Final Fantasy 7 Remake Or Original
Etienne Levic
As comparing the original and remake to identify what was in both games would serve difficult, I am only including an overarching view of new or changed story/gameplay content that only exists in the remake.
In the final sequence of the game's conclusion, we get a small glimpse of Zack Fair. In the original game, Zack's cutscene is optional and found much later in the story. If you played the original or Crisis Core, Zack is known to have die in battle protecting Cloud, but we see a different take of these events and hints towards a possible survival.
But in Remake, visions of Sephiroth haunt Cloud early in the story. On top of that, Jenova (or at least a version of her alien form) is fought near the finale, reinforcing the important connection between these two villains. By introducing Jenova in a more active role much earlier in the story, her presence and involvement in the plot going forward will make a lot more sense.
I respect what it did for the video game industry, and for the groundwork it laid for this remake. I fully recognize the Final Fantasy VII Remake would not work without the original game serving as the foundation for it. Maybe VII had the pieces all along, but it needed the benefit of advancements in technology and improved localization to convey them as originally intended.
The experience that we wanted players of FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE to have, was for players who did not know or play the original to experience the surprises of the FINAL FANTASY VII story in the same way that the original generation of players did 23 years ago.
In FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE, I felt that players had to be able to experience all the elements that were in the original game. I thought of the best way to include those in a way that would fit well and not affect the core play experience. That resulted in us using and evolving the elements from the original in a very natural way.
But in terms of the character dialogue and conversations, naturally we are keeping all the iconic moments from the original script, but because the original was all text based, with no facial expression and quite bare camera work, if we left the dialogue unchanged, it would sound very explanatory and not be up to the same quality as modern games. So, we have edited and reworked it to sound more like natural conversation, but very much kept it having the same impression on the player.
In terms of how faithful the remake is to the original Final Fantasy VII, from the perspective of the storyline, it is very faithful indeed. The major story structure is kept very close, so you will do the Mako Reactor bombing mission and then return to the Sector 7 slums.
I made multiple arrangements of many of the iconic Final Fantasy VII music tracks. Some of them are very faithful to the originals, and there are other arrangements that only sound reminiscent in passing. But if you pay too much attention to the originals then it is quite difficult to try and make something even better. For that reason, I try to be as natural as possible, and approach them as if I were writing a completely new piece.
I start out with this just to try to give people a broader understanding of what translation is. Many people seem to assume that translation is as easy as looking a word up in a bilingual dictionary and inserting it. Heck, I thought this way myself before I started working as a translator. But the fact is that sentences and words can be written and translated in any number of ways while still expressing the same intent, just like how adaptations tell the same story in a new way. Translation requires just as much work and creativity as producing an adaptation or remake.
Similarly, FF7R has sections which follow the original game exactly, other parts which are entirely new, and plenty of scenes that are a mix between the two. While most of the dialogue is substantially rewritten in Japanese, there are still some sections that are a precise match and the overall narrative remains the same. Not unlike how translations of entertainment products will largely take a localizing strategy to better communicate the story and characters, but still find opportunities to retain certain things from the original.
FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH is the highly anticipated new story in the FINAL FANTASY VII remake project, a reimagining of the iconic original game into three standalone titles by its original creators...
On July 4 just over 25 years ago, I rode a float in a parade, stuffed myself at an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, splashed in the local pool, and played in the woods ahead of our town's fireworks extravaganza. That evening, at a friend's sleepover, 11-year-old me took turns playing Final Fantasy 7 with five of my friends.
Like many, many other gamers, Final Fantasy 7 would become one of my favorites of all time. It almost single-handedly popularized its style of roleplaying games outside Japan and set a new standard for cinematic storytelling. It was an event in gaming history.
In 2020, Final Fantasy 7 Remake carried forward that pioneering legacy. Most fans assumed it would faithfully retread old ground. But publisher Square Enix flipped the game on its head. Turns out it was not a remake at all; it's a sequel that expanded the original's five-hour opening Midgar section into a 40-hour epic with brand-new combat, fleshed-out characters, and a fully realized, bustling city.
2020's Remake ended on a cliffhanger that opened the trilogy up to deviate from the original storyline. Rebirth's fresh twists are an absolute delight, but its formulaic open world design hampers its momentum.
That's not to say the open world is bad. It makes narrative sense after the party leaves the claustrophobic confines of Midgar. But it doesn't rise much above the Ubisoft checklist quests that felt stale a decade ago. There are diamonds in that rough (I encourage you to pursue the Protorelic in Junon), but you have to sift through hours of filler to get to the good stuff.
The remake trilogy's greatest strength is how it manages to further develop characters that have been established for over two decades. I didn't think it was possible to appreciate them more, but Rebirth deepened my attachment to the original cast. Yuffie has quickly become a new favorite; Red XIII and Cait Sith are both fantastically reimagined. And Cloud. Sweet, moody Cloud. He's as dreamy and tortured as ever.
Rebirth particularly excels at evolving a believable group dynamic, now that all the party members have joined the fray (although Cid and Vincent aren't playable yet). Gorgeous cutscenes and incidental banter add up to a compelling story of how this fantastically random crew of people (plus a lion-dog and a robot cat) could band together to save the world. It's really quite touching how much everyone grows to care about each other; Aerith and Tifa forge an especially strong connection.
Relationships are even built into gameplay mechanics. When you complete character-focused side-quests or pick certain timed dialogue options, Cloud improves his Bonds of Friendship with a party member. This emphasis also extends to the excellent combat, with new, flashy Synergy Abilities that encourage you to try out each character combination. Eventually, your Bonds pay out unique scenes (dates, essentially) that you'll get treated to at a few points in the story, which are a real joy.
After hours of bland exploration, I walked into the inn at Under Junon and the track "On Our Way" came on. I went from room to room, chatting with my lovable party members, studying their expressions and dialogue with fascination. I smiled. I teared up. I felt like a kid again, and I was discovering my new favorite game.
I just want to say: keep on keeping on, Square Enix. I see how impossible it's been to please everyone. Final Fantasy 13 was too linear, so you opened Final Fantasy 15 up to mixed results. Then you tried to steer the series further towards action with Final Fantasy 16 and it didn't go over well with many fans.
I'm not sure what you're cooking up for the last installment in the remake trilogy, but I'm betting you'll make me weep for joy in between groans of frustration at tedious gameplay. Whatever it looks like, and whatever it's called (I'd suggest "Final Fantasy 7 Refinance"), I'll be playing it.
Meanwhile, Aerith is a far more interesting character in Remake. My perception of her changed the most out of all of the characters. When I played the original, I thought she was selfish and inconsiderate. The Remake went a long way to change my impression of her.
But in Remake, visions of Sephiroth haunt Cloud early in the story. On top of that, Jenova (or at least a version of her alien form) is fought near the finale, reinforcing the important connection between these two villains. By introducing them both in active roles much earlier in the narrative, their roles later on will make a lot of more sense.
I respect what it did for the video game industry, and for the groundwork it laid for this remake. I fully recognize the Final Fantasy VII Remake would not work without the original game serving as the foundation. Maybe VII had the pieces all along, but it needed the benefit of advanced technology and improved localization to convey them as originally intended.
Through its unique storytelling approach, excellent expansion of Midgar, character depth, and great voice acting, Remake has, so far, addressed every major criticism issue I had with the original game.
When considering the value of a remake, particularly of a classic game or movie, my measurement of its success boils down to this: Does it capture the essence of the original? Does it feel as special as the original? Was it worth remaking the original in the first place?
Storytelling is the priority in nearly every moment of the game, whether it be during cutscenes, exploration, or even during combat, and I loved this. The characters are constantly exchanging playful banter (Final Fantasy XV fans, rejoice), and obviously, the fact that the characters are brought to life with voice actors and gloriously detailed character models gives the game a much fuller cinematic quality than the original had.
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