It's been quite a while since we heard anything regarding Final Fantasy VII Remake, much to the disappointment of many an eager fan. The PlayStation 4 title was originally shown during Sony's utterly incredible E3 2015 press conference, and then we got a look at some gameplay later that year at the PlayStation Experience. We're hoping that once Final Fantasy XV is out of the way, we'll finally get to see more of Cloud and the gang's rebirth.
In the latest issue of Dengeki PlayStation, director Tetsuya Nomura - who's also working on Kingdom Hearts III - says that next time the remake is shown, he wants to go into detail about the game's completely overhauled battle system.
"The battles in Final Fantasy VII have greatly changed from the original, since they're something with more action in them," Nomura states in the interview, which has been fully translated by KH13. He continues: "The next time I release information about Final Fantasy VII Remake, I think that I'll definitely have to explain the specifics of what the battle system has become to the players. I think right now that nobody is really able to imagine a concrete battle, so I'm in the middle of coming up with steps that I can show and explain to people, 'It's this kind of battle.'" Sounds good to us - just make sure you do it sooner rather than later, eh?
Reassuring us that the new combat system is going to work, Nomura states that "Recently, we checked the Guard Scorpion at the beginning of the game, and I think you'll be satisfied with the realism you'll feel there."
Would you like to see more of Final Fantasy VII Remake in the relatively near future? Get the urge to replay the original in the comments section below.
[source kh13.com, via gematsu.com]
Comments 29
I feel like they announced this game far too early.
Am I the only one who prefers the originals art style. Some things are best left alone FFVII was great as it was.
@GBMatthew The original is always there. This isn't a remaster, it's a whole new remake, and with a new visual style, battle system, and tone, at least both games can exist side-by-side. I don't feel like this remake will replace the original – at least it won't for me.
@GBMatthew
You can always go back and play the original regardless.
Great. At first I was apprehensive, now I say go for it. Real time combat can be great. I mean, it can suck, too. But it can be great
@Jake3103 I didn't know that I thought that it was just a graphical upgrade. I wasn't knocking it I just prefer the older look and style.
@Xaessya That's very true but some things are best left as great memories or else they usually disappoint.
Well, they might want to see how people react to XV's battle system and stuff and they got so many games coming up that I really don't blame them for not showing more of VIIR. I prefer turn based but open to anything as long as it is good...
@GBMatthew I get what you mean! But this is how Japanese gamers always imagined Cloud to look like...the good thing about the 32-bit era is that you could kind of project your imagination on the low poly models.
Meh. The decision to turn it into an action game is a completely turn off for me and the episodic format doesn't help either.
I dont mind real time combat so long as they dont forget to add strategy, which has been sorely lacking for years now. I enjoyed 13 for what it was, but got little satisfaction knowing i could just mash x to win. Magic was largely degenerated to being a special effect that looked pretty, whereas in the past you really need to take elemental weaknesses into account. Kingdom hearts shares a similar problem.
I trust square enix to do right by this game. Change is inevitable in a project like this, i just hope they remember gameplay is the key element to get right.
@Xaessya i think they announced it this early just to shut up the people who were constantly asking for them to remake it
anyway on topic, i'm glad they are using a new battle system for the remake, after all it is a REMAKE so what would be the point of making it exactly the same as the original game
if you want to play FFVII in the original way then just play the original game, it's never going to go away, it's not like this game erases the original from existence, it's just a new way of experiencing the story of FFVII
so i for one am looking forward to experiencing FFVII in a new, fresh way
@ekreig A main entry cell-shaded Final Fantasy would be awesome. Imagine that big budget cell shading! But for VII they have to go really mainstream so I guess a more realistic tone is the way (remember the outcry when Wind Waker was announced? LOL!)
Considering FFXV got a 2 month delay after a big media event production to announce the date, and that was after 10 years in development, I can only surmise that the final installment of this episodic game won't release until after I've stopped caring. Which is crazy, b/c I had tears of joy running down my face when they announced this at E3 after nearly 20 years of wishing for it to happen, but I've lost faith in Squenix.
I do like the action battle system though. Watching World of FF left me wanting. I like turn based, but people standing get in a line is just too glaring get these days. Grandin 2 on the Dream cast was turn based, but the characters ran around. Eternal Sonata. Kingdom Hearts is the way for them to go.
Anybody remember when Xenosaga was announced as 9 games but we only got 3? And the second wasn't very good. And Xenogears disc 1 is one of my favorite JRPG, but disc 2 was just reading a book. I just don't see this ending well. If ever, like Lego Hobbit.
@ekreig So true! But the reveal was one of the most eye-opening event for me at the time, like "what is wrong with people, this looks beyond beautiful!". Also good point @rjejr for the standing characters in modern turn based jrpgs. Grandia 2 and even FFXIII (and others) still managed to make it look kinda natural though.
Here's my problem with real time battle systems: the party. I love action oriented games. Bloodborne is one of my favorite games of all time, but you control one character.
In an RPG, as soon as there's a party, I don't want a real-time battle system because I never want to feel like the game is playing itself. That's what AI party members feel like to me. Many people complain about FFXIII, and as far as I'm concerned, that battle system was the fundamentally boiled down version of any real time battle system because ALL of the characters were AI.
I'm not saying I want them to stand there in a line. There has to be some way to make party combat more interesting visually without resorting to the game basically playing by itself. Innovate. Not every game needs to be Kingdom Hearts, and P5 proves that there's still a place for turn-based combat in today's gaming landscape. Hell, P5 proves you can bridge that gap and allow players to choose the way they'd like to play.
This is about how I like to play games, and gameplay is king. No matter how pretty FFXV looks, that battle system is a deal breaker for me, and I have a strong suspicion FFVII Remake will be no different.
@Feena I'm playing Ni No Kuni now and they did a really good job of making it menu driven and actiony at the same time, reminds me a lot of Grandia 2. Of course it's Level 5, they make great games. But then they went all in on mobile, leaving me most depressed. But at least I have NNK2 to look forward too.
@Tsurii Yes, I played both of the Xenoblade games, the first might be my new favorite, the 2nd was a bit of a let down story wise - I finished the first only a bout 1 month before I started playing 2 - but it had skells, so it gets a pass. I did find it to be a bit too much though in each game to be honest, I couldn't read a single thing on the screen in XCX, and it took me about 100 hours to figure out what was going on in the first game. At least after the first 15 hours I smartened up and got a Pro controller, it was mapped really weird on the Wiimote+nunchuck pairing. But I would sitll take something liek that again over standing in a line. Even playing FFX, which I really liked, I spent the entire game thinking - "Why is everybody standing in a line, run around and fight." I think I made the mistake of playing it right after Grandia 2 on Dreamcast.
@NoxAeturnus It's a very interesting point about action rpgs, and I think you are right - or at least I feel the same way now that you made me think about it.
I have to disagree about FF13 though, can't rely on AI against strong enemies or even monsters in a new area when their level is higher than yours or you'll get trashed. You have to manually select the skills and the paradigm composition and switching paradigms you have direct control on other characters.
@rjejr I have nothing but love for Ninokuni but the combat is actually the part that (for me, of course) held it back from being a true masterpiece. I felt it was a little clumsy and not really responsive at times. That said it's the game that came closest to be the JRPG masterpiece for the HD era we are still waiting for. Maybe Persona 5? I am hopeful.
Grandia 2 on the other hand had the best battle system ever - it's basically final fantasy ATB but done a lot better.
Huh and speaking about Final Fantasy X and Grandia 2.How much did Square blatantly take from GameArts? The summoner pilgrimage, the bodyguards, even the bloody animal-warrior...
sorry for the wall of text and for geeking out a bit !
p.s.
I don't really get Xenoblade's appeal, help me. I want to like it. Bought it on the WiiU eshop but can't get into it...the combat is very MMORPG and so are the quests and the characters (that look a bit user-generated), and the fetch quests...I feel like I am playing some online game all alone. Am I doing something wrong? I am about 32hours in. Have been there for a while actually...I still hope I can at least finish it. Maybe I waited too long to play it.
@Feena for Xenoblade - well I never played a MMORPG so that wasn't a problem for me. I did try to play Dragon's Dogma, and that seemed like 1 with all the characters talking to me in little tiny text boxes and doing there own thing, so I gave up on that. The first time I played XC after the first city, about 15 hours in, I quit for a year b/c it wasn't for me. I only started again b/c XCX looked so good. I don't think the game relaly became great until a bout 50 FIFTY hours in. Which I know sounds absurd, but I think that was the first time they really get into the story Then about every 10 hours or so something great happens, and then at about the 120 hour mark the insane ending, which I'm still not sure what happened, stuck w/ me. Then I played the after game for about another 30 hours trying to kill every high level beast in the game, I think I was about level 88 when I finally quit, probably around level 55 for the final boss. There's still 1 village I haven't gotten into, didn't fulfill some side mission requirements, but then XCX came out so I stopped. I don't recall the battle system changing any, just the story picking up around hour 50 hooked me after that.
The big wow moment for me in Grandia 2 was getting the winged sneakers, which let you cancel almost every bad guy attack just before they pulled it off. It was very hard going back to standing in a line after that.
And NNK I like the idea of swapping characters and familiars. I basically only spam Monstar and my summons, and I think I've used the same 9 familiars the entire game, but I like it all just enough. Realizing I could still float around while preparing to cast spells and just run away from people was also nice, even Grandia 2 didn't let us move characters I don't think, the game engine controlled movement.
KH is still my go to, I like spamming A and telling my sidekicks what to do.
@rjejr Thank you for your reply - I'll definitely keep on playing XB then. It wouldn't be the first time a game hooks me after some 40-50 hours, so reading your story gives me hope!
The mixed approach of NNK really didn't work too well for me but hey at least they tried something new, I guess...hope we get a revised battle system for the sequel though.
@Tsurii thank you! Will return to the game for sure after hearing from you guys...I was really bummed by the mmorpg atmosphere and anime clichés but if I am missing out on a great game I will committ to it.
I honestly want more Kingdom Hearts III news, but that ain't happening until next year. FF7 Remake can take it's time. Make it good so we're not flooded in fanboy tears again.
@Tsurii I really tried to get into the end after game in XCX, there were so many questions I felt like would be answered, but I got thoroughly annoyed and stopped when I get to level 60 but couldn't buy higher level skells. And trying to figure out what was going on in some of the side storylines was driving me crazy. And my mom even got me the hardcover book so I could look everything up, but I never did. I only game about 90 minutes per day and it was time to move on. And I had purchased Bayonetta 1 & 2 about a year earlier and really wanted to get to them. And Ni No Kuni.
@NoxAeturnus This really makes sense although I love mass effect 1, me 2 and kotor though so maybe the OLD bioware had something that squeenix should look at in terms of tactical play to keep you invested in the battles.
The pause mechanics work wonders for those games with a ton of variety in tactical play.
I wouldn't mind seeing a ffx waiting system with some final fantasy tactics lite placement options, with charging abilities rather than magic point or consumable abilities like mass effect using a ring hit system like lost odyessey. That would work.
I'm personally still excited for the remake, even if they completely ditch all strategy.
Please don't get me wrong though, the original will always still have a special place in my heart. FF7 was my very first RPG.
I feel like cloud is far to skinny,
Spoilers
Also cloud wasnt moody like he is repersented in later media. He had zacks peraonality albeit he was more tough guy. He did get more kinda solemn in the last disk , I did not like the way the recreated him in advent children even tho his tone was correct for what the movie was about since he sought atonement and thought he would die. Just hope the beginning of the remake recaptures clouds personality.
@Xaessya
Announcing games too early is par for the course these days, but I agree with you. Hopefully for FF VII fans SquareEnix will have something to announce at this year's PlayStation Experience, but it's tough to count on that considering the company we're talking about.
I wouldn't trust 2016 Square Enix to make a sandwich, so I'm certainly not expecting them to handle this remake in a way that isn't going to upset pretty much everyone.
I'll put money on this being a main part of Sony's press conference at PSX this year. And Ni No Kuni 2.
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