Final Fantasy VII Remake

[Ultimaja]

I think it would be much, much more challenging to remake FFVII than it would be to make an new game. There is no way for them to make it and please everybody, it would be nearly impossible to even please most people. If they make it exactly as it was only with voice acting and better graphics than not many new players will be interested in it, and the fans who say this is what they want probably wouldn't enjoy it either. The battle system just would not work for new players, who are used to fast battle systems, not standing still and waiting your turn and in a realistic environment that will look incredibly stupid whether you're a fan or a new player, but change it and all the fans will be in uproar regardless because that's what this fanbase does. The dialogue would have to change a lot, because reading pages and pages of dialogue is good in the old games, but having voice actors read it all out would sound very unnatural. Keep it the same and it won't work, change it and the fans will be in uproar.

I honestly think they might even lose money on it, because newer players won't be interested unless it looks like a great game, which it won't unless they change it in a lot of ways. If they do that old players won't be interested because they'll say too much has been changed. This is why it's such a huge risk. They even risk long-time fans completely giving up on the franchise on account of the 'best game ever' being ruined by the company trying to give them what they want. If I were head of Square Enix there is no way I'd give the fans a remake, not these fans, they really do not deserve one because there is no pleasing them. If they don't give the fans a remake (which they are under no obligation to do) the fans complain, yet if they gave them a remake I guarantee you there would be far more complaints than praise for the game, no matter how it was made.

The battle system wouldn't be a problem, as people know what the game is. I's a VII remake. All they'd need to do is update the battle system, making it a little more interactive and fast paced. This can easily be done with a touch of thought and creativity.

The game would simply require a different way of going about the long sequences of dialogue. It will simply be orchestrated in the game sequences themselves. And Advent Children would presumably be the palette for speech, nobody could really complain about it.

It's not a big risk if they keep it true to what it is- keeping in mind the charm of the game can only enhance it. Because it's a demand by literally 2/3rds their fans, it shouldn't be too hard to maintain what they want.
In fact, many people have made remakes. I've seen people do it from the ground up- SquareEnix could actually handpick those people to assist. I mean, I don't see how they could possibly lose money when the fan base is re-creating their own games.

As far as graphics, I mean- if they could give XIII a serious temperament with the theme park, they could do the same with Gold Saucer. And if they can do that, they can recreate all the environments very well.
I don't see a problem with graphics at all, I think some may just be over thinking it.



When FFVII first came out, everybody including those who didn't even follow rpgs were outright buying Playstations just to play this game. People went absolutely ape shit over VII.
With a remake, the cash cow is imminent.

 

[Sheechiibii]

The battle system wouldn't be a problem, as people know what the game is. I's a VII remake. All they'd need to do is update the battle system, making it a little more interactive and fast paced. This can easily be done with a touch of thought and creativity.

The game would simply require a different way of going about the long sequences of dialogue. It will simply be orchestrated in the game sequences themselves. And Advent Children would presumably be the palette for speech, nobody could really complain about it.

It's not a big risk if they keep it true to what it is- keeping in mind the charm of the game can only enhance it. Because it's a demand by literally 2/3rds their fans, it shouldn't be too hard to maintain what they want.
In fact, many people have made remakes. I've seen people do it from the ground up- SquareEnix could actually handpick those people to assist. I mean, I don't see how they could possibly lose money when the fan base is re-creating their own games.

As far as graphics, I mean- if they could give XIII a serious temperament with the theme park, they could do the same with Gold Saucer. And if they can do that, they can recreate all the environments very well.
I don't see a problem with graphics at all, I think some may just be over thinking it.



When FFVII first came out, everybody including those who didn't even follow rpgs were outright buying Playstations just to play this game. People went absolutely ape shit over VII.
With a remake, the cash cow is imminent.

But saying 'it's a ffvii remake' is one thing, but doesn't using that as a reason exclude anyone who isn't a fan of the original game? We're not talking about a remaster here, we're talking about them building a brand new game from the ground up with pretty much nothing to work with. Why would they do that if it meant excluding gamers who would normally have an interest in a new game of theirs?

I mean, even your suggestion that they make it more interactive and fast paced is one many fans would complain about if Square did that, plus it may still not look right, considering the whole way the battle works is standing and waiting for your turn. I didn't say they'd have a problem with the graphics, I said that the new realistic graphics would not work with old playing styles. Standing still and waiting your turn does not look realistic, and would clash with the characters and environments being up to date.

You say it's demanded by 2/3rds of their fans, but that's still less interest than they'd get with a brand new title, where all their fans would be interested, plus new gamers, plus they wouldn't put anyone off by 'ruining' things or by making a game that doesn't work because of clashing old/new styles. Yes, when FFVII came out it was a huge success, but it was an amazing game for its time, it was probably one of the best, if not the best, game of its kind on the market. To have the same effect Square would need to release a game that is the best game of its kind now, and a remake of ffVII would probably not be it, not without making a lot of changes to it, which would make the fans who asked for it angry. It would be tremendously hard for them to make as successful a game out of a FFVII remake as they would out of a new numbered title.

 

[iSmiff]

I think the hype surrounding this game would far outweigh the need for technical innovation. I think the people who played it before would know what to expect from the atb ah okay the new players would be willing to sacrifice a more modern battle system to experience a more polished version , possibly tweaked, of what the original players felt on that first play through.

 

[Sheechiibii]

I think the hype surrounding this game would far outweigh the need for technical innovation. I think the people who played it before would know what to expect from the atb ah okay the new players would be willing to sacrifice a more modern battle system to experience a more polished version , possibly tweaked, of what the original players felt on that first play through.

Do you really believe that? I don't think there's any chance at all of new players experiencing what original players felt like unless they play the original game themselves. A remake is going to be entirely different, it's not going to be to this generation what FFVII was the its generation. Yes the hype would be big, but would it be big enough to make as much money as a regular new title would? Final Fantasy games already get a lot of hype, and other than the fanbase who would really care that it's a remake and not a new game? If it doesn't look good people won't buy it.

 

[iSmiff]

Do you really believe that?

In terms of hype i'd argue it would probably be the biggest project of it's type so it would definitely garner the attention. With all the positive acclaim the game gets, and; all FF favouritism aside, you never really hear of a remake being pushed for many other games harder than this one it seems. I don't know if you were monitoring the situation when the PS3 tech demo was launched but it went crazy. However many years have passed since then and I imagine the desire has only increased as more and more people have discovered the game as time has gone on.

I believe that a remake would be successful without changing from ATB yes. I'd argue the more questionable issues with the game would be regarding the stuff like the crossdressing @ Wall Market. In terms of 'If it doesn't look good people wont buy it' i'm not sure I agree with that. I personally am only buying the FFX-HD because PS3 aren't backwards compatible. If they released FFX on PSN I wouldn't buy the HD version at all so.. but that's different as it's only a remaster..

The difficulty is finding the balance. The changes need to be significant enough to warrant a purchase yet small enough not to feel like it has deviated too far from the original which people loved.

SE's response has been dreadful though. Their excuses why a remake isn't being made is a joke. They need to make a better game first? Probably wont happen with the way SE are going. If that isn't a plea for sales of XIII I don't know what is.

 

[Sheechiibii]

The difficulty is finding the balance. The changes need to be significant enough to warrant a purchase yet small enough not to feel like it has deviated too far from the original which people loved.

This. This is the real reason why I think they are shying away from remaking FFVII. Finding the balance is nearly impossible with this fan base. I've never seen another fan base that's as critical as this one, in any medium; books, films, games, this one seems like the hardest to please. Also, the game isn't that old, it's not even been 20 years since it was released. It's not hard to find and play the original game, so why is there even such a demand for it now? Why not wait until a later generation of console? It's really not that dated, remaking a sprite game would make more sense. We're only just three generations ahead of the PS, I dunno, if I were working for the company making the FFVII remake now or any time soon would feel like a huge risk, and probably a big mistake. I do think they should wait until their fans at least stop saying that all their new games are shit. That's not exactly a fan base I'd be bending over backwards to please (and I think a remake of FFVII would demand bending over backwards in order to make it a halfway decent success).

 

[iSmiff]

Also, the game isn't that old, it's not even been 20 years since it was released. It's not hard to find and play the original game, so why is there even such a demand for it now? Why not wait until a later generation of console? It's really not that dated, remaking a sprite game would make more sense. We're only just three generations ahead of the PS, I dunno, if I were working for the company making the FFVII remake now or any time soon would feel like a huge risk, and probably a big mistake.

I think it's one of those whole 'Yeah, FF7 is awesome but.. Imagine if the remade it with more stuff and current gen tech!' It's one of those 'WHAT IF' questions. There are sprite updates already, Square just don't have a decent user friendly modding system (not to mention the sprite updates almost treble or quadruple the file size)

 

[Ultimaja]

If the battle system merged with a style sort of like FFXIII's, I think it would do just fine- a style which is turn based, but not so visible and 'gapped'.

 

[iSmiff]

If the battle system merged with a style sort of like FFXIII's, I think it would do just fine- a style which is turn based, but not so visible and 'gapped'.

XIIIs... you mean the worst one to date? No thanks.

 

[Ultimaja]

XIIIs... you mean the worst one to date? No thanks.

I thought the battle system of XIII was great. I don't understand why people don't like it, I thought it was fun as hell.

 

[iSmiff]

I thought the battle system of XIII was great. I don't understand why people don't like it, I thought it was fun as hell.

Really? It felt like you had no control whatsoever. I understand the whole need for it to feel 'FLUID' but ultimately it's an RPG not a hack 'n slash adventure game. They clearly tried pandering to other audiences since it was the first FF on PS3 and it was utter BS in my opinion. Is ATB REALLY all that bad? I mean, look at X-2. The redeeming feature of that game was the battle system. Sure, the limits weren't all that but.. Even the fuckin crystalium system was stupid..

Right, nevermind. This is a FFVII thread, not XIII. Don't get me started on that heap of trash title.

 

[Ultimaja]

Really? It felt like you had no control whatsoever. I understand the whole need for it to feel 'FLUID' but ultimately it's an RPG not a hack 'n slash adventure game. They clearly tried pandering to other audiences since it was the first FF on PS3 and it was utter BS in my opinion. Is ATB REALLY all that bad? I mean, look at X-2. The redeeming feature of that game was the battle system. Sure, the limits weren't all that but.. Even the fuckin crystalium system was stupid..

Right, nevermind. This is a FFVII thread, not XIII. Don't get me started on that heap of trash title.

The only thing I didn't like about the battle system of XIII wasn't really about the battling itself, but rather that Square Enix apparently thought their fans were retarded and needed half the game to be a tutorial. It's not until you reached Barthandelus, the first mega boss, that you actually get to experience the full extent of the paradigm system.

But anyhow, some people like it and some don't. My friend actually gave me his copy soon after it came out because he didn't like it- and then I played through it, and then later on played through it again and he was like what the hell


But back to VII, I'm not really saying it should be like XIII as far as strategy, but in it's fluidity.
Having Cloud, Vincent, and Barret jumping around kicking ass would be pretty sweet in a system still otherwise grounded to FFVII's strategy.
In my opinion, that would be a good way of doing it so that it necessitates everybody.

 

[Sheechiibii]

I really don't see how you could mesh VII's battle system with XIII's...like at all. How could you even begin to do that? They are pretty much polar opposite other than the atb bar. XIII's system is all about swapping character roles and auto battling, VII's system is all about inputting what you want each character to do and when you want them to do it.

 

[Ultimaja]

I really don't see how you could mesh VII's battle system with XIII's...like at all. How could you even begin to do that? They are pretty much polar opposite other than the atb bar. XIII's system is all about swapping character roles and auto battling, VII's system is all about inputting what you want each character to do and when you want them to do it.

Well, first off, FFXIII isn't as 'automatic' as people portray it as. Even beyond the paradigm shifting, sole automatic fighting can leave you pounded in the dirt, left best for easy enemies.

People seem to just have base prejudice for the system, and don't want to give it any good detail where it is afforded. I mean, nobody can really persuade me to think something different that I experienced through and through, it makes me question the confidence of differing opinion on the matter altogether.
But that's beside the point I suppose.

Enough creativity and critical thinking can get the battle system on board nicely. It's not impossible, it seems like you are arguing that it is.

 

[Sheechiibii]

Well, first off, FFXIII isn't as 'automatic' as people portray it as. Even beyond the paradigm shifting, sole automatic fighting can leave you pounded in the dirt, left best for easy enemies.

People seem to just have base prejudice for the system, and don't want to give it any good detail where it is afforded. I mean, nobody can really persuade me to think something different that I experienced through and through, it makes me question the confidence of differing opinion on the matter altogether.
But that's beside the point I suppose.

Enough creativity and critical thinking can get the battle system on board nicely. It's not impossible, it seems like you are arguing that it is.

Sorry I should have gone into more detail but when I said automatic I meant the other characters in the team, not the auto battle option for the character you're controlling. Unlike, for example, XII where you were in control of even the characters that were not being used manually at the time (using gambits to tell them what to do and when), in XIII you have no control at all over any character but one. The control comes in the way you structure the team, which roles you use at which times. It's a form of control sure, but it's vastly different from VII's style, where you are in control of who does what and when on every turn.

 

[Ultimaja]

Sorry I should have gone into more detail but when I said automatic I meant the other characters in the team, not the auto battle option for the character you're controlling. Unlike, for example, XII where you were in control of even the characters that were not being used manually at the time (using gambits to tell them what to do and when), in XIII you have no control at all over any character but one. The control comes in the way you structure the team, which roles you use at which times. It's a form of control sure, but it's vastly different from VII's style, where you are in control of who does what and when on every turn.

Now that you mention it, that was something that got on my nerves sometimes- not being able to switch control to another party member during battle.
It's something that would have come in handy, I don't know why they excluded it.

 

[C i d]

Please get back on topic. This thread is about FFVII remake. Thank you.


Please do not reply to this post. Any questions or concerns, PM me.

 

[Captain Squee]

Why in the world would you change the battle system of Final Fantasy VII? Given its extremely sub-par story and choppy character writing, which is complete with a terrible villain, the battle system was the only thing it had going for it. Each character was better with different materia, such as Deathblow on Vincent due to his insanely high hit rate. The only reason I ever play that game through is because the gameplay and battle systems are so much fun. The rest is so ignorable that I don't even read the story anymore. Just mash the X button and wait until the next part. If there were a remake, which I am in fact in favor of despite my distaste for the game, if they even touched the battle system, I'd flip my desk so high it would end up in orbit.

I suppose you might be wondering why I am in favor of a remake despite my strong distaste for the game...Honestly, no personal reasons. It would just be a smart move from Square. Look at how many people want one and would easily demand square shuts up and takes their money. It's a massive cash cow, even now. Personally, I wouldn't buy it, as the story is shit and if they changed the game play, the whole game would be shit. If there is a remake, they better not touch the gameplay. Even people like me who hate the story like it the way it is. Still playing through that heap of steaming smelly plot just because I have fun playing it.

 

[Ultimaja]

Why in the world would you change the battle system of Final Fantasy VII? Given its extremely sub-par story and choppy character writing, which is complete with a terrible villain, the battle system was the only thing it had going for it.

Realistically speaking, it just wouldn't do well to keep the battle system exactly the same, not if a remake is going to be built from the ground up. It'd be like putting a wooden door on a stone fortress- inferior to the rest of the game.

There needs to be a sense of 'newness' to all the gameplay in general.

 

[Cardinal Copia]

See thats my only fear with the whole remake talk. I don't wanna see the battle system touched. At all. I fucking love the classic ATB turn based style fighting, and its a helluva lot better and more enjoyable than the battle system of any of the current FF games.

SE will find someway to fuck it up. And that scares me.