With the release of last week's Final Fantasy VII Remake demo, many fans finally have the opportunity to relish that first-ever Mako reactionor contest. From returning to Midgar, recreating the game's cloud cover staring at Shinra's structure, and hearing the re-emphasizing sound, it's easy to imagine how the FFVII Remake pulls off some unpleasant feelings. After all, who can be transported back to original memories?
Well, it's mine.
I didn't play FFVII when it was first released. Until recently, I hadn't played the final game of the Final. The storyline has always been one of the most blind spots of my major culture, whether it was my age (in 1997 when I was five), or due to willful ignorance. JRPGs didn't always click with me as a kid, and while I saw the icons of different FF titles while play ing with friends years ago, it never drew me enough to play my own.
Even in 2018 when I finally upgraded FFVII to the PS4, I was determined to give it to the hottest celebrity, I just couldn't connect. There were some elements of the game that intrigued me (the summons! The soundtrack! Tifa!), But even after finding a point for a significant plot (you know which one!), I found myself losing steam and eventually didn't finish. Maybe if I came to it too late, maybe my expectations were too high. But in the end I thought I could make sure I was on the "Final Fantasy" train
Which is why after the experience made last month, I blew my mind that the Final Fantasy VII Remake is easily one of my most anticipated games of 2020.
At first I thought it was just a revised sketch. The opening sequence that goes with the insights into Midgar is completely realized and is nothing short of amazing. Seeing Cloud get active at the beginning of Mako's response started a lot of excitement for me. He and the AVALANCHE team are well-known, and seeing them leave the world was a pleasure. Their personalities shone from small spears during battle to slowing down quick paths, and I was instantly captivated by the energetic Barret and the sweet-hearted Aerith. It helps that the earth travels with clockwork. From the glistening metal lanes of Mark's response, to the busy and hot streets of the Midgar business district, I couldn't stop taking a break from my surroundings.
Square Enix's revamped Midgar concept had stripped my passion of success, but I felt like I was finally cutting my teeth as a Final Fantasy replacement during a quick and kinetic battle. After all, I had no time for my life during this war sequence. Switching between the cloud and the members of his team is a fluid discussion that I really enjoyed reading, and once I had the hang of weighing the charges and my ATB skills, I felt like I could defeat Shinra and the world. That's not to say I've been having this for a long time – there were some shocking moments in the battle for post-demo bosses where I felt like I was using all of the ATB cases to force feed my Party Party. But when I got a steady rhythm, I was able to dance the balance between the characters and skills and felt natural. Plus, it sounded as exciting as I had never heard of Final Fantasy before.
This is a tenfold increase when I use the Soncon for the first time. Unlike the original FFVII, summons is something that needs to work together to get the most out of it. With the Call materia installed, one character can turn on Summon, however everything team members can use their ATB costs to direct them into battle. It makes Summon more of a cool animation and a great attacker. Instead they are part of an active and relentless struggle that promotes that kinetic backward and forward movement that I have been pursuing. I may not have many feelings tied to the original game, but I did feel something powerful while releasing Shiva during the battle.
It's a feeling that stayed with me well after my good play, and that's when I once sat down to play a writing position at home. It may have taken 23 years, but for the first time in my life, I thought I was riding the last train of Final Fantasy. I can't wait to see where it takes me when Final Fantasy VII Remake arrives on PS4 on April 10th.