FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE: Beautiful…and Rigid.
A massive part of what I believe made Square Enix's (then, SquareSoft) quintessential RPG, Final Fantasy VII, the universal smash hit that it still is today, is because of the region-free, episodically correct title. Most fans these days know the tale, and the redemption, of the shattered chronology: in the U.S., we received the original Final Fantasy from Japan, but did not receive the original Final Fantasy II, or Final Fantasy III. We did, however, receive Final Fantasy IV, but since it was the second Final Fantasy game America got, it was renamed Final Fantasy II for American audiences. Then, after not receiving Japan's Final Fantasy V, we did receive Final Fantasy VI, under the new American title Final Fantasy III. All fans knew were the existence of our versions of Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy II, and Final Fantasy III.
Then suddenly, Final Fantasy VII comes out.
As we had mysterious missed IV, V, and VI, the title was baffling. Yet, also, absolutely intriguing: non-Final Fantasy fans likely hadn't heard of the franchise at all up until VII's American release, which sought to ignore the fact that most Americans, especially us kids at the time, had no clue that the "trilogy" we received were scattered chapters of a thriving franchise in Japan, let alone that we were robbed of three full-length titles. VII might as well had been the first Final Fantasy ever made, as far as we were concerned. In that direction, perhaps VII would make everything right....and in my opinion, it did! Twenty plus years after its stateside release, only a few RPG enthusiasts wouldn't rush to defend Final Fantasy VII as the greatest video game release of 1997, and quite possible the most revered RPG of all time.
The newly released Final Fantasy VII Remake is incredible, and it goes without saying that it is indeed the most highly anticipated remake for any video game ever released. I'm still shocked that Square/Soft/Enix never found it fit before 2020 to give the incredible core characters of VII more realistic portrayals like those of Squall and company from Final Fantasy VIII in any real RPG format (which means protagonist Cloud Strife's appearances in the fighting games Dissidia, Ehrgeiz, and Super Smash Bros don't necessarily count). Regardless, after numerous re-releases, a compilation of spin-offs, and two decades worth of rumors about a direct VII sequel...we've finally received it in 2020.
And to be honest? I like the 1997 original more. Much more.
Firstly, understanding how deep and recklessly emotional the original game's story would become was absolutely its strongest asset, in conjunction with its commanding soundtrack and universal subjectivity to how every individual player experienced the "voices" and behaviors of its lead characters like Cloud Strife and Aerith Gainsborough. The original game had no voice actors, just a lot of dialog bubbles for players to read and limited physical movements. As a result, we players all had different ideas of how each character sounded in our own heads, and what their behaviors meant to actually portray. This idea was amplified by the traditional RPG mechanic of naming the playable characters whatever we wanted, so as to familiarize them and give them a much more personal meaning to the player.
On that note, there are very few things wrong with Remake. This version is challenging, unfamiliar in somehow-already-traveled terrain, and reasonably balanced. Yet, the one word that I keep coming to describe this game overall is "rigid". The in-game, extra-meta subplot of the supernatural Whispers keeping destiny in place only serves to emphasize the aptness of the word for this action-RPG. Yes, in all its beauty, in all its sandbox-inspired action gameplay (akin to Kingdom Hearts), and in all its addictive progression, it is still rigid. Renaming the characters, and thus giving them their personal importance to use players, is no longer an option. Remake feels like the film adaptation of a much-beloved novel in this way: now we have defining physical attributes, voices, and unchangeable names for these characters headed toward a destiny that is largely cinematic spectacle but sadly one-dimensional.
Like the original, Materia is exigent to the turn-based battles of the Active Time Battle chessboard of in-game fights, and using Summon Materia to call mythical monsters to your aid all but ensures ultimate victory. In Remake's action-oriented battle sequences, the game itself seems to determine when the player is "allowed" to use Summon abilities, which annoyingly defeats the purpose of having a Summon Materia equipped during boss battles or otherwise run-ins with challenging enemies--times when it would be most necessary to use a Summon. And good luck trying to fill up that "limit break" bar in battle--these are the "super attack" meters that allow you to pummel an enemy with an extreme strike once you've taken enough damage. In the Remake, they take so long to build up that you will have easily used up a good handful of Phoenix Down tufts reviving dead characters in your party, or probably winning the battle already before those meters are even full. The inaccessibility of these super moves doesn't make them feel more special when accessed; it only serves to annoy the player that needs them when they aren't available.
The world of Midgar is replicated perfectly, deepening the player's love for this half-modern, half-cyberpunk city where the story of both the original and the remake is rooted. Remake, of course, focuses only on Midgar (arguably just the first quarter of the overall story), and ends just when the player is hurting for more adventure after an overly frustrating series of mega-boss battles. The game's attempts to remain fluid and without the restraints of rigidity through its filler gameplay and high amount of sidequests keep the electricity running, but they don't quite have enough purpose to carry the entire Remake on their shoulders.
Not all is bleak, however. Like the original, and like all episodic Final Fantasy titles, this is a character-driven story. And here, rigidity and all, the characters shine through. Enlisting a new cast to dub the game apart from the actors who performed in the 2005 CGI film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children was ultimately a good decision, breathing new life into the familiar without disregarding the original. Surprisingly, it wasn't the epic return of RPG-Cloud, or Barrett, or even Aerith, that brought goosebumps to my soul that longed for that Final Fantasy VII-sized hole in my heart to be filled. Not at all....it was none other than a super-side character, Jessie, who has been fleshed out for the Remake, transforming her from forgettable and expendable, to precious and memorable.
The filler material that most of us fans have been complaining about in Remake is put to great use most of the time. Example? It serves to provide great insight into Jessie's life: she's an actor; she has a mother who makes dazzling homemade pizza; her father is sick; and she has a hard, obnoxious crush on Cloud Strife. An original song made for Remake, simply titled Jessie's Theme, is the best song in the game, and brought tears to my eyes after repeated listens in-game, effectively standing alongside the original game's Ahead On Our Way as one of the most soul-warming, smile-inducing elements of any RPG I've ever experienced.
Yes, I prefer the original 1997 RPG classic. That doesn't mean I regret buying the action-oriented Remake. In fact, I cannot wait to defeat the final boss (I'm currently stuck on, ugh) and repeat the game to catch whatever it is that I missed. Remake is a triumph, and considering the unusual winning streak of this one title, VII, for a franchise with a very rough, region-based history--especially for American players--there is no better time than to celebrate the game and make history again. Who knows when Final Fantasy XVI will come out, or what it will be like--RPG? Action RPG? MMORPG?--but until that day, VII Remake's future chapters will have to do. Rigid, flawed, bold, and maybe even a little self-righteous...I highly anticipate the games to come that will complete the new VII story.