Final Fantasy 7 Remake Has Changed The Franchise Forever

A Floating City...

Few locations in the realm of video games are as widely recognised as Final Fantasy VII’s Midgar. Though Hyrule, Rapture and the Mushroom Kingdom are packed full of notorious enemies and iconic art design, the structure of Midgar offered more than simple escapism. The stark difference between the haves and have-nots is apparent in Final Fantasy VII’s crowning city, as the slums lie directly below the residential area of the city’s privileged inhabitants and house the less fortunate citizens of Midgar. It’s a compelling wrinkle to the complexity of Final Fantasy VII’s tale, and the game’s opening notes in the city are made all the better for it.

The limitations of the PS1 and indeed all of 1990’s technology stifled the potential of the fictional city somewhat, but with the impressive presentation of the 2020 remake, the division between the classes is on full display. Meandering around the slums is harrowing, and the pleasant deviation to the above plates are a reminder that VII’s story is the most thought-provoking that the series has ever attempted.