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

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

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!

PHOTO: Square Enix

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.

PHOTO: Square Enix

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.

PHOTO: Square Enix

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.

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