A gaming masterpiece for the ages: Previewing the Final Fantasy VII Remake

Ever seen or played something so absolutely gorgeous you can't think straight? If not, there's a first time for everything.

Last week, Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore (SIES) and Square Enix invited us down for a special preview session of the Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Undoubtedly one of, if not 2020's most hyped titles, the reimagining of the 1997 RPG classic certainly has a lofty reputation to uphold. But oh-my-Cloud is it spectacular!

Coming from someone who's never really had a favourite genre of game, and even less experience dabbling in Final Fantasy, it's fine if you're a little sceptical. But I can assure you that Square Enix really deserves enormous credit for delivering the "Wow!" factor right from the get-go.

Now, the opening cinematic in itself is already gorgeous, and I'm talking movie-level. You'd be hard-pressed to find animations this impressive elsewhere, and we haven't actually started playing the game.

Anyway, I was given the full hands-on with Chapter 1, and I know I should have been paying attention to the plot, but I was too busy checking out the jaw-dropping aesthetics, to be honest.

Moving on to the fights - this is where everything, namely drop-dead cool animations, dynamic skills, and undeniable badassery come together to make one of the most satisfying battle experiences I have ever laid my hands (and eyes) on.

There's a very unique pace to the gameplay - it's mostly fast and frenetic like Monster Hunter or God of War, and yet there are moments where the strategic nature of the original game's turn-based fighting style shines through.

Like most JRPG gaming previews there was a customary boss, which again exposes yet another previously unseen-side of the game: prioritising. It's a lot more tactical than it appears, and that made the fight so much more engaging than what I'm used to seeing on the market.

Of course, the game isn't just about swinging Cloud's oversized sword around. There are also miscellaneous additions, like platformer-style timing puzzles to jazz everything up, and it's all fused together so expertly that calling the FFVII Remake a mere "RPG" would essentially be shortchanging it.

Unfortunately, that's all that I can (and allowed to) say about the remake for now. Honestly, it's hard to imagine that there's already this much to discuss from just a preview. Not that I'm complaining - it was more fun and exciting than I initially expected it to be.

So, no. It's not a role-playing game, platformer, brawler or even an interactive movie. No, the Final Fantasy VII Remake is an experience - one that everyone should take a shot at, whether it's their first, or their thousandth time stepping into Cloud's shoes.

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.