Final Fantasy VII Remake really could have gone either way, looking back. Remaking a game as iconic and important as the original Final Fantasy VII was no small feat, but thankfully Square Enix delivered the goods, and we got the outrageous Honey Bee Inn dance scene we deserved. As anyone who played through to the end knows, however, changes were made to the game that could have major ramifications for the next chapter of the story in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
In an interview with VG247, producer Yoshinori Kitase discussed why the decision was made to deviate from the storyline of the original game, recalling, "we approached the FFVII Remake project with the aim to make it something that could be enjoyed by both fans of the original game and people who did not know it."
But its more challenging to design a game for someone who knows what happens next, and nostalgia can only take you so far, as Kitase explains, "I have also had experiences where a game that I loved and had a lot of fun with in the past was remade, and I bought it and played it out of the overwhelming nostalgia. It is enjoyable for a while, but the fun from that nostalgia only really lasts through the first sections." This was a state of affairs Kitase hoped to avoid. As such, he "decided that Final Fantasy VII Remake would not just appeal to nostalgia, but would include a new story as well to feel both nostalgic and fresh at the same time."
Kitase confirms that this ethos will continue on in the next two chapters of the planned trilogy of games, and that players should expect the unexpected, noting that "the result of [the changes] is that, for Part 2 and Part 3, we are able to give fans the excitement of wondering which parts will be 100 percent faithful to the original - and where the new elements will be added."
But it's all a matter of perspective. Kitase has the legacy of a beloved franchise to consider, a fact of which he is well aware. He says that "the original Final Fantasy VII has been loved by the fans for over 20 years, but I started to feel that I didn't want it to finish up as something in an archive, and wanted to make it a title that continues to be loved for another 100 years to come. That is what Final Fantasy VII Remake is."
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is expected to launch Winter, 2023. Are you excited to see the storyline take a turn for the unexpected, or would you rather it stayed more closely in line with the original? Pick a side in the comments section below.
[source vg247.com]
Comments (12)
This is the monkey’s paw of games for me. I’m not sure what I expected from Nomura though to be fair, I’ve been a Kingdom Hearts fan for years and that’s basically a masochistic relationship.
They chose poorly.
The story of remake is so dumb.
But that is personal taste.
These kind of articles lead me to believe they are seriously going to change one of the biggest moments in gaming.
Doing that would completely alter the storyline which I am not sure how I would feel about it
Is Aeris' fate going to change? That's on everyone's mind.
I didn't mind some of the changes, beefing up Jessie's role for instance, but the last part of the game with all the Kingdom hearts 'fates' nonsense killed it for me. Also introducing all the cringe edgelord characters from Dirge of Cerberus was a massive mistake.
All I want to know is Vincent playable in the second part or will he be dlc like yuffie was?
I never played the original so all of this is fine to me. I can see why some original fans could be skeptical though. At minimum, at least the gameplay should be fun even if the story doesn’t hit a home run with everyone
Unless you ruin the story and make it worse...
This basically shows they dont know what their players want.
I'm honestly fine with them changing what they want, aslong as anything they do makes sense in the FF7 world and they use those original characters and at least keep some of the story beats and memorable moments. The original is Inbedded in my mind along with the memories of me playing this with my brother, so that can be kept separate and not ruined.
@AgentMantis I agree. The Jessie change was the only change I appreciated, the rest seem unnecessary.
Yes, I remember when they announced "Final Fantasy VII Remake" - a game that nobody was asking for - at E3 to a deafening thud. Nobody, clearly, wanted a straight remake. Probably wise that they turned the last couple of hours of the game into a nonsensical, Kingdom Hearts cringe-fest. Gotta keep people interested.
Tap here to load 12 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...