FF7 remake for PS4 announced - Page 55

Final Fantasy VII Remake had three directors: Tetsuya Nomura, Motomu Toriyama, and Naoki Hamaguchi. Needless to say, it was a demanding project — one that had to try and please fans of the original Final Fantasy VII and newcomers alike — but we like to think that the development team pulled it off, for the most part.

However, news has broke that Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 2 — now in development — will have just one director: Naoki Hamaguchi. A quick recap: Hamaguchi has worked on the Final Fantasy series since Final Fantasy XII, but he wasn't placed in the role of a director until Remake. Being the sole director on Part 2 is quite the step up in terms of responsibility, then.

This info comes directly from Nomura himself, who recently spoke to Famitsu (as translated by Gematsu). He said: "Since we were able to solidify the base gameplay in the first part of Final Fantasy VII Remake and are able to see what we need to improve upon in the future, Naoki Hamaguchi will be entrusted as the director on the next part, while I’ll be involved as the creative director on all things Final Fantasy VII, including the Remake and mobile titles. My basic involvement in the work won’t significantly change, so please give me your continued support."

On March 17 2021 22:41 {CC}StealthBlue wrote:
Hence no console version. Pure mobile trash.

https://twitter.com/aitaikimochi/status/1372174788261679112

https://twitter.com/aitaikimochi/status/1372196109011935236

https://twitter.com/aitaikimochi/status/1372211921034694664

Everyone’s favorite Wutai ninja, Yuffie Kisaragi, returns in Final Fantasy VII Remake Episode Intermission. Although she was an optional character that you could completely skip over in the original 1997 PlayStation release of Final Fantasy VII, this brand new episode will have you playing as Yuffie, alongside new characters, as she infiltrates the shadowing Shinra Corporation to steal a powerful materia and restore glory to her homeland.

Alongside multiple new combat and gameplay additions with her flashy attacks and unique abilities utilizing her iconic massive throwing star, Yuffie’s appearance in this release brings back signature elements of her beloved design, along with a new disguise. Keep reading to find out what Final Fantasy VII Remake Director Tetsuya Nomura has to say about how he wanted to bring Yuffie to life for this new episode

For the uninitiated, Final Fantasy VII Remake launched last year on the PlayStation 4 system to critical acclaim, and we’re bringing it back better than ever as Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade an enhanced and expanded version especially for the PlayStation 5 on June 10. This new version includes a wealth of graphical, gameplay and system enhancements, including improved textures and character models, Graphics Mode for 4K with HDR support, Performance Mode enabling 60 frames per second, and a newly added customizable Photo Mode.

Reviews for Insomniac Games’s recent magnum opus have been largely unequivocal: “Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart” is probably the best-looking game ever made. But after several hours with Square Enix’s “Intergrade” upgrade on the PlayStation 5, “Final Fantasy VII Remake” belongs in the conversation.

In “Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergade,” which released June 10, the PlayStation 5 essentially received its own version of last year’s award-winning “Final Fantasy VII Remake,” a thorough reimagining of the 1997 role-playing game that made a meteoric impact on how video game stories are told. The clumsy title is a cheeky reference to the fact that the game isn’t exactly an upgrade. But, in this rare instance of a major studio playing down expectations, Square Enix actually sells itself short.

“Intergrade” isn’t quite a remake of a remake, but it still feels like a game not possible on older machines. It features new textures in the world, adding detail where there was little. Game tech analysts Digital Foundry already have a comprehensive breakdown of the upgrade, and it’s worth watching just to notice the back-to-back comparisons.

The first thing returning players will notice is the update running at 60 frames per second. This is the smoothest a mainline “Final Fantasy” game has ever performed. And no other game in the long-running series would benefit more from that upgrade than this remake, which eschews the turn-based battle system of the old titles for dynamic character-based action, operating closer to a “God of War” or “Devil May Cry,” albeit with menu screens for more granular actions.

Two new chapters arrive with “Intergrade,” collectively titled “Intermission,” and they come with increased difficulty. Yuffie, a returning cast member who leads both chapters, has to face virtual reality challenges, and her ultimate foe is Weiss, a mysterious character from another FF7 spinoff game, “Dirge of Cerberus” (2006). The fight against Weiss is more intense than anything in the normal game, mostly because it relies heavily on quickly taking advantage of openings and fast dodging. It’s like Square Enix programmed Weiss to demonstrate to players firsthand why a higher framerate can really matter in some games.

The texture work and new lighting effects lift this upgrade above other games that have recently received tuneups. Both “The Last of Us Part II” and “Ghost of Tsushima” received saw framerate boosts; neither title was spruced up to otherwise account for the new console generation. The Xbox Series consoles also offer framerate boosts as a feature for the system, enhancing a much wider swath of older games due to Microsoft’s insistence on futureproofing its systems with backward compatibility.

Even on 9-year-old hardware, the original PS4 release of “Final Fantasy VII Remake” dazzled players in early 2020. But that effort feels like unfinished work compared to what’s achieved on “Intergrade.” Every scene is given more color thanks to new lighting effects. Now, you can almost feel the heat radiating off Barrett’s sweaty skin or Aerith’s blushed cheeks. It’s hard to ignore the vibrancy as you revisit the neon lights of Wall Market. You’ll wonder how you ever praised the game last year when it looks this much better now.

Seeing “Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade” so quickly after “Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart” in no way diminished my astonishment. While “Ratchet” has more detail and fidelity, “Intergrade” offers almost the same amount, while maintaining a hyper-realistic anime style and offering a far deeper play experience. The residents of Midgar are alive in ways that the pristine puppets of “Ratchet” simply aren’t. While “Ratchet” keeps track of one hero creating screen-filling particle effects, “Intergrade” tries to maintain that level of fidelity across three human characters acting independently.

Fans of “Final Fantasy VII” should consider “Intergrade” a new version of last year’s release. It is also among the best-looking console games ever made. Set back by the pandemic, the gaming industry has released a slew of updates to older games to keep players satisfied. But “Intergrade” head and shoulders stands above the rest, seven months into the console generation. It’s not just an upgrade. Like the bold new story in “Remake,” “Intergrade” has raised the bar on how these updates can rejuvenate memories.