I just watched Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. This is essentially a CGI movie sequel to Final Fantasy VII, one of the most critically acclaimed video games of all time. While I would summarize a review of Advent Children with "Meh" (to elaborate: far too much Dragonball Z-ish fighting, a rather contrived and unrewarding storyline, empty character cameos), it made me realize, more than ever, that the original truly does need to be remade.
When Final Fantasy VII was released for the Sony PlayStation in 1997, it was praised for its (for the time) breathtaking graphics, grasping story, dynamic characters, and enrapturing gameplay, among other factors. It also brought role-playing games, a genre that was relatively unpopular outside of Japan, to a worldwide audience. Unfortunately, the game also had many downfalls that are often overlooked by hardcore fans.
While some scattered visuals have aged rather well, the majority of the in-game graphics are ridiculously boxy and dated-looking. All of the basic designs from the original game could probably be kept if they wanted to be lazy, while just updating the graphics to the level seen in the PS3 tech demo that was made out of the intro to FF7. Of course, some of the major designs (Midgar's basic landscape, the Highwind, etc.) should be kept the same without a doubt, but other aspects of the original ("dungeons" (inside of mako reactors, caves, etc.), minor characters, towns, etc.) could be completely overhauled to be made more interesting for veterans and newcomers alike. In fact, that in and of itself should be a major point of a remake; making things more interesting. Some of the areas' layouts in the original game really didn't make too much sense, or were just overly weird; I think a lot of this came from trying to get Square, who was used to making games in 2 dimensions, to adapt to a 3-dimensional world. Obviously, they've adapted by now, and could do a lot with a FF7 remake. A lot of the original was rather visually bland, and this could be totally fixed with an update of graphics and of layouts and designs.
Translation and script issues were also a major problem in the game. The storyline, which is quite complex, was made even more confusing due to bad translations that often made for awkward dialogue and gaping plotholes. This would be the easiest fix in a remake. However, rather than just updating the dialogue, Square Enix could also make the storyline more seamless, in terms of itself and of the various games that have been made that connect to the original game.
One of the best things about Advent Children is that they were able to take the characters of the game and give them natural voices. They would, of course, have to carry this over to a remake. I'm sure they could get many of the same voice-actors, not that that matters too much. Making realistic spoken dialogue is important, though.
Final Fantasy VII was full of mini-games and side-quests, and all of these could be updated and expanded upon, but they could even add more. The battle system could also be updated; especially after the release of Final Fantasy XIII, gamers won't want to play a traditional turn-based RPG. In fact, the FF13 battle system could easily be adapted to FF7.
What I find by far to be FF7 fans' most ignored flaw of the original are some of the deep themes that are only briefly touched upon in the game. Corporate corruption, genetic engineering, the limits of science, spirituality, and, most directly, environmentalism are all manifested in various ways in the game, and these themes are still just as (if not more) relevant today as they were in 1997. Were they to remake the game, I'm sure they could use the aforementioned revisions to really put in some social commentary that was so often hinted at in the original game.
In short, Square-Enix is looking at a gold-mine with a remake of Final Fantasy VII. It was enormously popular when it was originally released, and it would be made more popular in this day and age with all the mystique that surrounds it. If gamers still play the original, chock-full of gross graphics and horrid dialogue, imagine how many would play a remake, especially if it had a multi-platform release and all the features I've mentioned here, as well as less obvious and subtle improvements. Square-Enix is STUPID if they ignore an opportunity like this. They already have made a fortune, and they could make another fortune if they remake it.
No comments:
Post a Comment