remember, if you hate it, it’s not like the original would cease to exist.
