Yeah, that just about goose-eggs out from Final Fantasy VII Remake making the Xbox debut. Well, not just the base game: Intergrade, the upgraded form with extra Yuffie content, is coming to Xbox Series X|S this winter along with the PC through Xbox app and handheld ROG Ally. Naoki Hamaguchi, the Series Director, himself confirmed that Xbox players can expect this experience while describing it as an Xbox Play Anywhere title. So you buy once and can play it on console and PC. That’s pretty great.
The online response is pure chaos. You would think the world had welcomed this with open arms. Good games getting more players, right? Damn, no. The comment sections soon degenerated into the oldest and the most fertile console-war rhetoric. In 2024, people still doing this? Some PlayStation folks got really angry, like their exclusive little club had been invaded or something. There was this dude with a profile picture of Bigby Wolf who gave a full rant about “Xbots” and how this game “has zero ties to Xbox” and how it’s not gonna sell. Bro, this is a vid-game, not a blood oath.
On the flip side, some Xbox fans who’ve been waiting for this game for years are going crazy for a chance of finally having it in their hands, while the third party, most likely the sensible lot, is just sitting there pondering, “Hey, it’s great that more folks are playing a good game.” AlmuBt87 said this quite well in Spanish; meaning: “It’s better that they release it so more people who are anti-PlayStation can play it, but we’ll see if they actually want the game that much.” Worth a thought indeed. There’s been this conversation for long that Xbox people “don’t buy games,” and this could be a way to put that notion to rest.
Role players, of course, wouldn’t miss a chance to get involved. One Rolandly-style position missed the opportunity to jumpbog with somebody else, leading to a hilariously ridiculous clapback: “Imagine role-playing a cartoon bat online and still calling other people idiots.” I mean… he does have a point. The entire thread is a riot with people telling each other to cry harder, touch grass, and shut up. Classic Twitter.
Despite the stupidity, some were up for discussion. One asked about a Switch 2 version, which… who knows? Seems like a much bigger technical challenge. Another just wanted to know if they could buy the cool hoodie Hamaguchi was wearing in the video. Priorities, man.
But the takeaway is that this represents a large, well-received major outgoing breaking the walls of exclusivity. Follow this huge giant by the lead’s exit on the tracks of what’s been seen by other Square Enix titles quite recently, how Final Fantasy XVI eventually ending just might take. It’s certainly a positive trend for gamers that are focused on playing stuff on their preferred box without tying their money down for a second console. And even big and loud applause for Play Anywhere support. I’m sure cross-save and cross-buy from your Xbox to your gaming PC must be a point that’s under deliberation for all publishers presently.
Now, what does this mean for Xbox players? So Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is the definitive edition. It’s the entire Midgar story, rebuilt from the ground up with stunning visuals, thrilling action-based combat tactics, as well as a buffed narrative, which digs some deeper into the world of the characters and their perspective setup. Intergrade comes with enhanced visuals for the new generation consoles and that distinct separation of the Yuffie episode, which is intended to set up the next Rebirth. So it’s an incredible and very solid package.
Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. It is pretty much the definition of one of the most exemplary RPGs to have come out in recent years. The music, all the characters, and the modernized combat-those are all phenomenal. It’s just crazy weird that there’s been the crazy-long wait of well over four years by the Xbox players, but hey, better late than never, am I right? And now comes the million-dollar question-will they really go out and buy it, or were they just hollering for attention all along? It’s going to be revealed this winter when Midgar will indeed be really alive on a brand new platform. I am done with the console wars fueled by such venom, the game is going to be great-that is what’s important.
