Is Final Fantasy 7 Remake The Full Game?

Is Final Fantasy 7 Remake the Full Game?

Okay, let’s talk about something that has confused a lot of gamers: Is Final Fantasy 7 Remake a complete game? The short answer is: not entirely. It’s a bit more complex than a simple yes or no. Think of it like a really big, exciting book that’s being released in parts. This first part, called Final Fantasy 7 Remake, only covers the beginning of the original story. It takes place almost entirely within the city of Midgar. The original game spanned many different locations across a huge world map.

Understanding the Scope of Final Fantasy 7 Remake

To really understand if Final Fantasy 7 Remake is the full game, we have to look at what the original Final Fantasy VII was like. The original game, released in 1997, was massive for its time. It had a sprawling storyline, tons of characters, and a gigantic world to explore. You moved between towns, dungeons, and different areas on a world map. This new remake, however, focuses only on a much smaller section of the overall story. It’s still a very long game in its own right, but it’s definitely not the complete experience you had with the 1997 version.

The Midgar Focus

The Remake concentrates specifically on the Midgar portion of the original game. Midgar is the giant city that the original game opens with, but you quickly leave it behind to venture out into the wider world. In Remake, the developers expanded that Midgar section massively, adding tons of details, side quests, and character development that weren’t in the original. They did this to make the city feel much more real and engaging. It’s no longer just a few levels before the “real” adventure begins; it’s the entire game in Remake’s first installment. Think of it like spending a whole year in just one city of a country, getting to know every street and citizen.

Why the Change?

The change to a multi-part release was not just because the developers wanted to make more money, although that’s a factor. The original Final Fantasy VII had a simple graphical style, as it was from the Playstation 1 era. To recreate that game with current technology and high graphical fidelity, that would be an enormous project. It would be impossible to make one game that’s the same size as the original, while also making it look amazing with today’s standards, and releasing it all at once. So, they decided to split the game up into episodes or parts, allowing them to invest more time and resources into every part of the game. Doing it this way ensures each section gets the attention and detail it deserves.

The Gameplay Differences

The gameplay in Final Fantasy 7 Remake is very different from the original. While the 1997 game used turn-based combat, the Remake uses real-time action with tactical elements. You control one character at a time, with the ability to switch between party members during a battle. You still have to use a menu to use magic or items, but the combat feels more active and less like watching characters take turns hitting each other. This new style is engaging and creates a completely different experience for gamers. This change in combat is a substantial change to the original format, and some might consider it both a good thing and a bad thing, depending on how familiar you are with turn-based RPGs.

Expanded Character Development

Character interactions are much more detailed and nuanced in the Remake. You get to spend more time with the main characters, like Cloud, Tifa, and Barret. The developers added scenes and conversations that delve deeper into their personalities, motivations, and relationships. For example, you will see more about Cloud’s internal struggles, Barret’s passionate rebellion against the Shinra corporation, and the close bond between Tifa and Cloud. These additional insights help us understand the characters better and build a connection to them.

New Side Quests and Stories

The Remake introduces a bunch of new side quests and story elements that weren’t in the original. These quests explore parts of Midgar that you never got to see in the original game and give you more of a sense of the city and its people. You may help residents of the slums, fix old equipment, or investigate the inner workings of Shinra. These missions enrich the overall narrative and provide a much fuller gameplay experience. This extra content helps to make the game feel like a very expansive story in itself, even if it only focuses on a small portion of the original story.

The Story So Far – Is it Complete?

Even though the Remake only covers the Midgar section of the original Final Fantasy VII, it does tell a complete story within that limited scope. You experience the main events that occur in Midgar, such as the bombing of the Sector 1 reactor, the encounter with Aerith, and the final escape from the city. This is a contained story that can be experienced as a stand-alone product, just like it originally was in 1997. However, it does end in a way that implies there’s much more story coming, which it does with subsequent installments, but it is not the end of the entire narrative.

What’s Next?

Now we know that the Remake isn’t the full game as it is a multi-part series. The second installment, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, continues the story where the Remake left off. Rebirth covers the party’s adventures outside of Midgar, exploring new regions and advancing the overall plot with more twists and turns. This will include areas like Kalm, the Mythril Mines, and Junon, and some of the story will be re-imagined with new elements and different character moments. It still will not be the full game as well, but another piece to the overall puzzle, as a final third installment has been announced to complete the story.

Key Differences Summarized

To help clarify, let’s look at a simple breakdown of the key differences between the original Final Fantasy VII and the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, focusing on scope:

Why Is This Important for Gamers?

Knowing that Final Fantasy 7 Remake is not the full game is crucial for gamers for a few reasons. First, it helps to set expectations. If you go into the Remake thinking you’ll see the entire story from the original game, you’ll be surprised and possibly disappointed. Knowing it’s only the first part means you can enjoy what’s there without expecting it to be the full journey. Secondly, it helps with planning and budgeting. Knowing that more parts of the game will be released means you can save up for the future installments. Also, this provides a different experience to different players, some will be satisfied with the single game, while others might be excited to see how the series progresses.

The Benefits of a Multi-Part Approach

While some might be unhappy that the game is being split into parts, there are actually some advantages to this approach. The biggest benefit is the increased attention to detail. By focusing on a smaller section of the story, developers have been able to greatly improve the graphics, the gameplay, and the story, allowing for richer content and greater depth for every single area and character that the original game only touched on briefly.

• Higher Quality Graphics: More time can be spent making each area of Midgar stunning, utilizing the power of modern game consoles.
• Deeper Character Development: With a smaller scope, there’s more room to go into the backstories and motivations of each of the main characters.
• Expanded Story Content: The ability to add new scenes, side quests, and plot points means that even fans of the original will find brand new experiences.

The Future of Final Fantasy VII

The future looks bright for the Final Fantasy VII saga. The release of Rebirth shows that the developers are continuing to invest heavily in recreating this classic story, giving fans new ways to experience the world of Final Fantasy VII. The split-part approach allows the developers more freedom and time to not only remake the original story, but add to it, making the world richer with new characters, quests, and moments. The third game is already in production and should close out this re-imagining of Final Fantasy VII by completing the story. This strategy allows them to fully realize the potential of this beloved game for current and future generations.

So, to answer the question: Final Fantasy 7 Remake is not the full game. It’s a fantastic, detailed, and expansive retelling of the Midgar section of the original Final Fantasy VII. It has enough content to feel like a standalone game, while also leaving you wanting more. The story continues in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and will ultimately conclude in a third installment. This approach ensures that each part of the story is as good as it can be.