Final Fantasy 7 Remake Has Changed The Franchise Forever
From Cloudy To Clear
The success of any great Final Fantasy title starts --and ends-- with its characters. Spending ~40 hours with characters with a bland protagonist, surrounding them with stereotypical JRPG archetypes makes any magical journey descend into a boring slog. Any minor issues can be remedied by a compelling cast, as their development over the game’s runtime is so often tied to the game’s main narrative. Level 5’s Ni No Kuni had an immensely obtuse --and often criticised-- battle system, but Oliver’s exceptional development throughout made the journey a worthwhile one.
Final Fantasy VII Remake follows only the Midgar segment of the original, a 6-hour portion of a much wider game. As such, the narrative is stretched to adhere to the typical length of JRPG titles, and the pacing suffers greatly as a result. There are multiple menial tasks that are required to progress the story, and if the player wasn’t at the helm of one of gaming’s most iconic characters its universal acclaim surely would have been dampened.
Seeing Cloud’s luscious blond locks and buster sword swing from his back when you trudge through boring side quests saves the game from long stretches of mediocrity. Cloud --at surface level-- is a somewhat formulaic JRPG protagonist, fitted with a monosyllabic tone and a brooding aura. But his time spent with Tifa, Barret, Aerith and the rest of Avalanche (who have been so well developed this time around) softens Cloud’s personality as he finds friends in an increasingly hostile world.
Final Fantasy VII Remake develops the characters to a sufficient level far quicker than the original. Handicapped to just Midgar, the Remake allows the player more time with the characters in their habitat, and as a result, the environments feel far clearer and more substantial this time around. The Sector 7 Slums are littered with intriguing conversations from faceless NPC’s, and placing such iconic characters in a far more interactive setting only heightens their own development.