Square Enix surprised fans today by dropping a demo for the highly anticipated
Final Fantasy VII Remake. The demo gives fans a chance to experience the updated combat systems and improved visuals ahead of the remake's April 10th release.
The demo is a lengthy segment taken from the beginning of the game, so you don't have to worry about any major spoilers. It focuses on the iconic bombing mission against the Shinra Electric Power Company, culminating with a boss encounter against the Scorpion Sentinel and the subsequent escape before the complex collapses around you. Square teases that it's a "very large complex," with much to explore and plenty of secrets to find.
Beyond the detailed environments, a big focus of the demo is on the new combat system. Final Fantasy VII Remake features an altered "Active Time Battle" (ATB) system from the original that combines real time action and menu-based commands. As you perform attacks in real time,t he ATB gauge will fill up. Once full, you can halt time and perform an action. ATB actions include using an Ability, casting a spell, or healing with an item. For the old school crowd, there is also a Classic Mode (available in the demo) in which characters attack automatically so you can focus on giving them commands.
In FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE, players will be drawn into a world where the Shinra Electric Power Company, a shadowy corporation, controls the planet’s very life force. Cloud Strife, a former member of Shinra’s elite SOLDIER unit now turned mercenary, lends his aid to an anti-Shinra organization calling themselves Avalanche. The first game in the project is set in the city of Midgar, and is a fully standalone gaming experience designed for RPG players that crave unforgettable characters, a powerful story and the ability to choose their style of play with a battle system that merges thrilling real-time action with strategic, command-based combat.
The
Final Fantasy VII Remake is being split into multiple, full-length standalone games. This first installment is set in the city of Midgar, which has been expanded upon to go
"deeper into the events occurring in Midgar than the original Final Fantasy VII Remake."
Final Fantasy VII Remake launches on April 10 for PlayStation 4. Downloading the demo before May 11 also provides a bonus PlayStation 4 theme for free when the game launches next month.