It was 2015 when that green Lifestream mist swirled across a giant screen at E3, and honestly, the collective scream from the audience felt like it shook the planet. People had been begging for a Final Fantasy 7 Remake since the PS3 technical demo years earlier. But when Square Enix actually delivered the game in 2020, it wasn't exactly the straightforward "high-definition coat of paint" everyone expected. It was something much weirder. Much ballsier.
Cloud Strife still has the giant sword. Midgar still looks like a grimy, industrial hellscape that consumes the poor. But if you think this is just a nostalgia trip, you're fundamentally misreading what director Tetsuya Nomura and producer Yoshinori Kitase actually built.
The Stealth Sequel Nobody Saw Coming
Most people call it a remake. That’s literally the title on the box. But if you've played through to the final credits, you know that Final Fantasy 7 Remake is actually a sequel masquerading as a reconstruction. It’s meta-fiction.
The game introduces these ghostly entities called Whispers—or Arbiters of Fate. They show up whenever the plot starts to deviate from the original 1997 script. When Cloud and Aerith meet in the church, the Whispers are there. When Jessie gets injured so she can't go on the second Mako Reactor raid, the Whispers are there. They are essentially the "Canon Police." They exist to ensure the timeline stays exactly the same as the PS1 game.
Then you kill them.
By the time you reach the end of the Highway, you aren't just fighting Sephiroth; you're fighting the concept of destiny itself. This is why some fans felt betrayed. They wanted the comfort of the familiar. Instead, Square Enix gave us a story about a group of characters who realize they are trapped in a cycle and decide to break the fourth wall to escape it.
Combat That Actually Works (For Once)
Square Enix spent a decade trying to figure out how to make "Action-RPG" combat feel good without losing the tactical depth of the old turn-based menus. Final Fantasy XV was a bit of a mess—mostly just holding down one button and warping around. Kingdom Hearts is great but too floaty for a gritty story like this.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake finally nailed the landing.
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It uses the ATB (Active Time Battle) system as a resource rather than a timer. You hack and slash in real-time to build up bars, then you freeze time to issue commands. It’s brilliant. You’ve got to swap characters constantly because the AI is intentionally passive. If you stay on Cloud too long, the boss will just whale on him. You have to jump to Tifa to build stagger, then to Aerith to drop a magic nuke.
It’s fast. It’s crunchy. It’s stressful.
One thing people often miss is how vital the "Pressure" and "Stagger" mechanics are. You can't just brute force your way through the Hell House boss on Hard Mode. You need specific elements. You need timing. You need to realize that Tifa’s Unbridled Strength isn't just a buff—it’s the key to multiplying damage by up to 300%.
The Midgar Problem: Is It Too Padded?
Let’s be real for a second. The original Midgar section in 1997 took about six hours. In the remake, it’s a 40-hour epic.
Does it feel bloated? Sometimes.
The sewer levels are a slog. Nobody liked going back into the tunnels for a second time. And those mechanical arm puzzles in the collapsed expressway? They’re tedious. Square Enix clearly needed to stretch the content to justify a full $60 (and later $70) price tag for only the first "part" of the story.
However, the padding gives us something the original couldn't: character. We actually get to know Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie. In the original game, they were just redshirts who died to raise the stakes. In Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Jessie is a failed actress with a tragic backstory involving her father and a Mako poisoning accident. When the plate falls, it actually hurts because you've spent hours in their homes.
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The scale of the city is also breathtaking. Standing in the slums and looking up to see the massive plates of the upper city blocking out the sun is a visual storytelling feat that wasn't possible on the PS1. It drives home the class warfare themes of the story better than any dialogue ever could.
Why the Music is the Secret MVP
We have to talk about Masashi Hamauzu and Mitsuto Suzuki’s work on the soundtrack. They didn't just remix Nobuo Uematsu’s legendary scores; they made them dynamic.
Take the "Airbuster" theme. As the fight progresses through different phases, the music adds layers. It starts as a tense synth track and evolves into a full orchestral explosion as the boss loses limbs and the stakes rise. This isn't just background noise. It’s a reactive element that pulls you into the flow of the battle.
Even the jukebox tracks found in the wall market offer lo-fi, jazz, and even ska versions of classic tunes. It shows a level of reverence for the source material that you rarely see in big-budget AAA titles.
Aerith, Sephiroth, and the Knowledge of the Future
There is a popular fan theory—well, it’s basically confirmed at this point—that Aerith and Sephiroth both know what happened in the original game.
Watch Aerith closely. She says things she shouldn't know. She reacts to Cloud's visions before they happen. In the remake, she feels less like a flower girl and more like a weary traveler who has seen this tragedy play out a thousand times.
Sephiroth is even more blatant. In the original 1997 game, you don't even see Sephiroth for the first ten hours. He’s a looming shadow. In Final Fantasy 7 Remake, he’s there in the first twenty minutes, taunting Cloud in the burning streets of Sector 8. He isn't the Sephiroth from the past; he’s the Sephiroth from the end of time, reaching back to change his own defeat.
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This creates a fascinating tension. If you know the original story, you are just as "trapped" by fate as the characters are. You expect Aerith to go to the Forgotten Capital. You expect the Meteor to come. The game is actively playing with your expectations, making you wonder if you can actually save her this time.
How to Handle the Post-Game and Hard Mode
Once you wrap the story, the game doesn't really end. Hard Mode is where the mechanics truly shine.
- No Items: You cannot use potions or phoenix downs. Period.
- No MP Recovery: Benches only restore HP. If you waste your MP on trash mobs, you’re screwed for the boss.
- Materia Synergy: You have to get creative. Linking Magnify to Healing is a given, but have you tried linking Elemental to your armor? Against bosses like Reno or the Shiva summon, it makes you literally invincible to their primary attacks.
If you’re struggling with the transition to Hard Mode, focus on the "Steadfast Block" materia. It’s the most underrated orb in the game. It builds ATB while you’re guarding, which is essential when you can’t rely on items to bail you out.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake as a Technical Benchmark
Even years after its initial launch, the "Intergrade" version on PS5 and PC remains one of the best-looking games on the market. The lighting in the Sector 7 slums, the particle effects during a Limit Break, and the facial animations during the more quiet, intimate moments between Cloud and Tifa are top-tier.
Yes, there was that weird "low-res door" incident at launch where one texture looked like it was from a PS2 game. But the Intergrade update fixed most of those assets. The 60fps performance mode is the only way to play; the combat is way too fast to be bogged down by 30fps stutter.
Real-World Impact and Legacy
This game changed how developers approach remakes. It’s no longer enough to just update the graphics. Resident Evil 4 and Dead Space followed suit by tweaking the narrative and expanding on lore.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake proved that you can respect the soul of a classic while still being brave enough to subvert it. It’s a game about the trauma of the past and the fear of an uncertain future—themes that feel incredibly relevant in the mid-2020s.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
If you're jumping back in or starting for the first time, don't play it like a standard RPG.
- Ditch the "Classic" Difficulty: It’s too easy and misses the point of the hybrid combat. Play on Normal, and if you find it too hard, learn to use the "Assess" materia. It’s not just for flavor text; it tells you exactly how to pressure a boss.
- Focus on Weapon Skills: Every weapon has a unique ability. Use it until you reach 100% proficiency, and you keep that skill forever, even if you switch swords. Cloud’s Disorder is essential for maintaining momentum.
- Do the Side Quests (Selectively): Some are boring, but many unlock "Manifestos" that give you extra skill points (SP) for your weapon upgrade trees. You’ll need these for the harder endgame challenges.
- Listen to the NPCs: A lot of the world-building happens in the background chatter. You’ll hear citizens talking about Shinra’s propaganda and the rising cost of living, which adds a lot of texture to the "eco-terrorist" angle of the plot.
The journey doesn't end in Midgar. With the sequel Rebirth expanding the world into a massive open map, the foundation laid here is vital. It’s a polarizing, beautiful, and deeply complex reimagining of a masterpiece. Don't go in expecting a 1:1 recreation. Go in expecting a fight for the future of the planet.