“Remaking Final Fantasy VII has allowed us to dive much deeper into the world and its characters than ever before,” Final Fantasy VII Remake producer Yoshinori Kitase said on stage. “The game design was optimized for this title as well, and we anticipate two blu-ray discs worth of gameplay content. The first game in this project expands on the story of Midgar, and is such an elaborate retelling that it has become a solid standalone game in its own right.”
Final Fantasy VII Remake features a hybrid gameplay system that merges real-time action with strategic command-based combat. For starters, each press of the Square button is a swing of Cloud’s Buster Sword. Cloud attacks, dodges, and blocks all in real-time. His standard attacks do some damage, but they barely scratch the surface of Cloud’s true potential.
Succeeding on the battlefield requires more than just hacking and slashing. Cloud needs to be tactical. He needs ATB. Two ATB bars are displayed in the lower right. These fill up slowly over time, but fill much faster as Cloud lands standard attacks. Once an ATB bar is full, you can enter Tactical Mode, where time slows to a crawl and you have the opportunity to choose actions from the command menu. Once in Tactical Mode, you can choose to perform various abilities, such as Cloud’s Braver attack. Using an item in battle will deplete an ATB charge, and if Cloud has the right Materia equipped and enough MP, he can use ATB charges to cast spells.
[As for Barrett,] with the use of his iconic gun arm, Barrett is able to target enemies at a distance. Barrett’s standard attacks generate ATB charges similar to Cloud, but his abilities are entirely different. Switching between characters in combat is done with a single button press, which makes rotating through characters in combat a snap. Characters will continue to fight even when you’re not controlling them directly, but it’s up to you to control when and how ATB charges are used. You can maximize your effectiveness by switching between characters or issuing commands to characters with full ATB bars. Every enemy has a focus gauge that fills up as you deal damage. When the gauge is full, the enemy becomes staggered and you’ll deal bonus damage.
Tactical Mode evokes the command selections from the original Final Fantasy VII, and allows players to enjoy battle while taking the time to think strategically. For players who prefer fast-paced actions, abilities and spells can be bound to shortcuts for immediate execution. Shortcuts make combat extremely dynamic, but the choice of using them is entirely up to you.
Here are the latest details on the game, including information about the Deluxe, Digital Deluxe, and 1st Class Editions, via Square Enix:
About
Final Fantasy VII Remake is a reimagining of the iconic original game that re-defined the RPG genre, diving deeper into the world and its characters than ever before. The first game in this project will be set in the eclectic city of Midgar and presents a fully standalone gaming experience that provides a great starting point to the series.
Along with unforgettable characters and a powerful story, Final Fantasy VII Remake features a hybrid battle system that merges real-time action with strategic, command-based combat.
Deluxe, Digital Deluxe, and 1st Class Editions
Square Enix also revealed details of special editions including the Deluxe Edition and Square Enix Online Store-exclusive “1st Class Edition” for the ultimate collector.
The $79.99 Deluxe Edition, available to pre-order later today, contains a hardback art book featuring stunning concept art, a Mini-Soundtrack CD, Summon Materia DLC allowing players to summon Cactuar in game, and a Sephiroth Steelbook Case.
The $79.99 Digital Deluxe Edition contains a digital art book, a digital Mini-Soundtrack selection, and Summon Materia DLC allowing players to summon Carbuncle and Cactuar in game.
The $329.99 “1st Class Edition” includes all Deluxe Edition content, the Carbuncle Summon Materia DLC, as well as a Play Arts Kai Cloud Strife and Hardy Daytona box set (bundled separately), which is available to pre-order in limited quantities from the Square Enix Online Store.
Those who pre-order any version of the game from select retailers will also receive the Chocobo Chick Summon Materia DLC at launch. Those who pre-order any digital edition from the PlayStation Store will also receive the Cloud & Sephiroth Dynamic Theme for the PlayStation 4 system.
English Voice Cast
In addition, details of the game’s voice cast were unveiled, including:
Cloud, voiced by Cody Christian (All American, Teen Wolf)
Barret, voiced by John Eric Bentley (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Independence Day: Resurgence)
Aerith, voiced by Briana White (Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Occupants)
Tifa, voiced by Britt Baron (GLOW)
Jessie, voiced by Erica Lindbeck (Spider-Man, Persona 5, ThunderCats Roar)
Biggs, voiced by Gideon Emery (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Teen Wolf)
Wedge, voiced by Matt Jones (Breaking Bad)
Sephiroth, voiced by Tyler Hoechlin
Final Fantasy VII Remake is due out for PlayStation 4 on March 3, 2020 with English, Japanese, French, and German voice-overs, and English, French, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, German, and Spanish subtitles. It will be playable at E3 2019 from June 11 to 13.
Watch the E3 2019 trailer and stage demo below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.
