Final Fantasy VII. A mere mention of the name evokes as many great memories as it does requests to remake the game in HD. Square Enix has commented on it sparingly in the past, but this month an anonymous employee has reportedly made the potential for a future remake look grim.
During CES 2012, several anonymous Square Enix employees apparently spoke to 2D-X about the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series, eventually sharing some disagreement with the thousands, if not millions, of fans that want to see Sephiroth wage battle on Gaia in 1080p.
I honestly don’t believe that people truly understand Final Fantasy VII. I think if they went back and played it today, they wouldn’t appreciate it nearly as much as they did before. That might not be the case for all Final Fantasy VII fans, but I think a lot of people need to let it go and accept it for what it is.
Is Final Fantasy VII really not as great as we remember it? Sure, the wealth of discussion about it over the years has made it somewhat of a legend in the gaming community, and some argue that there were other RPGs that were even better during the 90s (i.e. Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI). However, if Final Fantasy VII‘s sales, reputation, and multimedia collection are any indication, it’s a behemoth when compared to nearly any game in existence.
Rarely is gameplay brought into consideration, though, and that’s where Square Enix is probably right. Turn-based RPGs simply don’t fare well anymore, and their design team has been running around looking for a way to modernize JRPGs since Final Fantasy XII came out in 2006. But the combat isn’t what makes Final Fantasy VII arguably the most beloved game of all time. It’s rare to see a game with much content, such admirable characters, and a story that flows you through an unforgettable journey. If Square Enix is really struggling with how to tackle this, might I suggest Final Fantasy VII with Final Fantasy X‘s combat system? I’ve always wanted to use all of the characters available in a single fight, and that would be a great option.
So should we “let it go” or keep pushing? Given how dry JRPGs have been lately, I say we keep pushing. If anything, Square Enix is just waiting for a console that has a massive install-base to drive profitable sales. In an industry where profit is everything, it’d be a mistake for a corporate juggernaut like Square Enix to not take advantage of something with as much potential as a Final Fantasy VII remake.
