Should they re-make FFVII?

Cthulhu

Administrator
AKA
Yop
I think that would fail because it wouldn't be a single, coherent game. Each individual title has its own themes and narrative arcs -- something that would be lost in a Katamari version of the Compilation.

It'd be the Spore of FFVII - a lot of things, but none of them done right.
 

Josh Kitsune

Lord of Foxes
AKA
Josh Strife, Black Kyuubi, White Kyuubi
Well here’s what I think.


A FFVII remake is a stupendous idea. I’m behind you 9999999999999%


(Cue song “The Order That Must be Protected” from DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY)


Ideas to address:


1. What texico11 says is good. Have the ability to switch between old sckool and new school. The camera angles, voice dialogue to text, and so on.


(Equipped Flame Shield)


2. The Story. Most dialogue stays the same but a lot needs to be changed to integrate the stories from Dirge of Cerberus + Lost Episode, Crisis Core, Last Order, Before Crisis, Advent Children + Complete, On The Way To A Smile, and so on. (Tell me if I’ve missed anything out.) There are now a lot of blind spots in the original thanks to the Compilation of FFVII. I won’t bother with examples as you most probably know several of them already.


(Cue song For the Reunion from FFAC)


3. The Music. What texico11 says goes for this as well. The option of switching between the MIDI soundtrack and a modern, AC styled soundtrack. Lets talk about the remixed version. While some songs need to be orchestrated, some others, like battle themes, could do with a little AC remixing. Some hard rock mixed into orchestrated tracks. Awesome! However I’m sure not everyone would agree that having hard rock music would be a good thing so have the option to choose between orchestrated or orchestrated with several hybrid tracks for certain situations.


(Cue song Lifestream from DoC: FFVII)


4. The Graphics. Obviously for a next-gen console game, the graphics need to be as good as possible, while still retaining a fantasy feel to it. Can’t have people looking like the guys in The Spirits Within. (What! No uber spiky hair?!) Remember people that this is a FANTASY game. Can’t have the characters look too akin to real life. The backgrounds, however, the creators can go all out. From small rooms to grand views of Midgar, or Cosmo Canyon, these need all the attention they can get. And the summons need a lot of love too.


[Cue song Those Who Fight (FFVII AC Version)]


5. The Battle System. Yep, you were waiting to hear what I was going to say about this one, weren’t you. (That wasn’t a question) The debate to make it 3rd person like in Kingdom Hearts and Crisis Core. With this one I think that there can only be one or the other with this. There can’t be both as that would take up too much space and branch the game onto two, or even three BluRay disks. Very expensive. The old sckool version is already good. You may think, ‘Why change it?’ Well with 3rd Person you can swing your giant sword all you want. Plus there’s the possibility of quicktime events to pull off impossible moves that deify gravity and reason. However, something that can be used on both sides is the inclusion of combination attacks, like with Sora and Riku in the final battle in KH2. Just think, a combination attack with Cloud and Vincent, or Yuffie and Nanaki (Red XIII), or Cid and Barret. Think of all the possibilities…


(Cue song Genius Scientist Cid from FF: Unlimited)


6. Downloadable Content off PSN. This would be a great addition to the game. The ability to change the clothes your characters are wearing just for good laughs. I mean, come on! Cloud in his dress and wig unleashing Omnislash on some poor soul has got to be funny. That;’s like Naruto in his pajama costume in Naruto: Storm. Aside from character mods, things like weapon packs, special armor, dare I say, Super Ultimate Weapons for each character. the list goes on and on.


7. Language Choice. This is a big one I think. If there’s one thing we hate, it’s crappy English Dubbing. In the past SE have done a reasonable job in not messing up the dialogue. But mostly the voice acting just sounds better in Japanese. But it also depends on which side you played first. Most cases the people who played the English version first think that its the better job and vice versa. This is more apparent with Anime series. So which to choose? English? or Japanese? ……We choose… both. That’s right! Make the first version that comes out an International version.


8. Leveling Up. This is a good one. Should we change the leveling up system to something more personalized? In the original Aeris was always going to be good with White Magic, Cloud was always going to be good as an all-rounder, and Vincent was always going to be one of the weakest characters, even when at level 99. (No stat boosting. Also assume he’s the same level as everyone else.) Maybe introduce something akin to the sphere system in FFX and XIII. Just a thought.


9. Extras. Despite mostly being covered already in point 6, what about a little something for those people who haven’t got the power of internet coursing through their PS3’s veins. Things like unlockables, ranging from music, to character mods. Artwork from Yoshitaka Amano would be a good Extra to add in, As well as the pre-rendered images of all the characters that was shown at the FFVII 10th Anniversary show. And the ability to re-watch any FMV unlocked in the game like in FFX and X-2.


(Cue song “FINAL FANTASY” from DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY)


I’m sure that I’ve covered all the basics but there are still many things that either have to be changed or added to accommodate the rest of the Compilation. That being said, if SE decided to go ahead with this, know that most FFVII fans will be behind you every step of the way.
 

Anonymouse

Lv. 1 Adventurer
Yes, please. If only to see the scenes at Honeybee Inn and Don Corneo's mansion in HD.

I think it's impossible for a re-make to have the exact same mood that the original has, so I'm okay if they change some stuff, except the battle system and towns. Please, no.
 

Ravensilver

Rookie Adventurer
If it were completely revamped to fit today's graphic standards, would incorporate all the storylines and had great gameplay? Yes! Definitely! I'd love to re-visit the one that started it all. :)
 

Ite

Save your valediction (she/her)
AKA
Ite
You're in luck! FFI's been ported to the Playstation, the Game Boy Advance/DS, and the PSP!
 

EX_SOLDIER

EX_SOLDIER
Ya know, I've never played any FF games that came before VII except Chrono Trigger if that's even relatively part of it. Probably not but either way, all of the characters bore me from what I've seen in Dissidia. That's where I actually learned a little about the older generations of FF. I think the only decent ones come from 7,8,10, and maybe the new guy in 13 Versus?
 

OWA-2

Pro Adventurer
Ya know, I've never played any FF games that came before VII except Chrono Trigger if that's even relatively part of it. Probably not but either way, all of the characters bore me from what I've seen in Dissidia. That's where I actually learned a little about the older generations of FF. I think the only decent ones come from 7,8,10, and maybe the new guy in 13 Versus?

Dissidia? Pffff... In terms of character depth you should ignore that game. S-E picked a single trait of their original personalities and exagerated it to 10 million, making this single trait become the character's entire personality.
In Dissidia, all characters are nothing more than stereotypical caricatures of their original selves.
 
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DrakeClawfang

The Wanderer of Time
In Dissidia, all characters are nothing more than stereotypical caricatures of their original selves.

Mostly true, but not entirely. Garland and Emperor went from no personality to Blood Knight and Magnificent Bastard. Golbez was also explored more in the Anti-Villain role than in FF4.
 

STARDOUSER

Lv. 1 Adventurer
Would you spend $60 on a remake of an old rpg?

You or I might, if it was FFVII. But how about the average gamer? A remake on the scale that many of you are expecting would cost tens of millions to develop. They would need a budget as large as if this was going to be Final Fantasy 15 (just for comparison: FFXII cost SE $50 million to make). A casual consumer is likely to be more interested in a new game, than a remake of an old game.

This point has probably been raised before, but the fact that this discussion still continues is proof that it has either been overlooked, or ignored. The fact is, a remake on this scale just isn't going to happen. And it really shouldn't.

The translation was broke for sure. At the very least, they should release VII again and fix all the retarded mistakes they made the first time through. I'd like to walk into the Honey Bee Inn without the double "Hmm.. so that's how you fooled them."

I would personally be completely happy with an official retranslation. The fact remains that it could be better. Although from the beginning people have made it out to be worse than it is. For instance, the scene where Cloud enters the Honey Bee Inn makes sense if you take it in context: they both say, "So that's how you fool them" as the men crowd around Aerith because of her good looks, just as Cloud is using a ticket to get into a, ahem, maid parlour. Being used the odd personalities and behavior of Japanese fictional characters (re: Anime) goes a long way with understanding some of the more unusual dialogue. Aside from Barrett, and maybe Cid, the characters and the dialogue are intrinsically Japanese. Could it be done better? Sure. Is it unintelligible gibberish? Certainly not.

If they do that, the only other improvement I'd like to see is a reworking of the field module [see link: wiki.qhimm.com/FF7/Engine_basics ] (TLS prevents me from creating a link since I have never posted before - and I will probably never post again...). Rather than rebuild the entire world, they could just scale a new player model to fit in the old blocky model's place. And then use the same model in the combat module. Beyond that the usual treatment of older FF releases, such as new/remade FMVs, bugfixes, and maybe even voice acting (I was very impressed with the Japanese voice acting in FFVII:AC). A remake like that could run on the PSP and possibly higher end portable systems.

And they have to do all this while avoiding retcons!

a lot needs to be changed to integrate the stories
No. Retcons are off the table, all contents should remain (for all intents and purposes) the same.

I think they've actually been pretty good at this (aside from just about anything involving Nibelheim reactor incident). Some people have commented (in other threads) that the scene with Zack dying is "more emotional" in crisis core than in the original. It was meant to be pretty emotional in the original too. It rains when he gets killed. I might be wrong about this, but it never rains in the original FF7 at any other time. So the scene was meant to have an impact on the player.

Should they remake it? Nah. A retranslation for PSP might be pretty cool though; I know I'd play through it again.
 

The Twilight Mexican

Ex-SeeD-ingly good
AKA
TresDias
Would you spend $60 on a remake of an old rpg?

You or I might, if it was FFVII. But how about the average gamer? A remake on the scale that many of you are expecting would cost tens of millions to develop. They would need a budget as large as if this was going to be Final Fantasy 15 (just for comparison: FFXII cost SE $50 million to make). A casual consumer is likely to be more interested in a new game, than a remake of an old game.

After about 20 years, it might as well be a new game, though -- and if those casual gamers have never played the original, then it would be just like one to them.

STARDOUSER said:
I would personally be completely happy with an official retranslation. The fact remains that it could be better. Although from the beginning people have made it out to be worse than it is. For instance, the scene where Cloud enters the Honey Bee Inn makes sense if you take it in context: they both say, "So that's how you fool them" as the men crowd around Aerith because of her good looks, just as Cloud is using a ticket to get into a, ahem, maid parlour. Being used the odd personalities and behavior of Japanese fictional characters (re: Anime) goes a long way with understanding some of the more unusual dialogue.

That one's not unusual dialogue, actually. That one was a legitimate mistranslation, where they translated the same line for both characters, overlooking one of Cloud's lines where he said there would be something he needed for crossdressing inside.

STARDOUSER said:
And they have to do all this while avoiding retcons!

SE do a remake of FFVII without any retcons? Will never ever happen.
 

ForceStealer

Double Growth
A remake on the scale that many of you are expecting would cost tens of millions to develop. They would need a budget as large as if this was going to be Final Fantasy 15 (just for comparison: FFXII cost SE $50 million to make).

It's also damn near guaranteed to make more money than Final Fantasy XV. Unless 15 is absolutely amazing, but the fact remains that remaking VII involves a LOT less risk.
 

OWA-2

Pro Adventurer
The current Square-Enix(as in, the one thinking "graphics are what make a game good!!!") will never remake it. Too much money and time spent on it, due to the original game's size(a bigger world, bigger plot, etc).
Hell, even ignoring the more complex aspects of the original game, it's not going to be easy. For example, pick every type of Materia and multiplie for 3... That's the number of days spent polishing each one of them. :monster:

Unless S-E remembers that a good game doesn't necessarily needs stupendous graphics, they will never remake it.



In my opinion? Just remake it to PS3 but with PS2 graphics, to give space for what it's needed to make the game be a good one.
 
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ForceStealer

Double Growth
Unless S-E remembers that a good game doesn't necessarily needs stupendous graphics

I'd like to point out though, that giving a game stupendous graphics doesn't doom it to being bad either. There is a way to have both, you just have to be willing put the necessary time, money, and effort into it.
 

ForceStealer

Double Growth
How much time? Oh yeah, 40 fuc*ing years! No thanks.

So you rip on Square in one post, and then take their words as gospel in the next?

You honestly believe it would take 40 years? You don't think there are any great games with stupendous graphics that have come out? FFXIII's not even the best looking game out.
 
If Square doesn't take up the Compilation again after all the FFXIII titles are out, I'm gonna be mad.

Make the final chronological entry. I don't care whether it is a movie or a game just finish the damn story and then start doing the remake. I hope the failure of FFXIV will frighten Square from making new numbered titles so they'll naturally go back to FFVII. That may not make much sense but heck I'll grab on to any flicker of hope I can find.

The remake doesn't have to be the top-notch of graphic performance around. Sacrifice some graphics to decrease costs and production time.
I bet ya that even a short playable demo of Re:FFVII would be sold out almost immediately. They could gain lots of money from that alone.
 
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Masamune

Fiat Lux
AKA
Masa
On current form, I'd expect them to suck the fun out of FFVII, should they ever remake it. Can you honestly imagine the Honeybee Inn segments remaining intact? I don't trust them. Didn't FFXIII prove that Squenix are out of touch with what makes an RPG these days? And AC showed that flashy fanservice is all that's needed to sucker the fanbase. The remake is an ambitious enough project, without failing at the basics.

What's with people who say a remake is needed for the Compilation? For one, it's supposed to work the other way around: Compilation OF Final Fantasy VII, n' all. And, do you REALLY think a remake will be the perfect complement, congruent with the Compilation? Hell, even the Compilation contradicts the Compilation! We'll be left with more OOC moments and ass-pulled retcons than you can wave a stick at!
 

Makoeyes987

Listen closely, there is meaning in my words.
AKA
Smooth Criminal
I shudder imagining Cloud riding a Horsebird down an action corridor.
 

OWA-2

Pro Adventurer
So you rip on Square in one post, and then take their words as gospel in the next?

What? Dude, I never said S-E was lying or anything.
What's happening is that they know a FFVII remake with the same graphics of FFXIII, is gonna take too much time to make. And they are using this fact as an excuse to not make it at all, when they could just use lower graphics(like the ones in FFX or FFX-2) and start making it already.

You honestly believe it would take 40 years? You don't think there are any great games with stupendous graphics that have come out? FFXIII's not even the best looking game out.

You honestly believe it wouldn't take 40 years?
Please, show me one game with similar graphics to FFXIII that's as big as FFVII(world-map you can freely explore, many towns and secret locations, tons of cutscenes, tons of NPCs you can talk to, many different Materias with different magic-spells[including the Summons' animations], three different types of vehicles[including one you can use to explore the deep ocean], etc).
Show me one game like that. Just one.
 

Makoeyes987

Listen closely, there is meaning in my words.
AKA
Smooth Criminal
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

A vastly better game than FFXIII in every possible way that didn't take 40 years, and looks better to boot. S-E is full of shit dude.
 
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