Final Fantasy 7 Remakereleased in 2020 as a full modern day re-imagining of the classic JRPG. Its graphics and soundtrack are top-notch, the gameplay shifted from turn-based to real-time action, and there are details aplenty for hardcoreFinal Fantasyfans. To call the game a complete remake is a disservice though, asFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeonly retells the first few hours of the original game.
Final Fantasy 7 Remakeis a linear game. It extends the opening act of Midgar - something that takes a handful of hours in the original - into a full 40-hour campaign. The remake’s linearity is not a problem here considering the original Midgar is also straightforward. However, concerns arise when looking at the rest of the game. After players leavethe city of Midgar,Final Fantasy 7’sworld completely opens up. This makes a linearFinal Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2seemingly impossible, so the game’s style will most likely change as a result.
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Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s Linear Structure
Final Fantasy 7 Remake’slinearity and extended runtime work to its advantage. Since the pacing is slowed down, characters likeJessie, Biggs, and Wedgeget backstories and more of a chance to shine. Areas are now densely populated, and Midgar feels more like a city than ever. The slower story allows players to get even more invested into the start of Cloud’s journey, though the structure does not come without its faults.
WhileFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeexpands on Midgar and its residents, a lot of the game’s plot feels like fluff. This is not relegated to just side content either, the game’s linearity thrusts players into it. Sections likethe haunted Train Graveyardcontain original storylines that hold no relevance to the plot. Fluff and padding was inevitable, especially when attempting to extend a five-hour chunk of game into forty hours.
Overall,Final Fantasy 7 Remake’sgood outweighs the bad. The deeper character relationships and fully realized locations are more memorable than the occasional filler.FF7 Remakeis good as a standalone, linear adventure, but there is still a ton of game left to cover. This linear gameplay style will surely have to change in order forRemake Part 2and games beyond that to succeed.
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Final Fantasy 7 After Leaving Midgar
After leaving Midgar,Final Fantasy 7turns from a linear JRPG to a fully open adventure. There is still a main objective to follow, but players are free to explore the world map and find side content. Here, players even gain access to Chocobos they can ride and breed, and the typicalFinal Fantasyairship. Overall, there are too many areas to realistically expect the same level of detail given to7Remake Part 1- unless each part stretches just one section into a full experience.
Luckily, developer Square Enix has a history making modern open-world games.Final Fantasy 15is fully open-world, even if the game’s map is not terribly detailed. Combining the world designs of7 Remakeand15would be the best bet: have an interactive world for players to explore, and save the densely packed details for major hub areas like Cosmo Canyon and Junon Harbor. Midgar also happens to be one of the largest areas in the original, so giving it the most scale and detail fits within the context of the world. That said, the end of the first part changes the story so drastically that everything beyond may tell a different story entirely.
Final Fantasy Remake’s Potential Story Changes
Putting filler aside,Final Fantasy 7Remake’sstory deviates heavily by the end of the game, resulting in afinal battle withSephiroththat takes place dozens of hours too early. It is heavily implied that the remainder of7 Remakewill take place in an alternate timeline, and the problem here is immediately clear.Final Fantasy 7 Remakeis not a true remake if it only tells the first part of the story before switching to something else entirely. That said, changing the story up can allow the first part’s polish and gameplay style to continue while surprising longtime fans with something new.
If7 Remake’sfuture installmentsare not faithful, Square Enix is free to make whatever type of game it likes. The linear style fits the first part well, so applying something similar to a new story centered around famous set pieces from the original game could also work in the second part and beyond. Square Enix should know that changing the story too much will disappoint fans, so the majority of it will hopefully be kept regardless.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2has a lot to live up to. Not only will fans want to see a faithful recreation of the original game, but a worthy successor to the remake’s first part. Square Enix has a lot to decide on when it comes to pacing, the story, and the overall gameplay structure. Regardless, it will likely be years beforeFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeis complete.
Final Fantasy 7 RemakePart 2is in development.
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