Few video games have grown in popularity over the decades. Final Fantasy VII is like that. Sold ten million copies when it was released in 1997, on the very young Playstation, it simply revolutionized its era. With its hyper-fluid 3D animations and its deep scenario Final Fantasy VII has established itself in a short time as a cult game. 23 years later, Square Enix, the Japanese publisher of the Final Fantasy series , decided to offer him a remake *. So what is this remake really worth? Europe 1 has extensively tested it. Small clarification before leaving for Midgar: the author of these lines has never played the original Final Fantasy VII .
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Heroes ... eco-terrorists
Midgar? It is the name of the fictitious city where the action of this remake is located. Both futuristic and industrial, built on two levels with shantytowns on the ground and an artificial plateau in height for the wealthy classes, this city is reminiscent of Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell . But we are not there for tourism. The introduction to the game is doomed to action: the eco-terrorist group Avalanche is on a mission, preparing to blow up a reactor of the Shinra, the company that extracts mako, an energy resource, the entrails of the planet.
This energetic introduction is an opportunity to discover the hero of Final Fantasy VII : Cloud, a quiet blond, former member of the Shinra security forces converted into a mercenary. With his sword as big as him and his spiky hair, Cloud imposes from the foreground. In the form of a tutorial, this first game sequence makes it possible to assimilate the functioning of the game, in particular fighting.
A world of great wealth
The immersive opening of Final Fantasy VII is a glimpse of the richness of the game. If the opposition between Avalanche and the Machiavellian Shinra is a bit Manichaean, it actually serves a more subtle scenario, with environmentalist accents and mixed class struggle . It talks about the war, its impact on society, manipulation of the people, broken childhoods ... In short, it's strong, it's beautiful, and we'll let you discover the rest yourself.
No need, however, to go far in the game to take the full blast the visual slap that sends Final Fantasy VII . Except for a few questionable backgrounds here and there, the graphics are very fine. The environments are searched, animated, with lights worthy of a film. Thus, the slums and Wall Market offer particularly striking decors and contrast with the missions in the Shinra buildings, of a freezing emptiness.
And then, special mention for the heroes. At the limit of photo-realism, they prove to be particularly human and endearing. Initially not pleasant, Cloud cheers up little by little for our greatest pleasure. At his side, Barrett, mountain of irascible muscles and endowed with a machine gun grafted on the arm finally reveals himself endowed with a big heart and benefits from an interesting treatment. Ditto for Tifa, friend of Cloud expert in martial arts and Aeris, distracted but formidable young woman magician. Too bad the female characters are spoiled by annoying nonsense.
Almost like in the movies
We explore this universe gradually. Final Fantasy VII is a scripted game called "hallways". It is necessary to follow the scenario in the order of the missions and in demarcated places (a building, a city, a road). Sometimes frustrating, this game system allows you to stay focused on the main story. Indeed, contrary to the current bulimic trend, Square Enix had the good idea not to offer too many side quests that would interfere with the progression.
We therefore alternate between travel phase, missions, small breaks to recharge the batteries and long cutscenes that advance the story (passages where we do not play, like mini-films, like the opening from the game above). The whole forms a coherent and immersive adventure, although a bit wobbly in terms of rhythm. Nothing to get tired of, just pick up from time to time. Fortunately, the sumptuous musical atmosphere, a true symphonic masterpiece, prevents falling into monotony. And then there are the fights.
Dantesque fights
Final Fantasy VII remained famous for its turn-based battles: you select a hero, an attack, a target, then it was the enemy's turn, and so on until victory. A highly strategic system but dated for a long time and therefore logically abandoned for the remake. Instead, we are entitled to more action-oriented, "melee" combat: the heroes face all the enemies at the same time. More dynamic, and although a bit confused at times, these fights are dantesque.
They even prove to be enjoyable thanks to the many strategic options offered to the player. During group fights, it is thus possible, by pressing a single button, to switch from one hero to another. Everyone has specific skills and magic spells that must be assigned to them. Thanks to an ingenious system, it is possible to temporarily stop the fight to manage special attacks and magic by coordinating the heroes and thus maximizing the damage inflicted on the opponent.
A dose of strategy essential as the enemies are tough. In normal difficulty mode, some bosses may well cut your days by several hours. To defeat them, it is imperative to prepare your fights. Final Fantasy VII is largely based on the continuous improvement of heroes. Customizable weapons, spells to master, special techniques to unlock: it's a bit technical, but we quickly get into the game.
The start of a long adventure
All this gives a long game. Allow a good forty hours to overcome it. Nothing insurmountable but it must be admitted that some few seem interminable, the fault, often, to unnecessary dialogues. Ditto for the fights, sometimes of an absurd difficulty. How can you justify that after thirty hours of play and long-thought-out improvements, simple basic soldiers can take half your life away in one fell swoop?
Despite these little worries, Final Fantasy VII is crossed by an epic breath that constantly pushes us to continue. Dramatic, melancholic at times violent and sad (bordering on tears even), the scenario is a whirlwind of emotions as we rarely see in video games. And if the end of the game is enough by itself, we ask for more. That's good: the original game has been lengthened and segmented and this remake is actually only a "Part 1". We therefore yearn to play the following, not yet announced.
Our opinion: an XXL adventure as intelligent as muscular
It is with a glance of neophyte vis-à-vis Final Fantasy VII that we warmly recommend you to spend your confinement in Midgar. The new version of Final Fantasy VII is an almost total success. Immersive, devilishly addictive and a delight for the eyes and ears, the game has won us over and above our expectations. Far from being reserved for purists, everyone will find their account to appropriate the particularly strong story of Cloud, Barrett, Tifa and the others.
* Final Fantasy VII Remake , available exclusively on PS4 (possibility to download it in dematerialized version on the Playstation Store)