Final Fantasy 7 Remake gets some actual gameplay detail at last
Final Fantasy 7 Remake feels a lot more real when the director speaks in detail.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake was never going to be entirely faithful to the original; director Tetsuya Nomura has said all along that it won't feature the turn-based battles that worked so well in the 1997 RPG.
We've been all agog to see what sort of system would replace it, and while we still don't have an answer to that, some small details on Final Fantasy 7 Remake's gameplay which touch on combat systems have emerged from a new interview.
Speaking to Famitsu in an interview translated by Gematsu, Nomura discussed recent Final Fantasy 7 Remake screenshots which appeared to show Cloud using cover.
"In the story, in situations where you’re sneaking around, you won’t just be able to march down the middle of the path," Nomura explained.
"The original version had random encounters, and such parts were in the realm of imagination, but since this title is seamless and you see the path that you’re infiltrating, I decided it was necessary for the sake of realism."
As well as substituting stealth for the magic of random encounters, Final Fantasy 7's cover can be used to avoid encounters altogether, or to shelter behind before throwing a grenade to wipe out a patrol. However, Nomura also noted that players can just run into enemies and fight them if they'd prefer.
Nomura confirmed that Barret can also use cover, and said that "there is a special element in gunners" related to this, but he can't give details yet. That's the Final Fantasy 7 Renake way, isn't it.
The other new Final Fantasy 7 Remake screen showed the famous Guard Scorpion battle, and Nomura had plenty to say on this one, as well. Apparently the larger battle map here allows players to fight by switching between Cloud and Barret.
"For example, when there’s an enemy in a position that can’t be reached by Cloud’s sword, it’s more effective to switch to Barret. It’s becoming strategic in that way, as well," he said.
"The Guard Scorpion will change modes in the middle of the battle and demonstrate behavior not in the original version. Also in this screenshot, it should be noted that missiles and such are coming down. It’s become a significantly flashy battle."
The flashiness doesn't end at the visual effects; Final Fantasy 7 Remake battles include "map and object destruction", and you'll have opportunities to destroy parts of enemies, too, such as the Guard Scorpion's legs.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake will release episodically, but has not been dated. We're expecting it on PS4 first, and have our fingers crossed the first part might make it this year.
Nomura said Square Enix needs "a little longer" to "strengthen" Final Fantasy 7 Remake's "systems" before it shows more, though, and as Nomura time is as notorious as Valve time, we're not holding our breath.