Square Enix has just dropped a bombshell, and surprisingly it is not a Materia. The company announced that Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade will finally be available on Xbox Series X|S, PC via the Xbox app, and the all-new Nintendo Switch 2 at least, coming to the mentioned gaming platforms. The date is set for January 22. Additionally, if you pre-order the digital version, you might be lucky enough to get the classic Final Fantasy VII from 1997 for free. In a surprising move, the modern remake and the original classic that initiated gaming Monopoly are together again on the waitlist of platforms.
Let’s have a chat about it. The picture is no longer going to be a PlayStation exclusive, the deluxe version of the first part of the trilogy is called Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. Players on Xbox or new-age Nintendo Switch 2 can start their journey to Midgar on January 22, 2025. The digital pre-order bonus of the original game is a tremendous nostalgia play, which simply provides you with two generations of Cloud Strife at a time. It seems like a clear tactic to invite new players just before the final chapter drops.
Yet, let’s admit it, the announcement tweet was merely a starter from the official Final Fantasy VII account. The real feast was in the replies. Gamers were instantly caught up in the flurry, and the topics of the discussion ranged from hype to skepticism to straight-up demands.
First things first, the hype train. Ever so often, game aficionados are passionate about the game’s modernization and are more than happy to accept that it is liberated. One punter stated: “Il n’y a rien de plus plaisant que de voir un jeu revenir à la lumière grâce à la technologie. I played it first and was just amazed. The nostalgia is very powerful.” Another enthusiastically wrote, “wowwwwwww brain cells just now activated….” To many people, being able to play this on a portable console like the Switch 2 is considered a very nice thing indeed.
Then came the unforgettable memes. The source of the tweet’s humor, ‘Tail up, squad up,’ is a cue about the Scorpion Sentinel boss battle from the original game. The fans were quick to catch on. One poster shared, ‘“Attack while its tail’s up!”….. “It’ll counterattack with its laser!” 😑😂’ Another one went on to propose an even more outlandish situation: ‘I’m pretty sure, in some other universe, my grandma accidentally attacked when the tail was up, died, and turned off the ps1. And everything would be different.’ This is the kind of memory that makes this series so special, don’t you think?
However, not everyone was celebrating. A major part of the replies was nothing but rough and blunt demands for the third and final part of the remake trilogy updates. This was definitely the noisiest group. ‘part 3 pls,’ one user sighed. Another guy shared his wish straightforwardly ‘not going to buy until part 3 is released.’ The most dramatic one came from Jackpot 🎰, who announced, ‘if part 3 doesn’t get announced at the game awards I’m going to do something drastic.’ The feeling was echoed by others who agreed that an announcement is 100% coming. It has been almost two years since Rebirth was launched, and the patience is getting thin. Players are ready for the final installment, and some see this Intergrade port as a distraction.
The platform wars also flared up, as they always do. Some Xbox winemakers were having a great time at the expense of the Sony camp with one pointing out, ‘Yes Square keep teasing the sony fanboys they will get mad🤣’. On the other side, disbelief and console rivalry was instantaneous. One comment read, ‘Waste of time and money supporting platforms like xbox that are practically dead.’ Another just stated very bluntly, ‘xbox version canceled,’ which, alright, whatever you say dude. The reference to the Nintendo Switch 2 raised even more questions, with someone asking if a demo for that version would be available in December or January.
Besides, the discussion contained some practical concerns as well. A few players asked if the original game bonus could also apply to physical purchases. Others raised questions about the technicalities; one was hoping Square Enix would not use a ‘NieR Automata’-like approach and make a new PC port while leaving the Steam version outdated. Someone even asked if the infamous translation errors in the original would be ‘fixed’ on the Switch 2 port, calling them ‘unintentional ENG pranks.’
And inevitably, the purists always appear. One user commented, ‘Remake grossness doesn’t impress me, I’ll pass’ while another heated debate emerged over who was better: the ‘R’ (Remake) or the ‘OG’ (Original Game).
