4.5/5 ★ – SilverScroll's review of Final Fantasy VII Remake.

I played this one about two years ago when it came out on ps plus, I didn't play the original back then but I still really enjoyed myself. Now that I've played the original final fantasy 7, my appreciation for this remake has skyrocketed, I find it incredible how square managed to take the first three hours of the original and stretch it into a thirty hour game, and how it cleverly links the remake to the original games events in a way that lets new people still get the story and veterans understand the difference between the two. Yes the game has problems, the most glaring issue being the bloat but when the core gameplay is this strong, I really don't mind playing through a few story light chapters. Final Fantasy 7 Remake takes place entirely in midgar, from the first mako reactor bombing to escaping the city. In the original this was roughly the first three hours of the game, and in a similar way to the original I found myself amazed at how much stuff is in this game. Never does any part of the story feel pointless and the characters are second to none, every one of the main cast is iconic and written spectacularly and one of the highlights of the game is the dialogue between them. The remake also cleverly diverts from the story of the original, with an ending left wide open for them to take in any direction the developers please, but the way they implement the original games story means that old and new players can both enjoy the story, however the level of knowledge you gain from playing the original and how much it enhances this story leads me to suggest that you play the original before the remake, again it is a fine standalone experience but the knowledge you gain from playing the original is invaluable. Final Fantasy 7 Remakes combat is nothing short of phenomenal, balancing it in a way that keeps both turn based and action fans happy. Each character has a unique ability, for example Cloud's punisher form, and can gain new skills with each weapon found. Pair this with the materia system and the spectacular combat music and you create one of the best feeling combat systems ever made. The elephant in the room when it comes to this games issues is the bloat, was there need for an entire chapter based around getting out of the sewers? No, but I honestly don't mind it. The only time I found this bloat annoying and bad was in chapter 17, near the games finale. The reason I don't mind the padded content is because I find the games combat so enjoyable, however it is a valid issue hence the reasons this isn't 5 stars. Final Fantasy 7's music is one of the best soundtracks in videogames, the remake is successful in keeping the music bar high, with alot of the tracks from the original being sort of remixed and expanded in here and dare I say there better than the original games, let the battles begin is so, so good and when one winged angel played at the final boss fight I let out a verbal, unintelligible squeal of excitement. The music discs hidden around the levels are also a good nod to the original however the songs are not as good as the ones in game. Overall, Final Fantasy 7 Remake successfully captures and enhances the unexplainable magic of the original game and tells a brand new, destiny altering tale with an incredibly lovable cast of characters and absolutely spellbinding music and combat. I personally love this more than the original and it is one of the best games I have ever played.