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[BibiMaghoo]

It doesn't matter if a world map wasn't needed for fifa '98. A world map was needed for the type of game FFVII wanted to be at a time where there were no alternative approaches to deliver the same or an equivalent experience because of technical limitations.
The idea that alternatives shouldn't be explored although those alternatives have in fact become the norm for modern gaming (or at least the type of game S-E wants to make today), simply because of the name this remake happens to carry, is an irrational argument. Ofcourse a game without a world map is not going to be FFVII. But it's not going to be FFVII with a world map either, because FFVII was not a multi-part series either, neither did it have action combat. Ofcourse exploring areas is not the same as exploring a world. But it's not supposed to be the same at all in the first place. It's a remake. It allows freedom to change the emphasis of the experience. It will have new features but it will be lacking a few. That's not necessarily bad and pretty inevitable when you're making a remake of a 20 years old game.

Except the bolded is factually incorrect. Why was a world map needed? The party could have left one area and entered another? It was a design decision, one that impacts gameplay. Not a technical one because there was no other way to string the areas together. I fundamentally disagree with your appraisal it had to be done, because there are thousands of games that don't. They still have areas, in different places, you just move straight to them, or time passes and you have a 'travelling screen' then you reach your destination.

The name it happens to carry... This is FF7 Remake we are discussing right? A remake of a singular specific game? Saying it doesn't have to be the same (again) is still no logical or valid reason why something that is integral to the game should be removed.
It's like saying FF7R doesn't need Vincent, because it's a new game that allows it to explore new options and experiences. .

Further more, I'd add that FF games without a world map are noted for it's absense as corridor walkers, just as those with are noted for it's presence in a positive manner. That is because a world map is also part of the FF brand itself, not just 7. Exploring options without it have been met with poor reception have they not?

 

[Demon Lizardman]

How I am thinking they will do it is that the first part will be up until the Spanish resort place, costa di something.

Then part 2 will be up to when Cloud gives Sephiorth the black materia and part 3 will start with the execution, maybe a boss fight with Sapphire weapon GOW style and the whole part will go all the way up to the final boss.

Think of each additional part as a massive expansion to the main game.

 

[SenjutsuSage]

It doesn't matter if a world map wasn't needed for fifa '98. A world map was needed for the type of game FFVII wanted to be at a time where there were no alternative approaches to deliver the same or an equivalent experience because of technical limitations.
The idea that alternatives shouldn't be explored although those alternatives have in fact become the norm for modern gaming (or at least the type of game S-E wants to make today), simply because of the name this remake happens to carry, is an irrational argument. Ofcourse a game without a world map is not going to be FFVII. But it's not going to be FFVII with a world map either, because FFVII was not a multi-part series either, neither did it have action combat. Ofcourse exploring areas is not the same as exploring a world. But it's not supposed to be the same at all in the first place. It's a remake. It allows freedom to change the emphasis of the experience. It will have new features but it will be lacking a few. That's not necessarily bad and pretty inevitable when you're making a remake of a 20 years old game.

At the very least, whatever they do, it needs to faithfully, even go beyond, recreating the incredible feeling of adventure you got from exploring Final Fantasy VII's world map. And in all honesty, I wouldn't mind seeing them create a hybrid world map solution where it instantly transitions to the newer action-based combat system when action starts up.

When in world map view, only cloud, or whoever is the main controllable character, is shown by themselves, but once it enters action view, show everybody else. Same for enemies. Give it that old school vibe while also bringing the new.

 

[Kralamoonard]

Other people have suggested that the multi-part series model is the only way Final Fantasy VII Remake could ever be completed and I agree with them.

Final Fantasy VII has three/four disks. It had a development budget of $67 million in 2015 when adjusting for inflation, extremely large for a video game in 1997.

Adapting that behemoth to modern sensibilities, especially when you're a relatively small in-house developer like Square Enix (compared to massive titans like Activision Blizzard) who has to heavily rely on outsourcing to get your video game completed, must be incredibly cumbersome for the teams they have in-house. Logistically it's probably a nightmare, so managing development in smaller chunks might be the only way that the team can avoid from getting completely overwhelmed, especially with other in-house titles like "Kingdom Hearts 3" concurrently in development.

If Final Fantasy VII were a three-part series, that's three retail releases that successfully capitalize on the iconic "Final Fantasy VII" brand. It would maintain the IP's longevity in the market, and it would maximize revenue potential.

It also mitigates risk. Multi-part releases allow Square Enix to adjust future titles in response to feedback from the first one, while a major release upfront would not only take much longer development-wise, but if it failed then its sales potential would be severely truncated.

Video game development is extraordinarily difficult, and Final Fantasy VII is hard to adapt in general because of how massive it is in terms of scope.

Square Enix outsources a lot of their development to a wide variety of companies and that kind of a coordination effort for a title as large as "Final Fantasy VII Remake" is commendable.

It's also extremely expensive. I guarantee you that Square Enix is developing as fast as possible with as much money as they can given their unique development hierarchy and their financial situation, and if they had the opportunity to produce Final Fantasy VII Remake in a non-episodic way, they would do so in a heartbeat.

Square Enix doesn't have a precedent of releasing episodic games, so I don't understand why you seem to be personally offended that Square Enix went the episodic route, like they did it to spite you or something.

Why aren't more people reading the above? It's pretty much one of the few rational perspectives on this thread.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

Why aren't more people reading the above? It's pretty much one of the few rational perspectives on this thread.

There's a lot of rational thought going on in this thread but its drowned out by the same shitty posts over and over again. People thinking they're clever by pointing out that "full game = $60" or "the order is considered a full game"

 

[Mokujin]

PSX trailer seemed too good to be true, and yep, there was a catch.

Damn.

 

[kitchenmotors]

There's a lot of rational thought going on in this thread but its drowned out by the same shitty posts over and over again. People thinking they're clever by pointing out that "full game = $60" or "the order is considered a full game"

I guess worrying that a lot of things that made up the original game might be cut or maybe the fact that it won't be seamless with an over world is just nothing but a shitty post, huh? Give me a break.

What I value in a game and what I think should included for the amount (especially since it will over $100 on the low end) isn't shitty, it's how I feel given I played the original in 1997 and it's one of my favorite games ever.

There's just no way they can retain the same feel with episodes, and that's worrying. This isn't the type of remake I wanted and given their history as of late, it is completely valid.

 

[Roran Stehl]

Note that if they were to remake Xenogears, they could finally finish disc 2 following that logic.

 

[M°°nblade]

Except the bolded is factually incorrect. Why was a world map needed? The party could have left one area and entered another? It was a design decision, one that impacts gameplay. Not a technical one because there was no other way to string the areas together. I fundamentally disagree with your appraisal it had to be done, because there are thousands of games that don't. They still have areas, in different places, you just move straight to them, or time passes and you have a 'travelling screen' then you reach your destination.

Yes, technically the party could have jumped between 2D screens like it was possible in other RPG's like Baldur's Gate, Pillars of eternity, ... FFX and XII as well (if I remember correctly), replaced the world map by a 'travelling screen'.
However, this was not the game S-E envisioned FFVII to be back in 1996 and, by design decision, a world map was needed to allow globetrotting to find these 2D towns&dungeons. Exploration was an integral part of FFVII.

The name it happens to carry... This is FF7 Remake we are discussing right? A remake of a singular specific game? Saying it doesn't have to be the same (again) is still no logical or valid reason why something that is integral to the game should be removed.
It's like saying FF7R doesn't need Vincent, because it's a new game that allows it to explore new options and experiences. .

It's a perfectly logical argument. And, yes, they can cut Vincent as well. I'd say the ATB combat system, or the beautiful 2D environments, or the CGI cutscenes, or random encounters were as integral to FFVII as a world map was. Does this mean nothing should be changed? How do you define what's an integral part of the game that shoudn't me removed in a remake, although it's a remake?
Because it all sounds like personal preferences if you ask me.

Further more, I'd add that FF games without a world map are noted for it's absense as corridor walkers, just as those with are noted for it's presence in a positive manner. That is because a world map is also part of the FF brand itself, not just 7. Exploring options without it have been met with poor reception have they not?

Did FFXII have poor exploring options? Or Baldur's gate?
Stating FFVII either needs to have a world map or it's doomed to be some poorly recieved corridor walker is a false dichotomy.

 

[Widge]

Plus I also remember that the world map plus avatar system was originally slated for VersusXIII before it got thrown out. They don't like the way it looks on modern top tier gaming.

Would not be surprised if you got a small 3D field between areas though, a bit like FFXIII's gran pulse mega roaming place. Then again, we could end up with Crisis Core's menu based system.

 

[Cyborg]

So the complete game will cost me 100 euros and then they will release all the parts and I will need to buy the complete edition!

Bleh........

 

[u_neek]

So the complete game will cost me 100 euros and then they will release all the parts and I will need to buy the complete edition!

Bleh........

The Mass Effect trilogy cost whatever a game is in Euros x 3. I don't see your point...?

 

[Rosur]

I kinda feel each disk of the original should be the split points for each game (any more than 3 games it starts to get silly) and if there planning on expanding areas (as more midgard etc are playable) I think this will be good.

 

[encephalon]

There was a world map, because it wasn't technically feasible at the time to handle it any other way, so exploration was handled through abstraction.

 

[shiyrley]

And why can't we have a FFXV style overworld instead of a top-down world map? Same functionality, more pretty

 

[Y2Kev]

I hate to weigh in on the world map discussion but I seriously can't see why someone would want this to be open world like the witcher 3. Logistically, to preserve the scale of the original, the world map would have to be utterly massive. Kalm is a ten second walk from Midgar but would be an utterly enormous field in a modern game. Witcher 3 looks like it spans the area of a European border country, not an entire globe. I'm not sure how you make open world work without severely changing the way the game works (I guess you can do that...but I think most people acknowledge some of the magic of FF7 was leaving Midgar for that gigantic world) or dramatically altering the scale of the game. Maybe they're doing both.

I know a miniature world would look goofy but at least it works mechanically and thematically.

I dunno what to really think about this game anymore really. I guess this confirms that the way we used to like big JRPGs is lost forever or relegated to annoying Tales games.

And why can't we have a FFXV style overworld instead of a top-down world map? Same functionality, more pretty

Scale, obviously. Unless you believe FFXV will have millions of square miles of terrain to wander. That could work, of course, I just think you're demanding a lot of square Enix!

 

[ColdPizza]

I kinda feel each disk of the original should be the split points for each game (any more than 3 games it starts to get silly) and if there planning on expanding areas (as more midgard etc are playable) I think this will be good.

As pointed out multiple times already, that would make the last disc just the final dungeon. You can't make a full game out of that.

 

[n!smo]

The minute I saw gameplay in the recent psx trailer, I knew they were pushing for a fast release. The only way this would be possible is to cut the game in smaller parts or episodes.

 

[Y2Kev]

Yes, technically the party could have jumped between 2D screens like it was possible in other RPG's like Baldur's Gate, Pillars of eternity, ... FFX and XII as well (if I remember correctly), replaced the world map by a 'travelling screen'.
However, this was not the game S-E envisioned FFVII to be back in 1996 and, by design decision, a world map was needed to allow globetrotting to find these 2D towns&dungeons. Exploration was an integral part of FFVII.


It's a perfectly logical argument. And, yes, they can cut Vincent as well. I'd say the ATB combat system, or the beautiful 2D environments, or the CGI cutscenes, or random encounters were as integral to FFVII as a world map was. Does this mean nothing should be changed? How do you define what's an integral part of the game that shoudn't me removed in a remake, although it's a remake?
Because it all sounds like personal preferences if you ask me.


Did FFXII have poor exploring options? Or Baldur's gate?
Stating FFVII either needs to have a world map or it's doomed to be some poorly recieved corridor walker is a false dichotomy.

Every connecting part of FFXII is itself a level. The fields themselves are "levels" in the way FFVII never uses its fields. The highwastes, the sand sea, etc. these are not "corridors" but this is a very different structure than the narratively driven FFVII. No connecting part of FFVII is a 2+ hour transit time whereas the walk to Archades is a multi hour journey in a way FFVII never attempts.

FFXII does not really have a world map at all and I would not call it open world.

 

[Brentonp]

I was extremely disappointed when I heard the news about multiple releases. I still kind of am but I do see the good things about it now.

1. It will allow us to spend more time in the FF7 world.
2. They will be able to expand on each area a ton. They will also be able to expand on the story a lot to fill in many of the missing pieces from the original. Vincent's past for example.
3. If it is released as a trilogy or something, each installment will build the anticipation, following behind Sephiroth, all the way up to the final epic battles.
4. Square has already said that each installment will have the volume of a full game.
5. We will be able to start playing it sooner.

The downside is the cost and not having the whole thing in one complete package. But let's just see how this all turns out. I still have some of the same concerns as everyone else.

 

[KoopaTheCasual]

And why can't we have a FFXV style overworld instead of a top-down world map? Same functionality, more pretty

Who's to say we won't? There's a ton of supposition flying around with no grounding. (Not attacking you, shiyrley, just speaking generally)

The game could easily be split up into the 3 continents for each episode. Each new episode introduces a new continent and part of the story.

 

[GametimeUK]

It sucks we are getting it in multiple parts and I will always be sour about that. However, I won't be put off if there is no World map, the fact that the battle system has been changed etc. This is not Final Fantasy re-skinned, this is a totally new Final Fantasy 7. I have accepted that.

 

[StevieP]

I hate to weigh in on the world map discussion but I seriously can't see why someone would want this to be open world like the witcher 3. Logistically, to preserve the scale of the original, the world map would have to be utterly massive. Kalm is a ten second walk from Midgar but would be an utterly enormous field in a modern game. Witcher 3 looks like it spans the area of a European border country, not an entire globe. I'm not sure how you make open world work without severely changing the way the game works (I guess you can do that...but I think most people acknowledge some of the magic of FF7 was leaving Midgar for that gigantic world) or dramatically altering the scale of the game. Maybe they're doing both.

I know a miniature world would look goofy but at least it works mechanically and thematically.

I dunno what to really think about this game anymore really. I guess this confirms that the way we used to like big JRPGs is lost forever or relegated to annoying Tales games.



Scale, obviously. Unless you believe FFXV will have millions of square miles of terrain to wander. That could work, of course, I just think you're demanding a lot of square Enix!

Aside from Tales, you still have big expensive jrpgs being made. NNK was pretty sizable and there is a second one coming. Both Xenoblade games have been large, latest one massive. And yes, I spent a looooot of time wandering in Zestiria before using fast travel more

 

[TheGreatDirector]

Nomura seems to be driving for realism as much as possible with this game. I feel the orignal world map in some way won't fit to the style of this remake as much do to how out of place it migh feel with the non chibi character designs. That being said, I believe they'll find a way to maintain the spirit of the world map in some way. Whether that is some big open explorable area like FFXV or something else who knows.

 

[Z3M0G]

Remake Part 1: Starts at same point as original, and Ends after the highway chase and credits roll as your group leaves Midgar.

Remake Part 2: Starts with your group entering Kalm and Cloud telling his story about Nibelheim and Sephiroth. Not sure where this one will end though...

Remake Part 3: Starts where Part 2 leaves off... and I bet this one will end with Aeris' death.

Remake Part 4: The Revenge and remainder of the story...

Edit: Wait, no... far too much to happen in Part 4... Going by this, it would be an 8 part series lol

 

[potatohead]

At the very least, whatever they do, it needs to faithfully, even go beyond, recreating the incredible feeling of adventure you got from exploring Final Fantasy VII's world map. And in all honesty, I wouldn't mind seeing them create a hybrid world map solution where it instantly transitions to the newer action-based combat system when action starts up.

When in world map view, only cloud, or whoever is the main controllable character, is shown by themselves, but once it enters action view, show everybody else. Same for enemies. Give it that old school vibe while also bringing the new.

Yep.

It's just such an important facet of these Final Fantasy games of that era.

To abandon it completely, or not offer anything that even remotely resembles it in feeling, would be to abandon a massive chunk of what makes Final Fantasy VII or many other FF games what they are.

It is just too integral to the experience of Final Fantasy VII to be able to explore the world and universe in that way.

IMO.

Remake Part 1: Starts at same point as original, and Ends after the highway chase and credits roll as your group leaves Midgar.

Remake Part 2: Starts with your group entering Kalm and Cloud telling his story about Nibelheim and Sephiroth. Not sure where this one will end though...

Remake Part 3: Starts where Part 2 leaves off... and I bet this one will end with Aeris' death.

Remake Part 4: The Revenge and remainder of the story...

Edit: Wait, no... far too much to happen in Part 4... Going by this, it would be an 8 part series lol

That's too many IMO, but not impossible.

I think it will be 2 to 3 parts.

 

[Falk]

Note that if they were to remake Xenogears, they could finally finish disc 2 following that logic.

Ship has sailed etc, but I wonder how gathering the old gang back together again and starting over from Xenosaga and finishing all 6 episodes (5 = Xenogears) would pan out in this day and age.

 

[ZenTzen]

Remake Part 1: Starts at same point as original, and Ends after the highway chase and credits roll as your group leaves Midgar.

Remake Part 2: Starts with your group entering Kalm and Cloud telling his story about Nibelheim and Sephiroth. Not sure where this one will end though...

Remake Part 3: Starts where Part 2 leaves off... and I bet this one will end with Aeris' death.

Remake Part 4: The Revenge and remainder of the story...

Edit: Wait, no... far too much to happen in Part 4... Going by this, it would be an 8 part series lol

gonna quote myself here

nah best case scenario will be

Disc 1 - Midgar stuff, expanded obviously
Disc 2 - from kalm all the way to forgotten capital
it basically covers, junon, fort condor, the boat, costa del sol, corel, gold saucer, gongaga, cosmo canyon, nibelheim, rocket town, temple of the ancients, and maybe wutai
Disc 3 - Icicle Inn all the way to the end
is northern crater, junon again, mideel, huge materia stuff, rocket towns rocket, the weapons, return to midgar and last battle

but more likely, at least for me
- Disc 1 - will go all the way until leaving midgar
- Disc 2 - from kalm to temple of the ancients
- Disc 3 - forgotten capital to huge materia stuff
- Disc 4 - diamond weapon, return to midgar and all the way to finish

it provides great stopping points in the story, while having good chunks of content

 

[SolVanderlyn]

A trilogy makes sense and there are about three points in the game where the tone shifts.

Part 1 would likely end with the defeat of JENOVA on board the ship leaving Junon. You have the intro/Midgar sequence, insight into Cloud's character and the reason for the journey being made, the party deciding to chase down Sephiroth, full introduction of The Turks and Rufus taking over Shinra. It'd make for a great intro chunk to the game. Perfect cutaway point and you arrive at a new continent right after. Putting all the pieces in place, as it were.

Part 2 would likely end with Cloud giving Seph the black materia. This entire part of the game is much more focused on travel than everything that came before - you hop from location A to B to C fairly quickly, and the game relies more on individual story vignettes at this point. You've got Barret's story, the Gold Saucer, Corel Prison and the chocobo racing, Red XIII's story, the return to Nibelheim, Cid's story, the introduction of the black materia subplot and the first real interaction with Sephiroth.

Part 3 would go up to the endgame. This part of the game has a lot of returning to previous areas, so there's less of a focus on world building/fleshing out characters we already know and the story becomes more focused on the "main plot" again, if you want to call it that. Cloud gets sick and rediscovers himself, the mystery behind Sephiroth's survival is explained, Shinra starts to enter the picture again, and most importantly the world enters into the global crisis stage with the Weapons and Meteor at this point.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

I dont see why a just cause 3 size world wouldnt work for this game.

 

[Arkeband]

A trilogy makes sense and there are about three points in the game where the tone shifts.

Part 1 would likely end with the defeat of JENOVA on board the ship leaving Junon. You have the intro/Midgar sequence, insight into Cloud's character and the reason for the journey being made, the party deciding to chase down Sephiroth, full introduction of The Turks and Rufus taking over Shinra. It'd make for a great intro chunk to the game. Perfect cutaway point and you arrive at a new continent right after. Putting all the pieces in place, as it were.

Part 2 would likely end with Cloud giving Seph the black materia. This entire part of the game is much more focused on travel than everything that came before - you hop from location A to B to C fairly quickly, and the game relies more on individual story vignettes at this point. You've got Barret's story, the Gold Saucer, Corel Prison and the chocobo racing, Red XIII's story, the return to Nibelheim, Cid's story, the introduction of the black materia subplot and the first real interaction with Sephiroth.

Part 3 would go up to the endgame. This part of the game has a lot of returning to previous areas, so there's less of a focus on world building/fleshing out characters we already know and the story becomes more focused on the "main plot" again, if you want to call it that. Cloud gets sick and rediscovers himself, the mystery behind Sephiroth's survival is explained, Shinra starts to enter the picture again, and most importantly the world enters into the global crisis stage with the Weapons and Meteor at this point.

Yeah, this post gets it.

Ending after leaving Midgar would suck because there's no giant boss battle worthy of a 'to be continued'. If these are actually going to be full standalone games with a beginning, a middle, and an end of their own, you'll need fights and setpieces worthy of being the 'endgame' of each of those games. A bike race out of Midgar is not what you want to end the game on. A fight with Jenova would be thematically similar to other potential "final boss fights" the other discs end on. Remember, Sephiroth and Jenova are the antagonists of the game, so they will be the antagonists of the 'series'.

 

[Gunslinger]

You know now that I think more about it I bet you this will be super linear. I think There will be no world map, As a matter of fact I strongly believe you will not be able to visit the old places from previous chapters. If the files are too big and you do all of midgar in part 1 then there's no way part 2 can have the data of midgar not happening. It will be 3 separate games imo like ff13 series. With one having almost no connection to the previous aside from story. I also believe your level will be reset each game.

 

[Rogue Agent]

You know now that I think more about it I bet you this will be super linear. I think There will be no world map, As a matter of fact I strongly believe you will not be able to visit the old places from previous chapters. If the files are too big and you do all of midgar in part 1 then there's no way part 2 can have the data of midgar not happening. It will be 3 separate games imo like ff13 series. With one having almost no connection to the previous aside from story. I also believe your level will be reset each game.

This is what i was afraid of but remember the end of the game (Disk 2/3) has important story beats that would involve revisiting locations from these hypothetical Part 1 and Part 2s. Even if there's no World Map and it's FFX style, they'd have to figure something out by the time the Airship is in our hands.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

I also believe your level will be reset each game.

There's no reason this has to be the case. Save file transfers have been a thing in multi-part RPGs since the PSX days. Suikoden did it, Trails of series does it, etc. Even Golden Sun did it with a huge ass password option if you didn't have a link cable. You don't have to transfer levels/items over, but the option is there. I think a lot of people would be upset if their progress was reset in each part of the game.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

You know now that I think more about it I bet you this will be super linear. I think There will be no world map, As a matter of fact I strongly believe you will not be able to visit the old places from previous chapters. If the files are too big and you do all of midgar in part 1 then there's no way part 2 can have the data of midgar not happening. It will be 3 separate games imo like ff13 series. With one having almost no connection to the previous aside from story. I also believe your level will be reset each game.

They said the whole point of splitting it up is so that they wont have to cut anything.

 

[M°°nblade]

Every connecting part of FFXII is itself a level. The fields themselves are "levels" in the way FFVII never uses its fields. The highwastes, the sand sea, etc. these are not "corridors" but this is a very different structure than the narratively driven FFVII. No connecting part of FFVII is a 2+ hour transit time whereas the walk to Archades is a multi hour journey in a way FFVII never attempts.

FFXII does not really have a world map at all and I would not call it open world.

Yep. Rather than being open world, FFXII mixes open fields with linear paths where it's more appropriate. It's comparable with Tomb raider 2013's pseudo-openworld structure.

For the outdoor, SE could go open world with a 'grand pulse' scale region around Midgar, covering Kalm and the Chocobo farm. Another one covering Junon and Fort Condor, etc ... with a 'travel back' functionality. The scale would still be off but maybe large enough to keep up the illusion. If we're looking at a trilogy, we'll get a continent or region per part.
The question is what would be the point though. Unless it's filled with optional content, it would feel as artificial as LA noir's huge map. Lineair, narratively driven games put into open world environment with minimal interaction don't have a history of mixing well.
You would have to fill it with Fallout style buildings and vaults to explore, or Elder scroll caverns, ruins and dungeons to shape and color the world. The original FFVII only had 12 towns or something to visit in it's entire world.

Based on the new trailer, I suspect FFVII RE or at least the Midgar part is going to resemble Deus Ex HR's structure. A city HUB connecting main story levels/events while allowing sidequests, etc ..

 

[Airola]

Square Enix doesn't have a precedent of releasing episodic games, so I don't understand why you seem to be personally offended that Square Enix went the episodic route, like they did it to spite you or something.

I think a completely new game would be better for testing things like this instead of picking an old classic and trying if it works or not and selling this experiment to people who are awaiting for something more resembling that classic they love.

Nothing more, nothing less. I think the sceptical approach to this project is fair. The end result might be fantastic, who knows, but the sceptical approach is still fair.

 

[M°°nblade]

Yeah, this post gets it.

Ending after leaving Midgar would suck because there's no giant boss battle worthy of a 'to be continued'. If these are actually going to be full standalone games with a beginning, a middle, and an end of their own, you'll need fights and setpieces worthy of being the 'endgame' of each of those games. A bike race out of Midgar is not what you want to end the game on. A fight with Jenova would be thematically similar to other potential "final boss fights" the other discs end on. Remember, Sephiroth and Jenova are the antagonists of the game, so they will be the antagonists of the 'series'.

Well, they could shift things a little bit and make Rufus the main antagonist of the first part of the trilogy. The shinra building is a perfect 'endgame dungeon' imo.

They said the whole point of splitting it up is so that they wont have to cut anything.

They probably mean 'won't have to cut scenes and events', not 'provide backwards traveling'.

 

[funkystudent]

Do you think FFVII Remake is coming this gen in the place of a hypothetical FF16?


So we wont be seeing FF16 until sometime in the next cycle? I kinda wouldn't mind that. And TBH I am not even expecting the FF7 remake to be complete by the time PS5 is out.

 

[BossDarkseid]

Do you think FFVII Remake is coming this gen in the place of a hypothetical FF16?


So we wont be seeing FF16 until sometime in the next cycle? I kinda wouldn't mind that. And TBH I am not even expecting the FF7 remake to be complete by the time PS5 is out.

I doubt it's taking place instead of XVI.

It may not be complete by the time PS5 comes out, depending on if FF7 comes out once per year/18 months/24 months till its finished. XVI could always come out even once the PS5 is out. I still live for the dream of Ito either directing or just being the battle planner.

 

[Ishida]

I was playing the PS4 remaster yesterday, and got up to the point when I leave Midgar... This only strengthens my desire for the remake to have an overworld. I don't care if it is scaled like in the original. But the sensation of seeing the landmass in front of you, and the Final Fantasy VII main theme playing in the background. It is a sensation like very few other games have been able to provide. Every time I play this game, I get goosebumps by seeing the overworld.

Of course, I would prefer a "big open world" like the one FFXV is using, but I'd take a scaled map over "menu based" or linear progression.

I need to step out of Midgar and see plains, and I need that FFVII theme to start playing.

PLEASE, Square, PLEASE get this right.

 

[M°°nblade]

We're already two years into current-gen hardware and the release date is still TBA. With FFXIII and XV development time in mind, expect just one game.

 

[Zukuu]

I was playing the PS4 remaster yesterday, and got up to the point when I leave Midgar... This only strengthens my desire for the remake to have an overworld. I don't care if it is scaled like in the original. But the sensation of seeing the landmass in front of you, and the Final Fantasy VII main theme playing in the background. It is a sensation like very few other games have been able to provide. Every time I play this game, I get goosebumps by seeing the overworld.

Of course, I would prefer a "big open world" like the one FFXV is using, but I'd take a scaled map over "menu based" or linear progression.

I need to step out of Midgar and see plains, and I need that FFVII theme to start playing.

PLEASE, Square, PLEASE get this right.

Do it Square.

 

[Ishida]

Do it Square.

Yeah, I would accept that. As I said, the absolute "ideal" way was to make a giant world like FFXV's. But even I understand that would be a titanic undertaking. If Square is super serious and really has a gigantic budget and effort for this remake, such overworld would be absolute perfection.

But if such feat is truly impossible, then at least please give me the scaled overworld. I don't care if it looks "silly". Hell, I would even accept Cloud and co. becoming cartoony and super-deformed while in the overworld.

But the overworld map NEEDS to stay.

 

[Z3M0G]

Do it Square.

The main problem with this, is I can't see how they could do this in Game 1. They could make it work for Game 2 and onward... however.

Game 1 really needs to end when leaving Midgar. Unless they go MUCH farther beyond it. And I just don't see that happening. But it would be the best possible scenario... making it a 2-3 part series. And really, Trilogies are the way to go anyways...

 

[BibiMaghoo]

Yes, technically the party could have jumped between 2D screens like it was possible in other RPG's like Baldur's Gate, Pillars of eternity, ... FFX and XII as well (if I remember correctly), replaced the world map by a 'travelling screen'.
However, this was not the game S-E envisioned FFVII to be back in 1996 and, by design decision, a world map was needed to allow globetrotting to find these 2D towns&dungeons. Exploration was an integral part of FFVII.

So you do agree it was a design choice, and not a technical limitation? Given that then, is it not easy to see that it had worth as a choice and not a limitation? That it's role in the game was more than a requirement? Surely that then is the answer to how you define something as integral, which you do yourself above. That was my argument, that it mattered.

And, yes, they can cut Vincent as well.

I'd say the ATB combat system, or the beautiful 2D environments, or the CGI cutscenes, or random encounters were as integral to FFVII as a world map was. Does this mean nothing should be changed? How do you define what's an integral part of the game that shoudn't me removed in a remake, although it's a remake?
Because it all sounds like personal preferences if you ask me.

Ok, I get this position, but my answer would be anything that defined it as what it was, that is not readily improved upon by current titles. There is no alternative to a map, that provides the same as a map. Without it, it is simply lacking something, rather than altering it. The combat system can be updated and keep it's original premise, as can cutscenes and environments. I just view the map as an element that isn't upgradable in the sense that you can just remove it entirely without loss.

Did FFXII have poor exploring options? Or Baldur's gate?
Stating FFVII either needs to have a world map or it's doomed to be some poorly recieved corridor walker is a false dichotomy.

My answer to that is actually yes in the case of FF12. I considered the game poorer than those that came before it, though it's encounter system is also to blame for that appraisal. I'm sure there are many that agree, just as there are those that don't. I never said the game would be doomed. I simply argue that it's something important to the game that is worth keeping, and also that it is easily able to be kept.

 

[TheChocolateWar]

The main problem with this, is I can't see how they could do this in Game 1. They could make it work for Game 2 and onward... however.

Game 1 really needs to end when leaving Midgar. Unless they go MUCH farther beyond it. And I just don't see that happening. But it would be the best possible scenario... making it a 2-3 part series. And really, Trilogies are the way to go anyways...

I think the point is that they wouldn't need to do more than one game if they spaced it out like this and didn't try to faithfully recreate the entirety of Midgard.

 

[Zukuu]

The main problem with this, is I can't see how they could do this in Game 1. They could make it work for Game 2 and onward... however.

Game 1 really needs to end when leaving Midgar. Unless they go MUCH farther beyond it. And I just don't see that happening. But it would be the best possible scenario... making it a 2-3 part series. And really, Trilogies are the way to go anyways...

I don't think Part 1 ends with Midgar. It will probably end with Aeris "scene". I bet everything on a 2 part entry.

 

[Wadiwasi]

I honestly think a lot of the negative feedback here has come from the term episodes. The only games I can think of that use episodes are the Telltale series and Half-Life 2 (which I've never played, so I'll talk about the former).

The only recent medium we have for episodic content is super short stories and I think that's what's kind of causing this freak out with a game that was massive in scope and very dear to many people that grew up playing it. VII happens to be one of my favorite final fantasies just on story alone not to mention gameplay. I really don't know what term they could have or should have used but from all accounts from the directors of VII they feel just as passionate about this game as the rest of us.

Personally I want an open world, I agree with others that there was an inherent magic to coming out of Midgar and the game transforms into this whole other beast that you hadn't been introduced to yet. I also hope that they really do each iteration justice and it truly feels massive and just as awesome. I wonder if they'll add some of the extra storylines that they have created in some other games from the FFVII universe to help add content to each of the releases.

The biggest problem I have with what I've seen thus far is Barret. He's waaaaaay too skinny and so is his gun compared to that old low poly model. Come on SE give him some cushion.

 

[CottonWolf]

No one is saying that each episode will be 2-3 hours long.

But they will definitely divide the original FFVII story into several parts. Perhaps each one will last around 15-20 hours, but it WILL be episodic.

Yeah. It'll be episodic in the same way as Mass Effect or Star Wars are episodic, in that while that's technically true, they all have a coherent story in and of themselves. Hell Star Wars even calls them episodes these days. This will involve large changes to to pacing relative to the original, but I don't really see why anyone would just want them to make the game again, when you could just play VII.0 and it will be the most VII of all the VII games ever made.