What is at stake with the FFVII remake? (topic 1: graphics)
HOLD ONTO YOUR MATERIA, STEEMIT, because we're getting closer to the day that FFVII's remake hits store shelves!
FFVII was one of the first RPGs I was able to actually finish (...maybe with Gameshark's help, during my first play through, but still), so I've got a LOT to say about what's at stake with the Final Fantasy VII remake. I'll be splitting this article into multiple parts, but I'll make sure you can read it in any order you want.
Spoilers are ahead, so if you haven't touched FFVII before, you might want to pass on reading this.
While you chased JENOVA, Cloud was lifting.
Final Fantasy VII had its US release in 1997, and immediately grabbed audiences by their goodies. The game was the first exposure that many had with RPGs. Directly thanks to FFVII, the genre gained a ton of popularity, and the Playstation as a system benefitted immensely.
The characters, story, and systems in the game earned it many diehard fans that, to this day, claim that FFVII is the best game they've ever played (or that it will always have a special place in their heart). For this reason, many eyes will be on the remake of the game to see how it does. Fans have placed their hopes on Square Enix pulling off a remake with better graphics and the same, awesome story on a modern gaming system. The fans (full disclosure: myself included) are protective of the characters they've come to love, so SE has a lot to focus on.
With great risk comes great reward
I have a theory that the Final Fantasy 7 remake will come to a head with the following topics:
- What are the consequences of better graphics?
- How much do battle systems matter?
- What's the impact of voice actors and cut scenes?
- Will episodic content enhance or harm a franchise?
- Is Squaresoft better than Square Enix?
Graphics and the suspension of disbelief
Realistic graphics.
Graphics are an important component to storytelling. When you read a book, your brain can sub in visuals based on how you're interpreting the story. In video games, the crafters of the story create these visuals for you. The artists behind such games have the large responsibility of sculpting the characters and world that will create the feel of the game.
RPGs from FFVII's era (and before) had limited graphical capabilities. It was impossible to render fluidly animated, anatomically correct figures that responded to the laws of physics and convinced the player that they were real. Instead, we got the blocky, pixelated characters that are a staple of many games.
This was fine.
Spaghetti arms.
Gamers understood that these figures were representations of the characters they were supposed to be, and, knowing this, their brains filled in the blanks.
But FFVII played with our heads a little bit. The character models from the main game were different than the character models in the battle system, which were different than the character models in the FMVs. As an added bonus, Cloud and Sephiroth's character models also differed in the final in-game battle. They were beefed up a bit - Cloud's armor looked better. He looked meaner. I think that this is the moment it clicked in a lot of fans' heads that they wanted to see this game with better graphics.
But better graphics are a double edged sword. When things look realistic, it's harder for an audience to suspend their disbelief (kind of like the uncanny valley of robotics). Now, if it's the first time you're making a game/telling a story, this isn't that big of a deal. The audience can figure out that this is the type of game you're making. BUT, if you're remaking a game where the audience already filled in the gaps on their own, you might have some trouble.
Case in point
Example 1: do you even lift?
For those of us who saw Advent Children, played Crisis Core, or have been keeping up to date with the remake trailers and screenshots, one thing is crystal clear: Cloud's arms are going to be skinny, and he still has to wield that giant-ass sword.
How's a skinny guy like that going to wield a big steely bastard of a weapon when he executes his Omnislash limit break? Our suspension of disbelief will be challenged. Square Enix has to make sure that we buy into this version of Cloud. It's definitely possible, but Square will have to of put a lot of thought into that character model when it's moving.
You know who wielded a huge sword and also kicked a lot of ass? Guts, from Berserk. He had huge arms. His arms got bigger as his sword grew through the manga, as well (which will probably finish running by the time I have grandkids).
Guts waking up from a nightmare where his arms were as skinny as Cloud's.
Example 2: realistic combat
A lot of the fight scenes in Advent Children result in the characters pretty much flying when they fight each other. There's one scene where Cloud is vaulting from one piece of falling building to the next, mid-air, impervious to gravity. Did any of this happen in the PSX release? No, and if this happens in the remake, it might not be well received.
Why? Because it would change the feel of the game. It would ask the returning audience to suspend their disbelief in a way that they may not be comfortable doing.
If Square decides to take on the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon approach to combat (good movie, btw), I'll be eager to see if it's accepted by the original fans of the PSX release.
Take-away
Suddenly, a whole slew of things are going to be under scrutiny that originally weren't, especially with an audience of old fans that are, by now, probably at least in their 30s.
Something tells me that the cross-dressing scene in the remake is going to leave a lot of people feeling confused.
Cloud's gravity-defying hair? Aerith's bloodless death scene? Cross-dressing in the slums? Square's excessive use of belts in their character models (didn't seem to be a theme until FFX, really)? Square will need to put a large amount of thought into how these decisions will be executed. If Square Enix's decisions pan out well (if the game sells a lot), then audiences can expect future remakes of other franchises to possibly follow suit. For this reason, even non-fans should be paying attention to FFVII's reception.
It's safe to say that upgrading graphics creates a lot of non-technical problems for Square to figure out. There are consequences to using better graphics - let's see how Square navigates them.
Agree? Disagree? Comment below and let me hear it.
Up next: Battle Systems
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