Even video game fans who don't know Final Fantasy 7 specifically probably know Cloud Strife. He's the spiky-haired blonde protagonist of one of the most popular and iconic JRPG titles of all time, a hero who has inspired a lot of what's become archetypal for the genre as it's moved into future console generations. He's plastered on nearly every promotional image for the original game and Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and he's also shown up elsewhere, whether it's the animated Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children movie or in other video game properties like Kingdom Hearts and the Super Smash Bros. franchise.

Why is that important for Final Fantasy 7 Remake? Because, for as much as Cloud remains a mostly-stoic hero throughout, the game tells the story of his friends and conspirators much more compellingly. Final Fantasy 7 Remake feels much more like a journey shared among a few heroes who have banded together to stop a more defined threat in the Shinra Corporation. That, coupled with a smoothly navigated battle system that navigates classic and new, makes Final Fantasy 7 Remake the best game in the series in a long time - perhaps rivaling its predecessor in terms of quality.

While Final Fantasy 7 Remake's story takes place in a much more condensed narrative - one that, like it or not, will be told across several different games rather than as a standalone - it's the same tale returning fans know and love. Square Enix has done a remarkable job preserving the identity of the game while making it feel modern and fresh, updating circumstances to still offer some surprises while hinting more strongly at what's to come for Cloud during some frenetic flashbacks. Given time to breathe, Cloud, Barret, Tifa, and Aerith are all much more likable and nuanced, to say nothing of the other members of Avalanche and even enemies like the Turks. New characters, too, don't just feel like they're being added to be different - they all serve interesting roles, make for some fun, new interactions, and drive the story forward.


If there's a flaw in Final Fantasy 7 Remake's approach, it's that it's still a little slow to set up the behind-the-scenes stuff that reveals the party's eventual main goal. Given that this is just one chunk of a much bigger story that, in its full version, also took a while to establish its true stakes, that seems like something that would give fans pause. Luckily, this is subdued a lot by the fact that side stories and quests are intriguing in their own right, building out the world of Midgar in a way that has never been done.

That world gets a lot more interesting without random, turn-based battles, too. That may be sacrilege to some die-hard fans of the original JRPG, but give Final Fantasy 7 Remake's combat time to grow and it becomes just as strategic and rewarding as the ATB system was decades ago. Battles can be fought using any party member, and they've all got their strengths and weaknesses. The AI controlling the other party members is never as good as an adept human pilot, but they're never egregiously bad, either, making fights less about babysitting computers and more about tactically employing skills and combos.

Battle - and the world at large - also looks absolutely gorgeous in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. It's hard not to find a visual to be impressed with during fights for survival, and the flair of magic or summons lights up the stage even more. The fluidity that made Final Fantasy 15's skirmishes such a joy to participate in is also present here, though it's muted only slightly by the implementation of tactical mode, which slows down time significantly so that players can input commands for all party members. It works well and feels smooth, but it's a bit more methodical than the warping around that Noctis was capable of in the previous mainline Final Fantasy game. As a result, fans transitioning between the two may take a minute to get acclimated.


If there's one thing Final Fantasy 7 Remake gets right from the start and never falters on, though, it's how it pays tribute to the classic that sold millions and launched Final Fantasy into the worldwide brand it is today. For those who've played the original, it feels like there's a small surprise or acknowledgement every few minutes seamlessly integrated into a game that doesn't require that base knowledge to enjoy it. Square Enix had a cactuar needle-thin tightrope to walk between nostalgia and accessibility, and it has been done as gracefully as could be reasonably expected.

Boss battles themselves are as challenging as players want them to be. On Easy or Classic mode, they feel like they're only mildly difficult, offering a little more resistance than the encounters out in the world. On Normal - which is, amusingly, the most difficult option available to start the game - they're tactical warfare. Exploiting bosses weaknesses, using the environment, and having a plan are all crucial. Fighting through the scorpion early makes it clear that Final Fantasy 7 Remake bosses are homages to their original counterparts in more than just form, mimicking the stages of those fights with new, modern elegance. It happens all over, too. Whether it's the return of the Hell House or the Air Buster, each boss takes the quirks they exhibited in the original and somehow ports them over. When the development team is able to make an actual house monster into both a fun and challenging fight, it's a testament to how reverently this legacy property has been handled.


That's evident in more than just battles. The materia system is just as fun, but more accessible. Acquiring summons is inventive, and a smart way to filter in new additions that may not have been a fit in terms of story. Side quests make towns feel more alive, while the ability to spend quality time as Cloud with both Tifa and Aerith in equal measure doesn't just benefit the two women - Cloud is infinitely more interesting in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, gradually becoming a functioning adult thanks to both party member's efforts. Mini-games are dual parts corny and fun, including the squats, and it feels like there is a bonus item that's actually useful behind every seemingly pointless little challenge.

There's a lot to say about Final Fantasy 7 Remake - how it wasn't afraid to shake up the story in parts where it mattered, or how it trusted its characters to hold up under increased screen time and scrutiny. How it's a game that will frustrate with difficult boss mechanics or out-dated mini-game mechanics in an effort to preserve nostalgia or create a challenge, and how it perseveres despite that through sheer charm. Above all, though, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a picture-perfect return to Midgar. It's one that's been a long time coming and, as it prepares its players for the next installment, it's possible that it's also laid the foundation for what could be the greatest series of Final Fantasy games ever put together - providing the quality holds up once the story begins to really expand in the next installment, of course.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake releases on April 10, 2020 for PlayStation 4.