Forums » Smalltalk » Why Final Fantasy VII Doesn't Need a Remake

As some may know, in the sub forum “Unpopular Opinions”, I said Final Fantasy VII doesn’t need a remake. Here’s why.

- Final Fantasy VII is playable on PS1, PS2, PS3 (either by downloading it or the physical disc), PS4 (download only), PSP (download only), and PS Vita (again, download only). It is available on most PlayStation consoles, and, on PlayStation Store, the game itself is a fairly decent price, while the physical game and disc may be variable depending on where you buy it. It is also available on PC (via Steam) and also on Google Play and the Apple Store.

Now, I’m going to express what should be done with the rest of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.

• Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children/Advent Children Complete - Beginning two years after the main game, we explore a new crisis in the world of Gaia. My thoughts? Leave it the same! The movie itself is excellent, and the original, as far as my knowledge goes, can be even bought for the PSP. ACC is basically a revised AC, and thus needs no work. Both movies (Advent Children and Advent Children Complete) are great movies!

• Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII - Beginning seven years before the main game, this game was released only in Japan on mobile phones. What should be done? Before Crisis should be released to the Western world! Whether it be on mobile devices or on 3DS (as a planned, but scraped release), I believe every FFVII fan, newcomer or veteran, deserves a chance to see and play it!

• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Beginning six years before the main game, the game follows the story of Zack Fair, a pivotal character in FFVII. There’s only one problem with the game that I can say here. It’s only available as for PSP, and it’s UMD is the only way you’ll ever play Crisis Core. My opinions on what should be done is simple. Port the game to a new system, such as the 3DS, or remaster that for PS4.

• Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII - Following a year after Advent Children, this third-person shooter revolves around Vincent Valentine, a well known character. Like Crisis Core, it is only available on its home system (for DoC, the PS2) and nowhere else. My opinion? Rerelease the game to PlayStation Store and every other console store that can at least handle it, remaster the game for PS4/Xbox One/etc., or, even both!

I have now expressed my thoughts and feelings on what should be done with the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. You don’t have to agree with me, but I harbor doubt that I’ll get that many comments here.

Furthermore, if you do think I’m wrong, then I’d love to hear it! The only thing I don’t, and I mean absolutely don’t want to hear, is that certain things, like Crisis Core, can be downloaded and played with emulators. Yes, I’m very well aware of that fact. However, I’ve had issues with emulators, but that’s probably because I don’t use them, really. And before anyone gets the wrong idea, I’m not trying to force my opinions on everyone, rather, allow people to see my side of the argument.

Anyway, I’m going to conclude my ‘explanation of an unpopular FFVII opinion’ right here, and leave it up to you to decide what opinions are right and wrong.

If you’re still here, thanks for putting up with my huge mass of text and reading on! Thank you!
~ KatayokuNoTenshiVII

I agree it doesn't need a remake but Square is also responding to the vast number of fans who want a remake. Personally, I'm happy they're doing it. Why? (Minor spoilers, maybe, but the game is also 20 years old now so... sorry?)

One, I love the setting. Absolutely love it. From the techno monstrosities of Junon and Midgar to the modern mysticism of Cosmo Canyon, I love it. I'd love to see it with modern visual updates. I want to see Gaia in glorious HD. Visuals aren't the entire story but they set theme, mood, etc. They're part of the reason the original was so successful.

Two, Final Fantasy 7 is a bit dated at this point. As you may have guessed, I love it. It's the sole reason I got into RPG's. I want others to be able to play it, I want them to love it too. I want it to be a relevant and prominent fandom again. I would love to RP in the world here and the Remake will bring hosts of new fans.

Three, if it's successful, you may see other things you want. Ports and remasters of Crisis Core, DoC, etc. Square will follow the money. If FF7 Is selling, they'll oblige with more products.

Four, the characters/story. I was a lonely child and it may sound silly but the characters were more than just characters to me. I identified with the themes of finding your identity, of seizing your own fate, of courage in the face of insurmountable odds. Let's be honest though... not everything translated well in the original English version and there were some story issues/plot holes. I'd love to see a version that irons these out, that delves deeper into characters like Biggs/Wedge/Jessie. That more completely rounds out the world and the people in it. Make me sad during the battle at the Sector 7 pillar, when not everyone makes it. Make me feel that loss more keenly than the original did.

Five, the music. I still listen to the soundtrack on my iPod. A Remake means more and updated music. Huzzah!

Six, I miss open world Final Fantasy games. FF13 was a railroad piece of torture for me, despite liking Lightning, Fang, and Vanille. Let me explore. Dragon Age Inquisition, Mass Effect, I love just going places. Tapping into aspects like that in the Remake would be beautiful. Give me the Highwind and let me soar.

Seven, the original version. It's readily available to play. Square isn't taking anything away, they're offering more. We'll always have the original but like a spoiled child? I'll always take more.

So that's my two cents . I agree it didn't need to be remade but I'm certainly happy they are. I'm looking forward to trying it and falling in love with Gaia all over. I'm glad Square has listened to the fan base but I'm not sure they'll be able to live up to the dreams of it. Like Star Wars, try to introduce new content and the purists descend to tear it apart. Some of it is borderline or outright toxic. Square is putting themselves out there, doing it anyway. I admire their courage.

I like Final Fantasy VII myself and the game aged poorly. I do love the music and the characters, though. You forgot to mention the light novels, "On a Way to A Smile" which are translated via Lifestream's webpage.

TBH, I can't see this game remade and I kind of dislike voice acting in my JRPGS. It kind of sucks the charm out of it.

Honestly? I just wish that instead of taking so much time, money, and man-power to remake an already astonishing game, Sqaure would invest those facets into finding a new direction for themselves. Innovating the genre and giving new life into the franchise on the whole would be breath-taking if they tackled it with proper ambition and foresight.

While they may do that still someday, I feel that rehashing FF7 is trying to give a new generation of gamers an experience that they should receive cleanly with their own media with which to decades later argue the necessity of a remake. Trying to recapture the charm and the allure that has made this game's history achieve such reverie isn't something I'd personally like to see continue down the milkfest of fans' almost insatiable hunger for more. It's a shaky door that doesn't stay closed once opened. It won't be long before we get the remake, then the remastered edition of the remake, and so on... and so on...

I'm not looking forward to the unfortunately all-too-real probability that this slope gets - and stays - slippery, with micro-transactions, and re-imaginings of the over-arching story come into play. And no, I won't give a pass for mere cosmetics. Some things, regardless of how much we the fans scream for them, should just stay a fond wish, so that the reality remains without further jab by formulas proven to deteriorate mediums we adore. It only fosters their continuation, and I don't want FF7 part of that.

Even if it turns out that all goes astonishingly well with the remake (and in truth, it just might), it begs the question, "What's next?" How much more will that delay enigmatic new creations from getting their due, when instead, Square will be shown that there's still a wealth of prosperity to possibly be had by re-opening their classics instead? The stagnation is my concern. It isn't like Square can really skate by that way, but that doesn't mean they won't try.

They'll get one shot at this. One. And with its success will come new avenues of retreading the same; with its failure will come critical backlash and a soreness that won't easily heal upon a franchise that's already in desperate need of something as awe-inspiring as the material they're trying to slap a new coat of paint on. The new generation is comprised of complete idiots made of checkbooks bleeding for our nostalgia. They deserve more than our hand-me-downs, even if the originals were and are deserved of all the love they receive from we the fans who still hold it dear.

It's simple, original was over hyped so everyone jumped into hype train. Now it's nothing more, but a money grab, they won't release whole game. Oh no if you want to finish you must buy DLC's.

I honestly don't have much faith with SE nowdays.

Octopath is an amazing game and I bought it. I recommend it.

FF7 remake seems like a "LOOK! LOOK!" and pretty much ends up as vaporware. Kingdom Hearts III I have zero interest in.

Well, I think that a remake may be required. Necessary to appease all the fans? No. Required because the game is completely outdated, even with ports on the recent consoles? Maybe. Maybe. Don't quote me on that.

I think people forget that even though FF7 was great, it was still a rushed and unfinished game. Some features and items didn't work as intended (W-Item Glitch, anyone?), and there were obvious typos and mistranslations ("This guy are sick?" Really, Aerith?). From what I can see, there were a few other points that Square wanted to add in, but never got a chance to because of an impending deadline.

While I agree that Square is riding on a potential slippery slope here, I would like to see how they intended the game to look like in the first place. They had poor timing on the original version and yet still managed to come out with a game that everybody loved. So I'm curious about what will happen if they included what they wanted to in the original game. Even if it does end up as a total flop, at least they can say the story is finished in the way they envisioned it to be, you know?

Though I will admit they're also beating a dead horse at this rate. Can we not focus on other FF games that need a similar kind of attention too? Or like one person said, refresh the overall image of the Final Fantasy Series for future games and consoles?

I don't care either way if they go through with the remake or not, because the game and its lore is still incredible to me regardless. Yes, change sucks when it rubs against the nostalgia glasses the wrong way... But it may also be good to rub against them every so often, just to see things in a new and different light. That's just me, though. I'm neutral on this entire thing, to be honest with you.

*Nods a bit*

I can agree to most of that. I'd love to have trust that Square won't screw the hooch on this. Sadly, I simply don't, and will be happy to be pleasantly proven wrong. My hopes of it visually being appealing are pretty high. But squeezing me for my nostalgia is a tactic readily employed by a slew of other franchises already. I don't blame them for giving new and old fans what they want, yet I've been watching long enough to see the wall they're up against.

Them making a decent or above remake won't change the value of the original for those that experienced it, flaws and all. A new, shoddy cash grab, however, can easily detour long-time fans and push away new prospects. It's a gamble, and I still think one better spent on trying to aim for a new product worthy of the same kind of clout FF7 has earned. Like you said, Lucree, its not really wrong to tread back a bit and fix what needs fixing. I just think that rushed as the original was, that is also part of why it's such a classic. It really had no right to be as good as it was, even if there are plenty who have a distaste for it.

In the end, it's out of our hands, anyway. As long as they give Tifa proper... physics... I'll be willing to at least give it the time of day.

As little attention as I expected...I'm impressed! Good points are coming up, too! However, though, I still stand with the fact that Before Crisis, Crisis Core, and Dirge of Cerberus all need to be rereleased and/or remastered.

But, with gaming today, we all know these companies just want money! Kinda sad, really...

I'd love to see a Crisis Core port. Always wanted to play it.

I almost had a chance!...But then my PSP wouldn't play the UMD.

Later releases, such as the STEAM and PS4 release fixes the typos and patches things up.