2020-01-17T14:25:53 01:00

Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Release info, gameplay & demo

In this info guide to Final Fantasy 7 you will learn:

When the FFV7 remake will be released
How the gameplay changes
All information about the story and the setting
Which characters are waiting for you
What you need to know about the demo

The hit role-playing game Final Fantasy 7 was released in 1997 by the Japanese developer Square. The seventh installment of the series was the first playable Final Fantasy title on Sony's PlayStation console. For many young gamers, FF7 represented their entry into the Final Fantasy universe.

At E3 2015, Square Enix announced a remake of the cult game. However, the remake is not just a new edition with improved graphics. Rather, it is a general overhaul that comes with many innovations. Read on and find out what to expect!

Table of Contents:

The story of Final Fantasy VII

The story of FFVII () mainly revolves around the experiences of Cloud Strife, a former elite warrior from the feared ShinRa special unit "SOLDAT". The ShinRa Electronic Power Company is a mega-corporation striving for world power, with no regard for losses. The story begins in the megalopolis of Midgar.

The world is sinking into the abyss. ShinRa Company reactors harness the planet's energy, also known as Mako energy. This intervention sooner or later results in the extinction of all life. Disgusted, Cloud turns away from the company and offers his services as a mercenary to the resistance groupAvalanche Resistance.

Within the resistance movement, Cloud is quickly able to make a name for himself and on his first missions gets to know many different characters, all driven by a different motivation. The initially closed mercenary quickly develops empathy for the group and decides to join them permanently to further the fight against the ShinRa corporation.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Gameplay Changes

Unlike the story, the gameplay of the remake differs significantly from that of the original game. One of the biggest changes concerns the game's combat system. Unlike in the original game, the battles are no longer turn-based according to the so-called Active Time Battle (ATB) system, which can be found in many Final Fantasy titles.

The ATB system in brief: Within the ATB system, the playable characters can only perform a combat action when their corresponding action bar has filled up. How fast this bar fills up depends on the level and other factors. This creates an order between you and the opponent and indicates which character may act when.

The remake comes with exciting real-time battles, as we already know from Final Fantasy 15 (). However, the ATB system is not supposed to disappear completely, but still appears in the form of an ATB bar that can be filled by various actions. You can then use this to freeze the game for a short time and give tactical commands to your characters. This should especially help you master larger enemy formations or difficult boss fights.

In addition to this, there is supposed to be a "Classic" battle mode, in which the movements and attacks are automatic and the ATB bar fills up by itself. Here you only have to wait to give orders and can otherwise relax and lie back. This mode is supposed to give you the classic FVII experience. As in other FF titles, you'll be able to play in a party with up to three characters. Weapon customizations and summons will also be available.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Release date for PS4 confirmed

Already on the At E3 2015, publisher Square Enix announced the official HD remake of Final Fantasy 7 (). After that, there was silence for a long time about the remake of the role-playing classic - there were even rumors about the cancellation of the project. Four years later, the drumbeat was all the louder when the release was announced as part of a Final Fantasy concert for early March 2020.

In January of this year, those responsible at Square Enix announced in a press release that the remake's release would have to be postponed. Burgeoning worries about further postponements cleared director Tetsuya Nomura a few days ago in an interview with the Japanese site 4Gamer:

"Yes, everything is ready now. We needed a little more time for the final quality improvements, but the game is now in gold status and there won't be any more postponements."

With that said, Final Fantasy 7 (HD Remake) will be released exclusively for Playstation 4 on April 10, 2020, with the reimagined role-playing game also likely to be released for PC and Xbox One a year later. In addition, Square Enix confirmed that the game will also support the next console generation.

Despite all the anticipation, a small drop of bitterness remains: The Final Fantasy remake will be released in several episodes. Even the developers don't know how many episodes there will be in total and when the 2nd episode of the FF7 remake will be released. However, via Twitter, the team announced that the development of the second episode is happening much more efficiently.

If you want to sweeten the waiting time until the release, we have an insider tip for you: With the free Remako HD Mod, there is a Final Fantasy VII remake for PC. With the help of a self-learning neural network, the resolution of the original title is quadrupled in the fan mod. To experience the classic turn-based gameplay in HD, you'll need to own the PC version of Final Fantasy VII.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Free Demo Appears on the PS Store

After five long years of waiting, the FF7 remake is within reach. You can get your first impressions of the role-playing remake in the recently released Final Fantasy 7 Remake demo.

How to download the FF7 remake demo

The 7.5 GB demo version is currently available for free download in the Playstation Store. If you play the free demo, you will receive an exclusive PS4 design for the release of the full version.

All info about the content and playing time of the trial version

The demo includes the first mission of the main game, in which you will experience the events during the attack on the first Mako reactor in Midgard. It will take you around 45 minutes of gameplay to master the boss fight against the scorpion robot - more than enough time to get your own impression of the new gameplay of Final Fantasy 7 (HD Remake).

You don't need to be too meticulous, as the save data from the demo will not be transferred to the full version. The publisher also points out that the game content may differ from the full version. If you still want to spend some time with the trial version, try to beat the best time of the Youtuber SwiftShadow in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake Demo Speedrun.

How to unlock the alternate ending (spoiler alert)

After you have successfully completed the first mission, you can admire the blasting of the Mako reactor in beautiful HD images. After that, more cutscenes with gameplay scenes from the later story await you before the demo ends.

However, there is also an alternative ending sequence, which you can unlock as follows: Set the timer for blowing up the reactor (just before the boss fight) to 20 minutes. As a reward, you'll get an additional end sequence with the Final Fantasy villain Sephiroth.

Will a Final Fantasy remake follow in 20 years?

Although it is not yet clear how many episodes the HD remake of FFVII will include, producer Yoshinoro Kitase is already thinking about the next general overhaul of the cult role-playing game. In a Gamespot interview, he explains that there should be another Final Fantasy 7 remake in 10 to 20 years, so that players of future generations can also access the game.

However, it's hard to imagine what such a game might look like at the present time. Maybe in ten years we won't be looking at Midgard from the outside via the monitor. Instead, thanks to virtual reality, we will dive directly into the artificial world to hunt for Chocobo. Best created by Kitase himself, who already worked on the original Final Fantasy VII from 1997 and, according to his own statement, is ready to dedicate the rest of his career to the role-playing game.