E3 2019: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Exposed
Tonight Square gave us a big present: an extended, lengthy, glorious, long-overdue look at Final Fantasy 7 Remake. We even got Tifa, if you can believe it.
If you don’t know what that comment was about, the bartender of Sector 7 has been absent from every single FF7R trailer prior to this one. Today she finally made an appearance, smiling at the bar next to Marlene. And then we got to see her kick butt!
How will Final Fantasy 7 Remake handle its combat in an industry that’s moved away from turn-based battling in AAA titles? Like this….Cloud has the ability to slash at his attackers in real-time, but while he’s doing so, his ATB gauge will start filling. When it reaches maximum, Cloud will have the option of using a Limit Break, casting a spell with Materia, or using an item.
Curiously, none of the footage we’ve seen takes place outside of Midgar, and according to producer Yoshinori Kitase, that’s deliberate: “Remaking Final Fantasy 7 has allowed us to dive much deeper into the world and its characters than ever before,” he told the crowd at E3. “The game design was optimized for this title as well, and we anticipate two Blu-Ray discs’ worth of gameplay content. The first game in this project expands on the story of Midgar and is such an elaborate retelling that it’s become a solid standalone game in its own right.”
One example of such embellishments is the fight against the Scorpion Tank, the first boss in the game, which has become much more involved than it was in the original. In the demo Cloud and Barret had to run all over the area as the tank leapt, shot lasers, and changed strategies every minute. At one point it started booting up its healing ability, something it never had in the 1997 version, and Cloud had to destroy the tank before it activated.
Is there an overstuffed Deluxe Edition in the works? You bet, and here’s what’s in it: an artbook, the soundtrack, a Steelbook case and two DLCs, the Cactuar and Chocobo Chick Summons. You can also get the Chocobo Chick by simply preordering the game. It all costs $79.99 and if you want to spend more than THAT….
….the First Class Edition contains everything from the Deluxe Edition, plus one more DLC Summon (Carbuncle) and an envy-inducing “Cloud on a motorcycle” Play Arts statuette. This costs a ridiculous $329.99.
Barring any delays, Final Fantasy 7 Remake will be out March 3, 2020.