We are one month away until the official release of Final Fantasy VII Remake, but Square Enix was kind enough to let us play a quick demo of the game. This demo won’t carry any items to the official game unlike the Platinum Demo from Final Fantasy XV where players are given the chance to name the summon Carbuncle. However, in a tweet, players who downloads the demo before May 11th will be given a free PS4 theme.

Can you guys believe that we are finally going to be getting a Final Fantasy VII game in HD and a whole new makeover? When it was first teased in an old E3 convention, Sony showed the power of the PS3 of what would happen if they did a PS3 remake of Final Fantasy VII. This made fans wanting this game and it took years for the idea to become a reality. Square Enix later confirmed that Final Fantasy VII will be remade and it will episodic for the PS4 instead; however, it is unknown for what plans does Square Enix have since this exclusive title will last until 2021. Regardless, We finally get the chance to taste test Final Fantasy VII Remake and we get to see if this is a hit or miss.

Impression: Avalanche iconic mission

The demo begins just like the classic game where you, as Cloud, must help the Avalanche team infiltrate Shinra’s Mako Reactor 1 bombing mission. The demo only goes on all the way to the Scorpion Sentinel Boss and running away from the time bomb. This demo is actually not very long and you could be done about approximately 30-45 minutes. On my first try, it took me about 45 minutes to understand the gameplay and during my second and third playthrough, I easily beat it quickly. I haven’t tried the classic mode so I don’t know the turn-based combat but I did play the normal mode. As someone who has played countless hours of Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts, I was expecting some major changes in combat and gameplay. First of all, there is no jump button. Second, unlike FFXV, the square button is used for fighting and the R1 is to block; pressing that button with the circle allows you to dodge roll. In FFXV, you can either block or dodge with the square button and R1 is to target. Overall, the controls is very different but really easy to learn. One of the things that the game makes use of the new feature is the revamped ATB (Active Time Battle). While gaming, the ATB will allow players perform special attacks, items and magic attacks. It can charge fast whomever you choose to be, but it slows the AI’s ATB. The game also allows you to change characters in a snap. Speaking of characters, you can only play as Cloud and Barret but each has their own fight style. Cloud can fight with his buster sword and even change styles that can prevent him from using magic but grants him devastating counters. Barret can shoot enemies at a distance and his special attack allows him to shoot a powerful attack, but it takes a while to charge it back up to full. Once the full game comes out, you’ll be able to play more than these two. A fun thing they did in this game is that you can destroy Shinra boxes and collect items like potions and eithers. It reminds me of The Legend of Zelda where you can break pots for Rupee. The combat may sound easy but it actually requires strategy. For example, the human enemies which are Shinra SOLDIERS are weak against fire magic and robots are weak against electricity. The boss in this demo is weak against thunder but its attacks is no push over. Like most Final Fantasy games, you will need to study your enemies and make use of the weakness. I really like the details on the characters in the 3D models as opposed to the polygons from the classic 1997. The voices for the characters was good as well even though I do miss some of the previous voices. I really like the voice of Barret which was John Eric Bentley and Jessie which was voiced by Erica Lindbeck. I don’t have a problem with Cloud’s voice which is currently Cody Christian and no longer Steve Burton, but I do miss Steve. However, I don’t hate the new cast and I applaud them for nailing their roles and I can’t wait to spend time with them once I get my copy of the game.

Overall

While this game is not the final product, we have come a long way for getting a remake of a classic game. Square Enix did an awesome job on details and they added brand new things to a classic game. Personally, as someone who likes action games, I think I am going to enjoy Final Fantasy VII Remake as much as I did with Final Fantasy XV. The gameplay feels engaging and I also love the updated soundtrack. They turn a classic soundtrack and made it up to date. If you want to try it out this demo, it is free at the PSN store. The full game is coming out on April 10th, 2020. I am hoping we don’t wait too long for part 2 of Final Fantasy VII Remake.