FFVII PC Re-release announcement

So, if you like gaming at all, you've probably heard of a little game called Final Fantasy VII. You have? Told you. If you haven't... I honestly have no words.

FFVII was released by Squaresoft (now known as Square-Enix) way back in 1997 on the PS1, and was shortly afterwards ported to the PC. FFVII is a huge, fanboy game. There are people who rave about how it's the "BEST GAME EVAR" and go on and on and on in angry rants at anyone who dares to say anything slightly derogatory about any aspect of the game. It was huge. It's probably one of the reasons Square's Final Fantasy series is as big as it is. It even has it own mini-series of games  and a movie (the Compilation of FFVII as it's referred to). And today, Square has finally announced it's releasing it again.

But not in the way most fans thought/wanted.

It's re-releasing for the PC via their online store. The game has exactly the same graphics, gameplay etc. as it did in 1997. The only difference with this re-release is that the software's been slightly modified so that it'll run smoother on modern computers. It also will contain a variety of new bonus online features. It will have 36 'achievements' to be unlocked that you can compare with your friends, have a Cloud save feature (I'm already dreading all the puns that will arise, since the main character in the game is also called Cloud... >.>) and a 'Character Booster' feature, where you'll be able to "increase the HP, MP and Gil levels to their maximum, all with the simple click of a button, leaving you to enjoy your adventure" (source: http://finalfantasyviipc.com/en). This last feature is obviously to reduce the difficulty for novices of the series, but Square has been quite vague about how this feature will work. Will it increase the permanent HP etc. levels, or just fully heal your party? And what exactly will this cost? Will it be an in-game cost or will you have to spend your own, actual hard-earned pennies to do so? (the latter seems more likely to me)

While this kind of simple PC re-release has been hinted at before, it's kind of surprising that this is what SE decided to do with their 'flagship'  game of sorts, and yet, not surprising at all (give me a minute here, I'll get round to that).

On the one hand, it's kind of surprising. For years, fanboys of FFVII have been crying out for a remake of the game with HD graphics, kind of like the ones the PS3 tech demo (just search YouTube, you'll find it) or any other modern game. And a lot of people in the gaming community suspect/know that Square have probably been working on such a remake for a few years already. Square know the fans want an actual HD remake, so just re-releasing the old game is a slight surprise. I thought if they were going to re-release FFVII at all, it would be the HD remake, and it suggests to me that if they holding back on said remake, it'll be a while before they do release it. I mean, why release the old version of the game, just to release the remake within a couple of years or something?

But at the same time, I'm not surprised at all. For as long as fans have cried out for a remake, I've always said Square won't do it. At least, not yet. Square know that if they do make and release a HD remake of the game with modern graphics etc., then all the FFVII fanboys will buy it and they'll make loads of money. It's the ace up Square's sleeve essentially. If they release, they'll make loads of money and be set. So why release it when the company is still doing well financially and making games that are selling millions of copies? Square will probably only release a remake of the game when they're a bit financially hard up, when their games aren't selling quite as well. If they released a remake before then, then they could be screwed if they suddenly do rubbish financially. So in that sense, a re-release of the old game makes more sense, as it might appease the fanboys for a while, especially with these added features. And it'll help test the water for how many are still interested. As well as introduce newer fans of the series to this huge game in the series, younger ones who may have only gotten into Final Fantasy more recently with Final Fantasy XIII, or even Final Fantasy X, helping to widen the fanbase potentially for when they do release the HD remake.

An HD remake is inevitable I think, but who knows when it will be released. It could feasibly be in the next couple of years, but it might not be for 5 or 10 or 15 years yet. Who knows. I'll admit I'd like to see a remake and I probably would buy it (as long as I had whatever console it will be on), but I don't think it's a necessity. Every day on the internet I see fanboys demanding a remake. That's just stupid. I don't see a reason why FFVII needs to be remade any more than the other gems in the series, such as VI, VIII and IX. People talk about VII as if it's the best game ever and it's not. It's a good game, don't get me wrong, but it's by no means perfect or superior. On the one hand I'd love to see all of the aforementioned games remade, but at the same time a remake would undoubtedly lose some of the charm of the original games, which a re-release like this one for VII will have.

So yeah, basically, I'm a bit split on what I think of the FFVII re-release. I think it's a good idea on the one hand, but at the same time I don't think I'll buy it. I still have it for my PS1 at home, so why get it on PC? I know lots of other fans will still have it for the PS's or PCs as well, and might not buy it. I think it'll depend on what other (if there are others, and there probably will be) online features are included in this re-release and what the nature of them are. Will they cost actual money for example, and if so how much? I can't help but wonder what Square is planning with this re-release and it's potential ties to a re-make of the game.