The demo for Final Fantasy VII Remake is out now for free on the PlayStation Network. This is our first taste of what the full game is going to be like, so many were itching to get their hands on it. As a longtime fan of the original, that went double for me.
Final Fantasy VII is the game that made me a gamer. It is the first gaming story that sucked me into another world and opened up a whole gaming universe for me.
So, no pressure at all for the remake, right?
Luckily this demo delivered on a massive scale. In just a simple hour of gameplay, I found myself sucked back into these characters who captured my heart 23 long years ago.
This is going to be a Spoiler-Free Review, so no need to avert your eyes. Now, let’s dive in!
The Good of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Demo
The opening was a cinematic masterpiece, blending different musical components from the original together to create something familiar yet completely new at the same time. When the opening fanfare hit with that grand view of Midgar in all of its glory, I had legitimate chills.
The idea of being old yet new is one that needs to be touched on a lot throughout this review. That is, afterall, the main theme of this remake. And you could tell right from the first cut scene.
The layout of the Sector 1 Mako Reactor is similar enough to the original game that I basically knew where certain things were from memory. That being said, everything still looked different with some interesting little mini-games thrown in to make me feel like I wasn’t just replaying an HD version of a mission I’ve done a million times in the last two decades.
Then you had the characters. I expected to love Cloud and Barret immediately, and I definitely did. But what I did not expect was to enjoy Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie so much. These were throwaway side characters in the original, given true purpose in this demo. I found myslelf completely drawn into Wedge’s innocence, Biggs’ gruff nature, and Jessie’s flirtatiousness.
I think my favorite aspect of the demo was the little character interactions. All throughout the reactor, Barret and Cloud talked to one another, seemingly at random. The banter was engaging and oftentimes downright hilarious.
I’ve seen some other reviews pan the game’s dialogue, but I have to wholeheartedly disagree. I’ve played many a JRPG over the years, and sometimes the localization teams lose something in the translation from the original Japanese. Here, I think they did an amazing job. I was happy with all of the dialogue.
Then there was the combat. Oh, lordy did I love me that combat!
Mixing classic ATB principles with a real time fighting system was flawless once I got the hang of it. Switching between party members was fun and easy and controlling Barret was a much different experience than controlling Cloud.
Some updates that have been made to the story work really well with modern sensibilities. One change in particular toward the end really helps the overall perception of AVALANCHE and their moral code.
The Bad of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Demo
The only actual issue I had with this demo was the camera. It can feel a little wonky and difficult to control at times. But this was a very minor issue. It never impacted my ability to enjoy the game.
Final Verdict On Final Fantasy 7 Remake Demo
A fun preview that left me in desperate need of the new game. I have replayed it several times in order to get properly acquainted with the battle mechanics. That way, when the game drops on April 10, I’ll be able to hit the ground running.
A thrilling nostalgic-yet-new character driven adventure with some questionable camera functionality await all who download this demo for free off of the PlayStation Network.
