So I played the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo.
With just over a month until its release, Final Fantasy VII Remake is shaping up to be one of the big releases of 2020 and Square Enix has very kindly allowed us to test the waters with the game thanks to a new demo currently available on the PlayStation Store. The demo takes place during the game's first opening hour and sees AVALANCE members Cloud, Barret, Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge breaking into Mako Reactor No. 1 to wreak absolute havoc.
I didn't get around to playing the original Final Fantasy VII until years after its initial release. My first proper time with the game came about somewhere in my teens when I picked up the game on the PlayStation 3 and although I didn't actually make it to end, the six or seven hours I spent with FF7 were an absolute blast and that opening mission is one of those moments that has stayed with me throughout those years.
From the opening clip of Aerith on the streets of Midgar to the train pulling into the station and Cloud leaping down onto the platform, it's all grabs your attention from the very beginning and holds onto it all the way through and the remake is no different. Visually the game is beautiful, which, let's be honest, is the least we can expect from games releasing in this day and age but having that memory of what the original was like just makes the whole experience that extra bit sweeter. I found myself feeling the same way I did when I sat down to play Resident Evil 2 last year, everything feels oddly familiar yet completely different at the same time, it's a wonderful sensation.
While on the train station we take control of Cloud and are quickly introduced to the rest of the team. Unlike the original, the remake is fully voice acted which gives the characters an added level of personality that just wasn't there in the 1997 release. Throughout the demo, the dynamic between characters, especially Cloud and Barrett is equal parts tense and hilarious and had me absolutely invested even at some points laughing pretty hard as well.
Also, just a quick note here, the soundtrack for this game is stellar. All the tracks seem to be redos of the original game's soundtrack which, let's be honest, was already brilliant to begin with, but the standout moment for me has to be when Barrett straight up sang the victory music after a fight, I mean, you can't ask for much more.
Naturally, from the get-go, we are thrown straight into the combat. Gone are the days of a turn-based combat system, the combat in FF7 Remake all happens in realtime with a simple tap of the X button allowing you to slow the action to almost a complete stop, giving you time to assess the situation and plan your next move whether that be to use a special ability attack, magic or an item. I wasn't really a fan of the combat in the original game but then again I'm not a huge fan of turn-based combat systems anyways but that being said I really enjoyed the combat here. Attacks hit hard and being able to switch between attack modes, allies and as well as activating ability attacks on the fly makes every encounter with an enemy just as satisfying as the first.
That being said I did feel the combat starting to drag a little during the final fight with the Scorpion Sentinal. This encounter is essentially a mini-boss fight that is pretty awesome to face off against but is also an absolute unit and will put you down if you're not careful. After spending several minutes throwing pretty much everything I had at the beast, switching to Barrett to fire off a charged shot and then back to Cloud to come in with a quick flurry of sword attacks, it started to feel like I wasn't doing any damage at all or at least I couldn't tell if I was doing any damage. Thankfully I was and after several minutes and twelve potions, the fight was over.
This then switches to you having to backtrack through the facility before a bomb explodes. Prior to the Scorpion Sentinal fight, you're tasked with deciding to either set a bomb timer to twenty or thirty minutes. Don't worry, nothing really changes depending on which you choose however choosing the twenty-minute option does unlock some extra content at the end of the demo. I would highly recommend choosing this option as the time doesn't start until you've beaten the Scorpion Sentinal and you'll have more than enough time to escape the facility.
Finally after escaping the facility we're treated to a short cutscene of the team parting ways, Cloud meeting Aerith on the streets of Midgar, her giving him a flower and then Cloud facing off against a bunch of soldiers before cutting to the title. Now if you had chosen the twenty-minute timer, at this point you'll be shown the extra bit of content which isn't all that much but is still pretty epic. We get a lovely look at Sephiroth just doing his thing, whatever the hell that is before the demo cuts to black and sends you back to the main menu.
I have to say I wasn't overly excited for Final Fantasy VII Remake but after playing through this demo I can definitely say my interest is piqued and even though this was only a demo, given how close we are to the full game's release date, it can't be that different from how the full version is going to be.
But if this hasn't convinced you so far, why not give the demo a try for yourself? It's free, you've nothing to lose.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is releasing on April 10th exclusively for the PlayStation 4 and for more news and articles on FF7...
Stick with Goin' All Gamer!
