I've been taking a bit of a vacation from FFVII these past two months, but EC is poised to drag me back.
However, the fact that EC is a gacha mobile game lingers heavily in the back of my mind. Me being me, I loathe the business model and the fact that it’ll inevitably become lost media. We’re in a bit of a catch-22. I want the game to be successful enough for us to see the entirety of FS and BC’s stories, but not so successful that it rewards greed and encourages SE to push similar business models in the future.
I’ve seen people speculate that if EC is successful, then perhaps they’ll make a console version. I consider that highly unlikely. The gacha model only works if the developers are able to consistently draw players back in. If a console version were available, then that draw is significantly diminished. It wouldn’t be a simple endeavor either. The game would need to receive a massive retooling to be balanced around fun and not FOMO.
On the bright side, when I consider the Remake Project in its entirety, I quite like where EC is positioned. It makes for a great compliment. While not a full replacement for any of the titles contained within it, I think it’ll provide new players with what they need to know. Especially in regards to plot deviations. As someone who browses the Remake subreddit, I know there are quite a few people who started with Remake and have no interest in playing the older games. From that perspective, playing EC will elevate Remake. It’s a modern game (perhaps too modern) that’ll show precisely where the plot deviations are, therefore making Remake’s events and theme more impactful.
Perhaps in the future EC + The Remake Project will be a viable and perfectly acceptable way to experience the saga. The idea is appealing even to me because of how streamlined it makes everything. But as stated at the top, it’s not a permanent solution. All I can do now is hope for the best.
