Critics praise “beautiful” Final Fantasy VII Remake, although it could prove “divisive”

The review embargo has lifted on Square-Enix’s long-awaited remake of Final Fantasy VII, an RPG that blew up video games when it landed on the PlayStation in 1997. A lot of time has passed since then. Can the remake please fans of the original while also attracting newcomers?

We’ll find out for sure when the game comes out later this week, but the reviews are very solid: Final Fantasy VII Remake has a very respectable solid 87 rating on Metacritic, with critics praising the game for its look, its battle system and its ability to deliver fan service without going overboard.

“Remake is one of the most breathtakingly realised and staggeringly beautiful games in years,” writes Matt Kamen of Empire, not mincing words. “From character models that could just about pass for live action at times, to environments that look almost real, it is an absolute joy to behold…Sometimes, risks pay off – and despite the gamble that Remake could have sullied the memory of Final Fantasy VII, it has instead enhanced it for those with nostalgic fondness, while proving a spectacular introduction to this mythic world for newcomers.”

Kamen gave the game five stars, if you couldn’t guess.

Tamoor Hussain of Gamespot also gave Remake a perfect score. “Regardless of your history with the original game, Final Fantasy VII Remake is an astounding achievement,” Hussain writes. “The wait for its release was a long one, but in gameplay, story, characters, and music, it delivers — the wait was worth it…It’s the chance to experience a multifaceted story that grapples with complex subject matter, be in the company of memorable characters, and be moved by their plight. For returning fans, this isn’t the Final Fantasy VII your mind remembers, it’s the one your heart always knew it to be.”

So far, so breathlessly enthusiastic. But there’s one thing about the game that might give old-school fans, at least, pause: Remake only covers the first part of the original game, the section set in the dystopian city of Midgar, a smog-filled city dominated by the greedy Shinra corporation. Our main character is Cloud, a mercenary who joins a group dedicated to disrupting Shina, although the plot goes to some pretty wild places after that.

Andrew Webster of The Verge recognizes that cutting the game off like this may upset some people, but doesn’t think it hurts the experience too much:

"Final Fantasy VII was always going to be a tricky game to remake….Attempting to harvest that energy, which feels innately tied to the late ‘90s and the early days of 3D gaming, seemed like a particularly difficult task…Yet, that’s what makes the remake all the more impressive. It translates the experience into something modern, without losing much of that classic charm. It’s not the whole experience — FFVIIR only encompasses the opening Midgar section of the story, which amounts to the opening of the game, with no indication of how the rest will be released — and it’s certainly not perfect…It’s messy and beautiful, thrilling and confusing — which is to say, the remake is 100 percent Final Fantasy VII."

As Webster mentions, we don’t know how Square Enix plans to release the rest of the game, but most reviewers don’t spend much time griping about it; I guess we’ve all had time to get used to it. The battle system has also been changed — the original had a strictly turn-based approach to combat, which was common at the time but the remake speeds things up and makes combat more dynamic. Most everyone seems to agree that it’s great fun.

Some do take issue with the game’s padding, though, like Reid McCarter of EGM, who gave it three out of five stars:

"Final Fantasy VII Remake manages to balance the introduction of new concepts with faithfully recreations of the original game’s most memorable aspects, but it also unnecessarily pads out this first installment in a larger story with too much downtime between its most striking moments."

Meanwhile, Kat Bailey of USGamer teases a major change she doesn’t talk too much about lest she give away spoilers, but it sounds like it could be a game-changer. “One of the key additions—you didn’t think this would be a straight remake, did you?—is carefully set up throughout the story, but the specific conceit doesn’t really fit the themes of Final Fantasy 7,” Bailey writes. “Actually, it feels more in keeping with director Tetsuya Nomura’s other series, Kingdom Hearts, which has long made needless complexity an artform.”

"Final Fantasy 7 Remake sets out to fully re-imagine a classic RPG with improved combat and an expanded story. Unfortunately, it’s hurt by weak side quests and a surplus of padding, and its biggest change is bound to be controversial. It’s one of the most coherent and enjoyable Final Fantasy releases in years, but it’s also likely to be one of the most divisive."

Again, the details are vague, but reading reviews I get the idea that there have been some story changes that may rankle purists. But then again, will that matter to newcomers?

Well, if you listen to Scott Tailford of WhatCulture Gaming, newbies might not get much fun out of this at all, as it’s very geared towards people who remember the original:

Now, that’s a long review, but basically, while Tailford can’t say enough nice things about the graphics and the combat system, he’s not a fan of how the game has stretched out the story, or the characterizations. “The original does everything better, in terms of the pacing, the characters, the buildup, the payoff,” he says. There’s also quite a bit of fan service that will differently for different audiences.

All that said, most reviews are more positive, like this one from Kotaku’s Jason Schreier:

"Final Fantasy VII Remake is a phenomenal game, one that any fan of the series should play. I’m not sure if people who haven’t played Final Fantasy VII will appreciate it as much or find the story all that comprehensible. But if you have at least a basic familiarity with the adventures of Cloud and crew, you’re likely to appreciate what is one of the most audacious remakes that we’ve ever seen in any medium."

And finally, we’ll end with thoughts from Joe Juba of Game Informer, who gave the game an 8.75:

"With smart (and surprising) additions to a classic world and its inhabitants, Final Fantasy VII Remake artfully appeals to nostalgia without being bound by it…Regardless of what the future holds, Final Fantasy VII Remake finds an impressive equilibrium between its past and its present. Square Enix nods to the original without depending on that familiarity, crafting a distinctive world and exciting combat system that feel modern. The new approach still has rough edges, but that doesn’t stop Final Fantasy VII Remake from carving out its own legacy."

Final Fantasy VII Remake comes out on April 10.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels