Final Fantasy 7 Remake: 9 MAJOR Changes We Can't Believe

7. Summon Materia Now Available In Midgar

Summons have gone through many incarnations over the years, and in the original FF7 you're only given the Shiva summon in the town of Junon, some 8-10 hours in.

In the Remake, while I can't say if there's a specific explanation or something equally "video gamey" as a character producing it out of nowhere, Summon Materia is 100% a thing in the opening hours, inside Midgar.

I was given both Ifrit and Leviathan to play with, and Summons in general play much like in Final Fantasy XII - albeit without you controlling them directly.

After summoning, the creature will fight alongside you. Ifrit, for example, towers over the party as he deals damage, and you can burn one or two parts of your ATB gauge to trigger special attacks.

Once their energy is fully depleted though, that's when you get the 1997-style animations of the creature delivering their final blow.

It's the best of both worlds. the animations and Summons in general look incredible, and they're a great addition earlier on.