Way back in 1997, a little game called Final Fantasy VII hit the market and took the gaming world by storm. Not only did it provide an incredible story, engaging gameplay, and memorable characters, it brought the ever-popular Final Fantasy franchise to a three-dimensional perspective, forever changing the face of the series. The story and setting touched on some major issues, such as a corporate controlled government, poverty, life in slums, and rebellion, which sparked great interest in fans.
Years later, the story and gameplay of Final Fantasy VII still hold their own against any modern-day title, and it is often regarded as the best game in the entire series. Even with several spin-off games and a movie, fans continue to ask for one thing: a Final Fantasy VII Remake . This is easily one of the most overstated, and unnecessary, ideas on the internet.
I loved everything about the game when I first picked it up. After playing through it several times and mastering the tactics required to take down the big bosses in the most efficient manner, Final Fantasy VII is still fun. So why does a remake need to exist? I’m quick to say that better graphics would do wonders for the game, but in all honesty, it would take away from everything that made the game great. These days, there is a real feeling of nostalgia from blowing up that first Mako reactor, or from being introduced to Sephiroth, as the story is already told in such an effective way, even with the graphical limitations. A Final Fantasy VII remake would lose focus of all of the creativity that went into the original title.
Compare Final Fantasy VII to Star Wars. George Lucas took what was already an amazing film, and tried to make it better with updated visual effects. The result turned out to be a series of films that are looked down upon by true Star Wars fans, yet ol’ Lucas continues to change things and add new effects. The story and characters are still very memorable, but the films have still seemed to have lost some of the magic that they once had. It was an amazing experience to watch such well-crafted scenes knowing that the filmmakers made everything seem real, even with the technical limitations.
Video games are definitely a different medium, but the basic idea still applies. Fans have been graced with additional stories that take place in the world of Final Fantasy VII, but it is clear that Square Enix’s heart just isn’t there when it comes to the original game. It is their masterpiece, which is why they continue to tell people that a remake won’t happen. If they were forced to do it just to please the fans rather than starting the project because they are actually excited about it, it is almost a guarantee that the final product would turn out less-than-acceptable. The same thing happened with the many Halo sequels.
The whole point is this: Why fix what isn’t broken? Sony released the PSone Classics version of Final Fantasy VII on PSN forever ago, and it is still very easy to find it in stores and online to purchase, so it’s not as if it has become a “long lost” title just begging to be rediscovered. It’s time for fans to let go of the push to make it better, when it was already an exciting, industry-changing experience from the start. Now, time to go get that silk dress that the Don will like…