Many people became hardcore gamers in 2020 due to BOSH COVID-19. With many parts of the world on lockdown, playing games was a great way to be entertained, pass the time, and retain a bit of sanity. Thankfully, there were tons of great games to play. For me, the best game of 2020 was Final Fantasy Remake.
Before I get into why FFVII Remake was my choice for best game of 2020, let’s discuss an honorable mention. I’m super late to the party, but I’ve been enjoying a little bit of Hades recently and aim to play more of it in 2021. This action-RPG is made by one of my favorite independent studios, the outstanding Supergiant Games, and is the ultimate realization of the company’s style. It’s a delightful game with thoughtful storytelling that’s perfect for long sessions and equally excellent for when you want to slay a bunch of baddies for a few minutes. Well done Supergiant!
Last week I caught a bunch of heat on N4G. This article on Final Fantasy VII Remake discussed a major event from the original FFVII. The kids accused me of being the “spoilers!” guy. Initially, I dismissed it as Internet people being Internet people. Then RPadholic G-Iceman asked an interesting question in the RPadTV Slack:
“What is the appropriate amount of time that should pass before you can blurt out spoilers?”
Final Fantasy VII Remake is arguably the most anticipated RPG reboot in videogame history. The original was responsible for popularizing Japanese RPGs in Western markets. For many gamers, it was the first Japanese RPG they played and holds a very special place in their hearts.
As for me, I enjoyed the original FFVII, but not nearly as much as some of my gamer friends. At that point in my game life, I already loved Japanese RPGs, including a few Final Fantasy games. I liked it, but played better Final Fantasy games before and after it.
However, I came to love the world of FFVII through the outstanding PSP game Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and the great anime Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. They really fleshed out the world of FFVII, making sense of some things and expanding on others.
Like millions of gamers, I was thrilled for Final Fantasy VII Remake when the trailer dropped in 2015. Now that I’ve beaten the game and replayed several chapters, here are some random thoughts, using the trusty RPadTV binary system. [Time to equip your spoiler materia!]
Final Fantasy VII Remake has been an incredible success for Square Enix. The game has been acclaimed by critics and gamers alike. The company announced that it shipped 3.5-million units in the first three days of release. With worldwide acclaim and commercial success, it’s the perfect time for Square Enix to go all The Last Jedi on fans by screwing with their expectations.
Similar to how The Last Jedi is a modern take on Star Wars (1977), Final Fantasy VII Remake is a modern take on a beloved old game (1997). Even though “Remake” is in the title, it’s more of a reboot than anything else. That reminds me, if you haven’t finished the game yet, there will be light spoilers below. Please activate your spoiler-ward materia before you continue reading.
Sony has released a trailer for the Final Fantasy VII Remake (FFVII Remake) for PlayStation 4. It’s a mix of cutscenes and gameplay footage. Many gamers swear that the original is the best role-playing game (RPG) of all time, while others feel that it’s immensely overrated. No matter which side of the fence you’re on, there’s not denying that the original was highly influential and that the FFVII Remake will be a huge deal.
The FFVII Remake trailer shows an early portion of the game that fans of the original will certainly know. It’s the intro mission, featuring protagonist Cloud Strife, supporting character Barret Wallace, and a bunch of AVALANCHE scrubs. As someone that played the original multiple times, I found it cool to see the scene recreated with modern PlayStation 4 graphics. As someone that loves the FFVII universe (thanks to Crisis Core and Advent Children), it was awesome seeing a modern version of Cloud. The voice sounds like Steve Burton, the voice actor that did a great job with the character in Advent Children.
While it’s hard to know what gameplay will be like without knowing the underlying system that fuels the action, the FFVII Remake trailer left me with a better-than-expected feeling. I feared that the game would have modern action-RPG gameplay, which is to say too much action and not enough RPG elements (for nerds that were weened on turn-based action RPGs). In some ways, the fight scenes reminded me of Final Fantasy XIII (which I liked) and in other ways they reminded me of Crisis Core (one of my all-time favorite games). I’m hoping, perhaps foolishly, that the final gameplay system will be similar to a spruced up Crisis Core. Though I admit that I have no idea if younger gamers would enjoy that (also, get off my lawn!).
Anyway, I’m going to watch the FFVII Remake trailer a dozen more times. When you have a chance, please check it out and let me know what you think of it.
