The active time battle system has always been recognised as a staple of Final Fantasy, appearing in numerous main iterations right up until Final Fantasy IX. Based around a bar that fills over time, it's a mechanic that provides the need for some strategic thinking while also allowing things to unfold at a slightly more hectic pace than what you'd expect of a standard turn-based system.
And, of course, the beloved Final Fantasy VII boasted a traditional active time battle system, too. However, according to the newest issue of the Official PlayStation Magazine, game director Tetsuya Nomura hinted that there are some big changes in store for the Final Fantasy VII Remake, which was announced for PlayStation 4 at E3.
Nomura told the publication that the game's combat will see some "dramatic changes", and promises more information when the time comes. Don't go reaching for your buster sword just yet, though, as he goes on to say that "we want to clarify: we're not going to be changing it into a shooter or something like that. We are going to be bringing dramatic changes, but we want to make sure it's still recognizable." Phew.
What's more, Nomura also mentions that he's taking inspiration from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children - the original PSone title's movie sequel. As such, we can probably expect flashy visual effects, plenty of cinematic camera angles, and hopefully some good old fashioned omnislash action.
How do you think the remake's combat will end up playing? Are you excited, or cautious? Go watch the remake reveal trailer again and then tell us if you still get shivers in the comments section below.
[source psu.com, via gamesradar.com, gematsu.com]
Comments 43
I understand why turn-based battles were the 'norm' for games of this size in that era but its one thing that I really disliked. I don't like any game that utilise this form of 'combat'. I can't say I am interested in FF7 - even if they change the combat though...
I'm part of the old-school crowd. For me, part of why I enjoyed FF7 was the gameplay (I know, right?). I found FF13 to be more simplistic with the paradigm system. The joys of levelling material and customising each character was part of the experience. I would not enjoy a more action-orientated approach. It's much like remaking sonic 2 with enhanced visuals, but random turn-based battles. Why do it at all?!
That sucks.
Turn based battles still have a huge fan base.
I would rather they kept the turn based battles tbh
I see the combat system here ending up somewhere between Crisis Core and FFXV. I think the real problem SE will face is that so much has changed in gaming since FF7, that we need to expect that it is going to be vastly different to that game, and will really need to be taken as a new game in it's own right, appreciated on it's own merits. Unfortunately, that is unlikely to happen, and I can see a large amount of people getting incredibly worked up because it wasn't exactly the same as the original but with pretty graphics.
At the end of the day, I'm not going to get myself all upset if the end product doesn't measure up, because at the end of the day we will still always have the original, which as far as I'm concerned is as good today as it was then and nothing will take that away
Nice to know that I can save £45 then.
Just make it bloody turn based.
Well duh. I knew this as soon as I saw the graphics, turn based just isn't going to work, menus would be out of place, it will be real time. The fact that he said they aren't changing it to a FPS - well duh, of course you aren't, it's a JRPG - rather than just saying it will be menu based means it won't be menu based.
Now, it would be nice to have menus, but I've been OK w/o menus in a JRPG since Kingdom Hearts. Maybe they'll include a simple FF7 port on the disc for people who haven't played it yet. My kids weren't even born when it released, and I haven't let them play it yet b/c I always knew it would happen some day. Well at least after I saw Advent Children I knew it would.
I really hope it's still turn based. I enjoy a variety of battle systems, but my favorite will always be the old school style.
I'd prefer the turn based we're used to simply because I'm not confident they can pull off a better battle system. If they make it more action based, fine, but I'm not sure how they can do that without taking control away from the player in other ways (i.e reducing the amount of controllable characters, limiting the strategic element of using certain material etc.) But then, I'm not a game designer.
So of course, I'm open to them having a go and hopefully achieving it. Type-0's system was fun. Something similar with the option to pause battle and implement strategies would be nice. Kind of like Dragon Age 3's tactical camera just...a lot better coz that sucked.
@SteveButler2210 Let's face it, it's a no-win situation unless Square Enix can craft a game that's utterly brilliant on every front. This remake has no chance of pleasing everyone - we just have to hope that it's good for what it is.
@ShogunRok This, completely. They even admit it in the trailer!
I adore the old battle systems but if it's to be a modern version then it needs something more contemporary. This isn't 'Final Fnatasy VII HD', after all. I'm perfectly happy to buy the PC port on PS4 as well for the original, authentic experience - which will always be special. The one thing I hope they keep in (in terms of fighting anyway) is the materia system. There's plenty of scope there to do some very cool stuff IMO, so let's see what happens.
How I will be able to control the whole team and have time to choose command/magic etc if it is real time? I don't think it will work, but still it is too early to say anything.
The reason why there was a backlash against Final Fantasy games and the fact they were turn based always seemed to come from media reviews done by people who never liked turn based JRPGs in the first place. Never understood why they wanted them to be more like the big action games when there was so many of those around anyway. So of course that created the dearth of decent turn based JRPGs for a whole console generation and meant that SquareEnix starting making the FF games more and more action based and westernised and then wondered why the fans kept complaining about them when as far as they knew they were responding correctly to the feedback presented to them.
I like ff13-2 so much, it's better than 13 and even 15
I'll have to wait and see what they do with it, I would prefer the old atb system and I've never truly loved a final fantasy since they ditched it. I'm happy to see what they come up with as long as it's not like 15, I enjoyed 13 it was just a shame they forgot to put it in a real game.
Just for us old school fans it'd be nice if they had you use the original battle system in a particular area as a bonus. Anyway I'm off to replay the original on my newly acquired Vita
And everybody is disappointed.
Seriously, who wouldn't see this coming? One of the first things I expected after the announcement was changing the battle system.
I've just thought what else could be missing? Gold Saucer? Don Corneo? The world map? Red Xiii? Oh well at least I'll have the HD port on the PS4. I'm still really looking forward to it and hope it retains some elements of the original or at least reference them and have a sense of fun that these have been missing for a while
If they mess with the original system, half the appeal is gone for me. I don't want every game Square makes to be Kingdom Hearts.
It's so disappointing. They really feel the need to screw with everything. They can't just let things be.
I'm okay with them changing it up a little. However, I think it would be better to get them to do it exactly like FF7 than to really botch it up. I hated 13's combat, and 2/3 of my favorite FF games have the ATB (6/7). I also don't see how changing the battle system is going to help this release sooner...
Exec 1 - "I have a great idea that will help us get this sold sooner and will be sure to please old school fans"
Exec 2 - "What's that?"
Exec 1 - "Let's keep the battle system the same and improve the graphics - people already love the game!"
Exec 2 - "Nah. We'd be able to get it out too fast. There's just something about that "Now In Development" note we put at the end of trailers that fans just love. We need to take at least 10 years on this thing...
@feral1975 Boom, this, I quite like turn based fighting. Admittedly its a bit odd, but the tactical fighting and the way its played out in ffx for me is the best interpretation of the turn based system. I agree that previous generations writers and square listening are to blame. (100 hours in ff13 and it was complete horses%£& looking back)
How about giving us players the choice between turn-based or ATB. The turn based still works well in Persona.
Would it be that hard to programme the two options? - I genuinely don't know BTW.
For me turns can stay, just let us speed up the summon animations.
The only time I don't mind Turn Based Combat is in games like Sid Miers Civilization. When I play RPG's I much more prefer to have full control of my character during combat.
I never got into the Final Fantasy series because of the Turn Based Combat system. So im all for a change as I could finally get to enjoy FFVII, a game so many friends have loved for years but, I can understand why this decision may upset die hard fans.
How will limit breaks work, thats what im worried about. If you can only control Cloud ill be a bit fudged off
This is gonna be crap, isn't it?
Yes, I am glad.
But will it come on 3 disks? If not, then I refuse to buy
Am I the only person thats never played a final fantasy game in my life?
@carlos82 It isn't FF7 w/o Red XIII, no way the leave him out, he's practically the main character people remember. There are a couple of others they could lose - Cait Sith or Vincent, but not him. And while Yuffie is optional I think that would just tick off too many people to leave her out. Cid will be in hut he doesn't need to be playable.
@TropicThndrQuote On the planet? No. On Pushsquare? Yes.
@ShogunRok
No, but if they don't even plan on keeping the same combat system then they should've picked another game to remake, or just made a new game altogether.
If you're going to remake a game, remake it. Don't change it.
@JaxonH If you're going to remake a game, remake it. Don't change it.
..? so release the same game? :s
@kyleforrester87
Precisely.
If it's not going to be the same game then why call it a remake in the first place. A remake simply brings an old game into the modern age visually, fixes glitches and maybe even, in extreme cases, alter time consuming quests to streamline.
But if you're going to take a game and change everything about it that made it that game in the first place, that's not a remake.
That's a reimagining.
If final fantasy 15s combat is good then they should improve upon it for ff7 if not then they should do a cross between 12 and 13s combat but with 7s theme.
@JaxonH in fairness that would be a remaster you speak of, which is coming - in a large way - with FF7 HD later this year.
I appreciate what you're saying but I think it's pretty clear there are big changes in store for the remake. FF7 means allot to many people in different ways, we just have to trust the pedigree of the people involved and that they can retain the spirit of what the game means to the individual. I doubt they will hit the mark across the board but I'm hopeful they can get it "right" despite the changes. As @SteveButler2210 says, the original will always exist, right?
@kyleforrester87
Ya, it's just that every game they make now uses real time battle system. Every single major FF game. They've completely abandoned turn base for their heavy hitters.
People were demanding a remake because they enjoyed the game the way it was. I don't understand why they can't let people at least have turn based in the remake. It's not like all their other games aren't real time. For once it would be nice to have a flashy new game that still had the turn based system. I think a lot of people, inclung myself, thought that's what we were getting with this, similar to Final Fantasy X.
But yes, we'll have the PC port. Hopefully before they release this game :/
@JaxonH Agree, I'd be totally fine with a glammed up ATB system for the remake. I'd truly hope that they understand the importance of the materia system and if intent on creating a new battle system (which seems to be the case) they are able to create something new but true to the spirit of the original. A big spoonful of optimism and open mindedness is going to be needed here
Happy it won't be the slow old battle system. Make it faster and able to move around and that.
Yeah I figured that would be the case. I just lost pretty much all of my interest for this.
Just do a decent job please square, you cant please everyone, but if you can do a Stella job without changing the entire face of the game. We want the old crowd back good and bad, we want to be thrilled by the plot, we want the weapons back and knights of the round table, i want golden chocobos and the golden saucer and the quirky sense of humour. I just hope it isn't too much of a mammoth task to relive my childhood and id hate square to demolish it like ff13
Can't people just be happy to play the game in a more realistic looking environment with modern fast paced gameplay?
I honestly can't imagine enjoying watching the characters just standing there waiting for their gauge to fill to attack the enemy, and then doing that a thousand more times throughout the game as I progress.
It would totally break immersion and would make the combat the worst part of the game. Makes no sense whatsoever to keep a turn based system when FFXV feels so natural with its combat.
Combat isn't the only thing to the game!
It has to go with the rest of the game which is largely going to be the same. The atmosphere, the settings, the characters, plot and maybe even dialogue are all gonna be mostly the same. It's a day 1 buy for me if they can make the game as great as it was then now.
@alphadrago5 either way I have preordered my copy with amazon, I wonder when we will get it I'm put my money down for Xmas 2017 😉 am.i being to optimistic?
@marston1983 Well they did say that the game would take like 10 years to develop if was as detailed as FF7 but with new graphics, but we don't know how long its been in development or what parts are getting cut/added.
Honestly I doubt we'll see it until at least 2018 but i'm always up for surprises.
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