Summary
Prior to the release ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remakein early 2020, many players new to the complex and sprawling franchise that wasFinal Fantasy 7had no choice but to play the originalFF7for the PS1 to understand the full picture first. Not many future fans were ready to make that leap. WhileFF7may have always been this incredibly popular and classic title, it only seemed to get harder and harder for the series of games to be completely understood. It was always a hurdle as many newcomers wanted to skip the aging, blocky, turn-basedFinal Fantasy 7.
Needless to say, with the announcement ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, many players who hesitated to experience the original game jumped at the chance to experienceRemakeinstead. It’s since been made clear, especially with it’s ending, that theFF7 Remakeproject isn’t exactly a “remake” like fans hoped. While the newer releases are great at including newer fans regardless of its story about defying fate, it ultimately hits harder if players already understand thefate that Cloud and company are fighting against, leavingFF7as a must-play for fans even now.
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The Important Context of the Original Final Fantasy 7
While some of the original game has aged poorly in the last 26 years, other parts have aged like a fine wine. After all, the decision to remake one of the most prominentFinal Fantasygames wasn’t a decision made lightly. Many of theoriginalFinal Fantasy 7development teamwere aware that as video games evolved, remaking a game that took advantage of its technical limitations at the time would extend the game and its development time considerably in comparison.
The originalFF7isn’t just a beacon of context in terms of its development, it’s also able to help players understand the true story ofFF7 Remake, even if they’ve experienced the newer release before. There are countlessreferences to the originalFF7game inRemake, and it isn’t shy about bringing up theCompilation, either. Thankfully, due to projects like the recently releasedCrisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunionand the upcomingEver Crisismobile game, even theCompilationis more accessible than it used to be, making it great for newer fans to pick the previousFF7stories up.
The Adventure that Awaits Final Fantasy 7 Players
A common reason behind why many players don’t want to try the originalFinal Fantasy 7is because of its polygonal graphics, despite the knowledge that it tells a deep story. However, if fans looked past the outdated graphics, they’d see whyFinal Fantasy 7still holds up today. It’s easy to find the art direction of the PS1 title rather charming as players ease into the game. Just like howFF7 Remakehas its comedic moments, so does the originalFF7game, and players may discover that these graphics help the game more than they hurt it once the plot kicks in properly.
When it comes to the turn-based aspects, some players may legitimately struggle to adjust, but there are ways around this if they’d rather just explore the story and world at their own pace.Recent home console releases ofFinal Fantasy 7feature cheats that can help breeze players through the tougher sections, or if they’re stuck on a boss with no way out. There’s also nothing wrong with using guides.
Now thatFF7is accessible and easy to get to, players shouldn’t sleep on this classic before treading the brand-new territory of theRemaketrilogy, if not at least brushing upbeforeFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthreleases. After all,FF7 Rebirthis beginning some timeline-based shenanigans that are bound to confuse even the oldestFF7fans. Even if players may think they know what they need to aboutFinal Fantasy 7already, everything is up in the air fromFF7 Remake’sending onwards. Knowing the past ahead of time could very well help fans understand the future.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis set to release in early 2024 for PS5.
