Final Fantasy VII Remake

Where Hollywood continues to fail with its pointless reboots, the 2020 version of FF VII is a timely triumph for the art of faithfully retelling a beloved story… well, at least part of it

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Released in 1997, the original Final Fantasy VII put Japanese RPGs on the global map and was responsible for awakening audiences to emotional storytelling in video games. Now, as the series runs into the double digits, it’s VII that resonates most – and we’ve been dying for a remake.

The wait’s been worth it. Square Enix has spared no expense in reimagining FF VII on a grand scale. Technology has come such a long way in the intervening years that, when the game switches from its sumptuous cinematic cutscenes to in-engine graphics, you barely see the difference.

The dystopian metropolis of Midgar is impeccably realised even though its setting is broken up into chapters. Well, there’s still a story to funnel you through, and a timely one as eco-terror group Avalanche tries to bring down unsustainably greedy megacorp Shinra.