Square Enix has dropped a bombshell that has delighted and stirred up the entire Final Fantasy VII community. Honestly, and from the bottom of my heart, it is a really nice deal for those still in doubt. An official account of the Final Fantasy VII on Twitter disclosed that if you purchase digital pre-orders of Final Fantasy VII Intergrade on Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox, you will get the original Final Fantasy VII game as a bonus. Just like that! The tweeting depicted it as a ‘fateful meeting,’ which is a clever play on words with the scene, of course, if you’re a fan, you know the scene. That first meeting through-the-plate in Midgar is really a classic.
Let me first explain if there’s anyone unaware of the FF7 news. The Intergrade version was the definitive and broadened version that the FF7 remake got initially on PS5. It has a top-notch graphical quality, an addition of Yuffie’s new episode, next-gen jazz, and so forth. But obtaining the original 1997 classic as a sweetener? It seems to be a value pack to me. It’s akin to purchasing the stylish new director’s cut of a film and receiving the original theatrical version on VHS as a bonus sweetener. A strange analogy, but it is good.
There is no doubt about the fact that by this move, the company wants to get people who might never play the original or are looking for an easy way to replay it – to get on board with Intergrade, especially on the consoles where the classic game has not been so accessible. Good one, Square.
But, hold on a second, what was I saying? Oh, the tweet right. The reaction of the community was… um, let us just say it was typical Final Fantasy VII fandom. The replies quickly degenerated into the everlasting, glorious and absolutely unrestricted discussion: Cloud and Aerith (Clerith) vs. Cloud and Tifa (Cloti). It is the shipping war that has been defining forums for more than two decades and it is still very much alive.
At first, the tweet talked only about the pre-order bonus, but players noted the phrase ‘a fateful meeting’ and took it to the next level. One user with the name Shanlieart impressed me a lot with the following comment: ‘One of the most iconic moments in all of FF7. Something very insignificant at first actually sets the whole stage and we players are not even aware. Then in the second playthrough this little moment can make anyone cry.’ Such is the real stuff. That first meeting is really everything.
But boom; in the blink of an eye, the trenches were opened. User Ayaka (J3533444) came in strongly supporting the Clerith camp talking about ‘the love of the century blossoming in the obligatory plot,’ while FtSoldierTSaki, the tireless champion for Cloti, was countering with pictures and arguments that it is Tifa Cloud’s true history and promises with her all started from the Nibelheim event. They went really deep. You know, we’re referring to mako poisoning and Jenova cells.
Someone even claimed that Cloud made an ‘irreplaceable promise’ only to Tifa. The fire is real.
Another participant, Rezeed, simply remarked with enthusiasm: ‘I will buy this game no matter what the moment I have the money… You have no idea how long I have been wanting to play this game.’ This utterance exposes the other side of the coin. Every person who is engaged in the debate over the canon couples there must be just one enthusiastic to finally experience this story especially with the original included. A perfect entry point.
Moreover, the genius of this bundle lies in the fact that it eliminates the gap. Newbies can start with the revolutionary (but visually dated) original to get the full, mind-boggling scope of the story, then instantly switch to the breathtaking, action-filled remake. Long-time players can own both versions in a convenient manner, maybe even settling those ‘which version is better’ disputes with their buddies. Or, more likely, starting new ones.
A constant reminder of how gaming culture digs this JRPG very much. Not only it is a product but a collective story. A single tweet promoting a pre-order bonus does not only get ‘cool, good deal’ responses. It gets character motivation essays, heartwarming tales of the first playthroughs, and yes, very silly and comical ship wars. That is the charm of Final Fantasy VII.
So, if you are still in doubt, that bonus is a true reason to pick Intergrade on Switch 2 or Xbox. Two legendary games for the price of one enhanced remake. You get to see where it all started, in its polygonal glory, and then see it re-born. Just be careful not to get into the comment sections.
