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VILLAGE ARCADE: Square Enix gives Final Fantasy VII Remake the next-gen treatme

Final Fantasy VII Remake finds a new home this June.
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Final Fantasy VII Remake lands on the PlayStation 5 on June 10.

Square Enix has had a busy month. Bravely Default 2 just hit the Nintendo Switch and last week the Japanese publisher announced a brand new take on the classic Japanese tactical-RPG genre.

This week, Square has its eyes on next-generation gaming with the announcement of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade—the next-generation optimized take on Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Intergrade’s enhancements will be available for free to any PS5 owner that purchased the PlayStation 4 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake and is an expected release on next-generation consoles. As a late entry into the last-generation of consoles, I think Intergrade is going to feel right at home on the PS5 and I’m excited to see what kind of improvements the PS5 will bring. 

So far, Square Enix has confirmed that the title will see a performance and fidelity mode, optimized loading times, new difficulty modes, better photo capturing (and sharing) and DualSense controller enhancements—the last tidbit is something I feel a lot of remasters have failed to really take advantage of.

The DualSense controller is one of the things that really sets the PlayStation 5 apart from its competitors. The triggers can be adapted based on the game, meaning sometimes you’ll need to press the triggers with more difficulty to get past a challenging portion of the game and the haptic feedback on the controller really adds an impressive level of immersion.

Square Enix has already confirmed that their intention is to use the haptic feedback to make the combat feel more exciting in FF7R, but the adaptive triggers will be used to improve the immersion of the motorcycle mini-game, giving players an added challenge when trying to perform difficult driving maneuvers.

Enhanced gameplay and new content

But Final Fantasy VII Remake Integrade doesn’t end with a few gameplay enhancements. Intergrade also introduces new stories to FF7R remake with a new adventure following Yuffie Kisaragi.

“In this new adventure, play as ninja Yuffie Kisaragi as she infiltrates the Shinra Corporation to steal a powerful materia and restore glory to her homeland,” Square Enix said in a press release.

Yuffie is a welcome addition to FF7R for any fan of the original Final Fantasy VII, and her story will be an interesting way to look into what else was going on in Midgar during the events of the game.

Outside of new perspectives, the Yuffie-centred adventure also promises to add new combat and gameplay additions to Final Fantasy VII Remake.

The standalone content will be available on June 10 as part of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, but those upgrading from the PlayStation 4 version will need to pay for the new content separately.

An memorable escape spanning multiple generations

The Intergrade enhancements are an exciting way for me to replay my favourite game of 2020. Final Fantasy VII Remake was released around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic—right when provinces around the country went into lockdown—and acted as a familiar comfort during a pretty uncertain time.

The original Final Fantasy VII released in 1997 when my world looked a lot different. I didn’t own a PlayStation at the time, but it was one of the first games I played when I finally got my hands on my first Sony console. 

I immediately fell in love with the game. The CGI was unlike anything I had ever seen before, the gameplay was exciting and the story moved me. It was also a game that my friends were playing, so we were able to share tips and tricks and discover new ways to customize our characters together.

Getting to experience a story and familiar fantasy world from my childhood in an exciting new way, with new gameplay, graphics and the inclusion of voice acting, really helped me get through those first few weeks of the pandemic.

It gave me an outlet to connect with people in a way that felt normal. I could jump online and talk to my friends about the creative changes they made to the game and how much more detail they put into the world.

It was truly a breath of fresh air and I think that’s why I’m so excited to experience a next-generation optimized version of the game and the new content it will bring.


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