Remakes are a precarious proposition.
Do too much and you risk losing a fanbase.
Do too little and fans question if it was even worthwhile.
With a game as iconic and beloved asFinal Fantasy 7, the risks are gigantic.
But how do you balance old and new?
How far can the boundaries of this story be pushed?
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth review
These are the sorts of meta-narrative questionsFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeposed.
I’ve also wrestled with these thoughts.
FF7 was the first Final Fantasy I played and remains a favourite.
But am I too protective of the original, too invested in my own nostalgia?
When changes are made, should I bemoan the difference or relish something new?
Anyway, enough of all that heavy stuff.
Let’s talk about Chocobo Racing.
There are tons of tracks to race through.
There’s boost drifting and special abilities.
you’re able to deck out your chocobo in silly cowboy hats and armours to vary their stats.
It’s like the now defunct Chocobo GP game is stuck inside Rebirth.
And it’s awe-inspiring how many remixes of the chocobo theme tune there could possibly be.
It’s too easy to win, but it’s a lot of fun.
As an allegory for fossil fuels and destroying our own planet, the narrative is as prescient as ever.
So far, so familiar.
The result is a rich, lavish remake full of attention to detail and generous to a fault.
Chocobo racing is just the start.
Let’s take the Gongaga region as an example.
In the original game, it’s an optional location made up of a handful of screens.
In Rebirth, it’s expanded into an entire maze-like jungle region with a Mako Reactor dungeon.
As with every region, it’s possible to mainline story quests, but exploration is rewarded.
It was simple enough, despite the horrendous controls, but the denouement was deliciously dark.
The diverse and catchy soundtrack flits from orchestration to heavy metal to funky, infectious J-pop.
The change to an open world also allows combat to thrive.
Synergy attacks are the big new addition.
Blocking and dodging are more important than ever, with one late-game boss providing a real difficulty spike.
The game leans heavily, and pleasingly, into the bizarre and the flamboyant.
Final Fantasy 7 has always been emo but eccentric - and now it’s even more so.
Take the new card game Queen’s Blood, one of Rebirth’s best new additions.
In this world, a card game is just as dramatic as a boss fight.
Some moments are wonderfully modernised to add to the realism.
Plus there’s the pageantry of the most elaborate set-pieces that heighten the best moments from the original.
The Junon military parade is now a flourish of a rhythm game to really highlight the pomp.
Other moments, though, unnecessarily elongate the plot and disrupt its pacing.
One particular section adds extra backstory that was never really required and feels forced as a result.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth accessibility options
Multiple difficulty options.
Basic navigational display options.
Subtitle size or colour cannot be customised.
A more fundamental issue, though, is the structure of the narrative.
It’s episodic in nature, a series of character vignettes that allow the full ensemble to shine.
But it also lacks drive.
It’s one long crescendo towards a singular climactic moment I’m not allowed to spoil.
The writers are beholden to it, consumed by it.
The “will they won’t they” guessing game is a background constant that muddies the core plot.
A satisfying and concise plot is swapped for forced convolution that eventually borders on schmaltz and self-indulgence.
Cloud the stoic soldier thrust into uncomfortable situations.
Gun-toting muscle head Barret in a sailor outfit.
Red XIII awkwardly riding a chocobo, awkwardly climbing a ladder, or attempting to swim.
They all bond and bicker as a family - like the game itself, they’re messy but lovable.
It’s an opportunity for fans to deepen their feelings for the cast.
More than ever, this is a world that deserves saving.
A copy of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was provided for review by Square Enix.
