Final Fantasy VII Remake isn't the whole story: a spoiler-free ending explainer
Don't pack your bags for the airship just yet.
The long-awaited remake of Final Fantasy VII is finally upon us, but it's not as straightforwrd as you may be expecting. Square Enix has said that FF7 Remake only recreates the early part of the original game's story, adding a lot more detail into areas where there was none in the original. So how much of Final Fantasy VII has actually been remade? Here's exactly what we know after having played through it all.
General references to FF7 ahead, but no Remake-specific spoilers.
As was expected, Final Fantasy VII Remake only covers the Midgar portion of the PS1 classic. This part of the game lasted about eight hours in the 1997 version will now take you upwards of 40 hours to make your way through. There is still a lot of story left to be retold, and Square Enix has confirmed that Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 2 is on the way.
Those who played the original are wondering when Final Fantasy VII Remake actually though. It ends once Cloud and his crew leave Midgar for the first time. This comes after the group infiltrates the Shinra building and escapes in a thrilling bike chase through the streets of the Mako-powered city.
FF7 Remake ends just after the party leaves Midgar, though it's clear their adventure isn't over.
While the fact that FF7 Remake covers so little of the original may worry you, there's still a lot of new things to sink your teeth into. Segments that were glossed over in the original get a lot of time to shine in FF7 Remake, and events don't play out exactly as they do in the original. Without spoiling, we'll just say Sephiroth plays a larger role earlier on in Cloud's adventure earlier on, and you'll spend a lot more time getting to know the other members of Avalanche. FF7 Remake also drops some tantalizing teases of what's to come next through it's impressive soundtrack, which serves up dozens of ear-worm remixes of familiar tunes and totally different vibes than Midgar.
Ending here also means that the later installments of the FF7 Remake project still have a whole lot of story to tell on next-gen platforms. The sequel, which doesn't yet have a release date, will be even bigger in scope as players venture around the game's massive world. There's still a lot we don't know about Square Enix's plans for the next one, but if you are playing the original FF7 before diving into the remake, now you know where exactly to stop.
Final Fantasy VII Remake comes to PS4 April 10, 2020.
