Fans have been demanding a remake of Final Fantasy VII pretty much since it’s initial release, and today Yoichi Wada, the president of Square Enix, came out and made the remake plans official. Clear your schedules because Final Fantasy VII: Jenova’s Rebirth is slated for a 4th quarter 2012 release. Naturally, the plans are for a PS3 release, but there have been some hints that a version is also in the works for Sony’s next console, though that’s purely speculation.
I bet this image's been haunting your dreams for a while now.
Famitsu, the usual breaker of all things secret and otherwise in video games, has the scoop already printed in this month’s upcoming issue. I’ve got some contacts (don’t ask me how I have these, I just do), who were kind enough to send me some scans of the cover detailing the story. How Famitsu gets these early stories is beyond me, but hey, as long as we’re poaching the news from them I can’t complain.
Would they really lie about something like this? I doubt it.
What is this game in the first place? I’ve mentioned Final Fantasy VII in a number of articles, and while it hasn’t always been in a favorable light, it’s time I talked a little bit about a Game You Should Have Played. Except, this one’s a little different. I fully expect people to embrace Mario 3 and Ocarina of Time without reservation. Final Fantasy VII has started to become one of those game classics that everyone says you should have played but no one really wants to play, similar to a good classic novel. Think of it like War and Peace. You know you’d like to have read it, but do you really want to?
Confirmed game case currently in development.
I first played the story of Cloud Strife’s battle through Midgar to stop Sephiroth from destroying the world with Meteor back when I was in my sophomore year of high school. I initially got the PC version, which is odd to think that Squaresoft bothered with that port in the first place, but it didn’t work. Every time I entered a battle I’d get kicked back to Windows and have to reopen the game screen, now without sound. I was forced to return my copy and wait until I actually had a Playstation of my own.
More Famitsu pages, just because.
Of course, I didn’t just go out and buy one. Rather, I used a kid I knew to lend me his Playstation and copy of the game. Don’t mistake this guy for my friend. I’m not proud of my actions, in fact this is me at my worst, but hey, gamers gotta game sometimes, don’t we? I made sure to buy my own memory card, in case he tried to kidnap my precious Tifa, and promptly went out to buy my own copy of the game at a used price of probably $10. Right now you’ll be lucky to find a working copy for under $50. It was a while after that before I actually had my own Playstation, another used purchase at maybe $20. I was thrifty and it got results.
The actual game had me hanging off of every word the characters said. The music got me going, especially at certain plot points. I remember feeling extremely haunted when my party was captured and placed in holding cells in the Shinra headquasters, only to wake up and discover their cell doors open and a trail of blood leading to the top floor where Sephiroth’s sword was found sticking out of the back of Shinra’s president. One of the best singular moments of a game excelling at storytelling.
The sad part of all of this is that I can’t play Final Fantasy VII again. I’ve tried on multiple occasions, but I lose interest right about the time I get out of Midgar and am allowed to explore the greater world. Part of this comes from already knowing the story and the resolution (spoiler, there isn’t any). The sequel movie, Advent Children, is amazing and wraps the game’s story up rather nicely. Dirge of Cerberus, the PS2 sequel staring Vincent, is completely skipable.
I think the game's done so well because no one wants to let this cast go away.
For me, the main reason to keep going back is the music. You will definitely find yourself liking the soundtrack, and the remixing community is showing no sign of relenting. Voices of the Lifestream, an OCRemix album, is not only recommended but demanded listening. Seriously, just click the link I provided and go download the free album right now. It’s good stuff.
A remake of the game is going to be well received by fans, that’s for sure, but is it really needed? Maybe that’s a question for another day and a Let’s Think Deep. In fact, come by tomorrow and you’ll probably see that exact article.
Want more on Final Fantasy VII? Check out these articles:
-My Top 10 Favorite Battle Themes
-Let’s Think Deep: Rethinking Remakes
-Let’s Think Deep: Achieving Perfection
-Let’s Think Deep: Schrodinger’s Zelda
-10 Video Games To Play On Thanksgiving
Oh, and check out the home page for new articles every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday! Toy-TMA
Man i was friken out about it and cant stend it.
dude this joke been used before so it just sucks haha… BUT i do like all the supid complaints and stupid come backs there just funny as hell hahahahaha good job on that lol
you suck
Dear Mr. Goblowadonkey Pranger,
Wow! What a strange coincidence of a name! I’ve known a lot of Prangers in my day, but I’ve never met one whose first name is “Goblowadonkey.” I’m so sorry about that. School must have been really hard. I can tell, what with the ferocity that you’re defending a video game that’s made millions, entertained millions, and topped so many lists of quality games. It’s a good thing loyal fans like you, Goblowadonkey, are ready to take up the fight since if not for you, everyone would just think this game is awful and Square Enix would go out of business. Oh no!
I thank you for your opinions, but mine just goes as such: 1. I liked FF7 when I first played it but can’t get through even the first disc anymore. 2. April Fools for a penniless freelance writer is very difficult to do anything really funny, so I probably shouldn’t try pulling simple-yet-effective jokes next year like this one here still getting people half a year after the fact. 3. Ironic that both happy readers and unhappy readers alike count the exact same same on my traffic reports.
Could I just ask that you refrain from the expletives next time you comment? It’s just that I have to go and manually edit each comment like that before I approve it, so that the commenter can still say what they want about me without offending too many people and gosh darn it, isn’t that what we’re all here to do? Not unintentionally hurt other people’s feelings? I’m glad you see my point Goblowadonkey. Once again, such an unfortunate name. If I was a worse person, I’d e-mail you relentlessly at jedi.drunk@gmail.com or post the e-mail at 4chan and let them take care of it for the lulz, but I’m just such a nice guy myself.
By the way, do you know Dolores? She seems to know a lot more Prangers than I do since she makes the Texas trips so frequently, although I assume she’d have mentioned someone with such an unusual name. Strange. You must be one of the German Prangers then.
-Chris Pranger
dude, you [expletive] suck. Not only does the joke suck but your responses suck. And you suck. Oh, did I mention you suck?
And the game translates incredibly. Best story through a game ever and there are millions of people who want it. So, go [expletive] yourself, then eat [expletive], then die and burn in hell you worthless mother [expletive].
This seriously is… I don’t know what to describe it as. This is like giving someone one billion pounds and telling them to spend it on whatever they want, and then they find out its all fake. It’s like giving someone the woman they’ve dreamed of for centuries, and then killing her.
You are one massive b******.
But still, it was a good joke if I’m honest. xD It has made me laugh now I’ve got over my initial unstoppable hatred for you ;] I really hope they do make a remake… that would be incredible.
F*********** you you F*********** Bastard You just F******* Killed My Soul you are The Biggest F********** Bastard in The F********* World F******** F********* F********* You
Thanks. Take luck!
This……. Is a joke. I was so happy. Now I want to cry. I hate you so much. You are such an asshole. You should be ashamed. Do you realise how much that hurts. It like your waving a giant fudge cake in front of a starving fat guy and not letting him have it. Roll over and die you filthy peice of scum.
Thanks, it was posted on April Fool’s, clearly marked up there in the heading, so, yeah, no sympathy. Also, Final Fantasy VII hasn’t aged well. You wouldn’t really want a remake. Get over it.
‘You wouldn’t really want a remake.’
C’mon, Cloud in a dress, that single fact on its own makes it remake worthy.
…Assuming censorship doesn’t prevail like it usually does.
i hate you…
Well, it’s always nice to get a friendly comment on an otherwise awful day. Oh wait…
C’mon man, april fools joke? really? Why would you do this to us?
‘Cause I don’t have photoshop or a camera, so this was the simplest April Fool’s joke I could come up with.
i think they should make this for psp to… just saying
omg, why must people joke about the sevrity of this situation, its the greatest f-ing game of all time and i want it f-ing remade right f-ing now, cant a [expletive] just be nice, those asians r kings, except there real [expletive]
Sometimes, I suppose there are just no words to respond.
to the above poster, ur the [expletive] idiot man, reckin other heads coz he didnt read it proply, yh its a pretty [expletive] up joke and we all know we would love a ff7 remake without a doubt and to get peoples hopes is mind reckin man, u need to sort ur [expletive] out and stop messin wid people, especially the above poster, ur a retard bruv get a life, ur the junes fool not him
to the above poster, did you not notice the date of the article? As much as i want a remake, it’s better to think before you say anything. It’s an April Fool’s joke. Everyone, meet June’s fool
omfg i cant believe there remakinf final fantasy 7 again
(HEART ATTACK) X( . . . well tht woz different … erm anyways i hope the like put all the spin offs and sequals all into 1 game lol it would be awsome !!! aha ermm cnt wait ppl yeee hawwwl
so this is a joke?
thats fu**ed up.
I got excited and now my erection is gone.
Come on. It’s getting old. At least be creative with your April Fools stuff.
I’d been planning on doing an article on Final Fantasy VII eventually, and it just happened to coincide with April Fool’s Day, so I took the chance to do a fairly simple joke. I wasn’t going to spend a ton of time on an elaborate joke that few people were going to read in the end. Maybe when we have a larger readership, but for now all I can do are obvious and old jokes.
Yeah, this was an April Fool’s joke. I saw about five different gaming sites all post different versions of a “FFVII remake confirmed!’ joke. It seemed to be a popular theme this year!
If it ever does happen, fans probably won’t believe the announcement!
I’ve never been a FF franchise gamer. I think I played an NES version and that was it. But every time I hear about a new FF or a remake I get bummed because I think about how many other games Enix could redo (or even make new) in the time/effort they’re putting towards *another* FF release. I could go through the Square/Enix list of retro games and pick 5 others I’d rather see new or remade before a FF game.
You’re right on about the music though, some great stuff is in there…even if it isn’t as 8-bit as I’d like
let me guess… april fool!!!
not funny guys
1 April fool?
If not: AWESOME!!