Random Game Reviews

The Game

Final Fantasy VII Remake by Square Enix is a brilliant introduction to the Final Fantasy series for anyone who’s never played any of the other games in the series. The original game was released in 1997 and made quite the impression. 23 years later the remake version was released. It keeps much of the original story, modernises the visuals and and has a truly unique battle system.

The game is a JRPG with “turn based” strategy elements in the combat – they aren’t really turn based, but you can essentially pause time and pick a move to perform. During fights you will be battle using your basic and heavy attacks to fill your ATB gauge, once that’s filled you can essentially pause the game and choose from a variety of spells and abilities to perform on your enemies. This system is quite rewarding, and fun to use, the combat itself can be quite hard as you block and dodge attacks and spells. There are some truly epic boss fights and monsters in this game, becoming more and more powerful as the story progresses.

The story is based around a group of “eco-terrorists” attempting to take down the evil corporation Shinra that is destroying the planet by draining it of its magical life force – mako. It’s set in a steam-punk(ish) fantasy world and you play as Cloud, an ex-SOLDIER – as you find out that means you have some pretty unique combat skills and are generally quite powerful. You are a mercenary, but you find yourself helping out Avalanche (the eco-terrorists) and cultivating your friendships with the key characters of the game. The game is rich with amazing side characters and stories all set in a detailed semi-open world (zone/level-based).

• 

• 

• 

• 

Worth it?

The game has a gripping story that makes you want to keep playing for hours on end. The combat system is quite unique, although it can take some time to master blocking due to the fact that dodge can be somewhat unreliable. There are some truly epic boss fights and the game is visually stunning. Levels are generally quite linear (except the more notable districts). The game is exclusive to PlayStation and will set you back around £60 on the PlayStation store, so you may want to keep on the lookout for better deals or discounts. Admittedly it’s only a year old and has hours of gameplay for you – with side questing (which I highly recommend), it took me around 32 hours to complete the game.

Overall I’d highly recommend the game, especially for anyone who’s never played a Final Fantasy game – it turns out there’s actually little connecting the various games in the franchise story wise, so this is as good a game as any to jump into the series. The game offers a good challenge, hours of gameplay, a rewarding and unique combat system, stunning graphics and a compelling story.

Tips

• Always have Materia equipped so that you can level them up – they increase their level simply for being equipped in battle
• Get the Assess Materia as soon as you have an option to do the side quest for Chadley, which is basically one of the first side quests in the game
• Use blue Materia in linked slots in order to enhance or interact with the other Materia – Magnify and Elemental are two of the more notable ones
• Always be on the look out for hidden chests and destroy any Shinra boxes you encounter
• Interrupt enemy spells by using spells or abilities on them while casting (while they have a red text above them)
• You can reset your weapon points/upgrades by visiting Chadley
• You can use healing spells outside of combat

Useful Links

• Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4) Amazon £32.95 – https://amzn.to/3cPl1sF
• Final Fantasy VII Remake Deluxe Edition (PS4) Amazon £68.95 – https://amzn.to/3c3KWh1
• Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (PS5) Amazon £69.99 – https://amzn.to/3lCiHZZ
• FF VII Remake Wiki – https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VII_Remake