{"id":348049,"date":"2025-09-12T16:17:26","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T21:17:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/12\/why-is-final-fantasy-remake-intergrade-such-a-big-deal\/"},"modified":"2025-09-12T16:17:26","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T21:17:26","slug":"why-is-final-fantasy-remake-intergrade-such-a-big-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/12\/why-is-final-fantasy-remake-intergrade-such-a-big-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is Final Fantasy Remake Intergrade Such A Big Deal?"},"content":{"rendered":"
[ad_1] \n<\/p>\n
\n
\n
Summary<\/h3>\n
\n
The critically acclaimed RPG is coming January 22, 2026 to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC via the Microsoft Store.<\/li>\n
Experience the story that changed gaming forever in a bold new way.<\/li>\n
Step into Midgar \u2013 one of the most immersive and iconic videogame settings of all time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
Final Fantasy Remake Intergrade<\/strong><\/em> is coming to Xbox on January 22, 2026!<\/p>\n
For many fans this is amazing news, but we realise there will be many players who have never experienced the world of Final Fantasy VII<\/em> before. You\u2019ve probably heard of the game, but you may be wondering: why is this such a big deal?<\/p>\n
We will explain, but before we can talk about Final Fantasy Remake<\/em>, we must discuss the legendary game that came before.<\/p>\n
What is Final Fantasy VII?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1997 saw the release of a very special game: Final Fantasy VII<\/em>. This RPG wasn\u2019t just a critical and commercial hit \u2013 it was a literal gamechanger. Many credit it with popularizing the Japanese RPG across the West, especially since it was the first mainline Final Fantasy game to release outside of Japan or North America. For many players it was the first JRPG they ever played.<\/p>\n
And what a place to start! Final Fantasy VII<\/em> still stands as one of the greatest games in the genre. It had it all \u2013 an amazing story, brilliant command-based combat, incredible production values, unforgettable soundtrack and some of the most iconic characters in gaming. Even people who have never played the game will recognize the likes of Cloud and Sephiroth.<\/p>\n
Final Fantasy VII Remake<\/em><\/strong> is the first game in a trilogy of full-length RPGs that reimagine this beloved game at a scale rarely seen in gaming. It offers an even deeper story, more insight into the characters and setting, new scenarios not featured in the original game, a fast-paced, modern combat system, an incredible soundtrack, and far more beyond.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve never experienced Final Fantasy VII<\/em> before, it\u2019s an amazing way to experience the story and characters that changed gaming forever. If you did play Final Fantasy VII<\/em> the first time round, you\u2019ll get to experience the world and its characters in a brand-new way.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
Director Naoki Hamaguchi explains it best: \u201cOur goal with Final Fantasy VII Remake<\/em> was to capture everything that made the original game so special, but bring it up to date with the latest technology so that new players could be just as excited as players of the original game were when that released.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor new players, this is where the story of Final Fantasy VII<\/em> begins. If you\u2019ve seen characters such as Cloud or Sephiroth in other games, and wondered where their story started, this is the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Story That Changed Gaming Forever<\/strong><\/h2>\n
But what\u2019s so memorable about that story? Well, here\u2019s the basic setup.<\/p>\n
The game takes place in Midgar \u2013 an industrial city controlled by the Shinra Electric Power Company. This immoral organisation uses massive reactors to suck mako from the planet \u2013 a substance used as a power source to give people comfortable lives, power the company\u2019s weapons of war and more.<\/p>\n
But mako is also the lifeblood of the planet, and the more Shinra uses, the more it harms the world.<\/p>\n
The story begins when mercenary Cloud Strife joins the Shinra resistance group Avalanche on a mission to sabotage one of these planet-harming reactors. This dangerous mission sets off a chain of events that will change him and the city forever \u2013 and put him face to face with an enemy long thought dead: the sinister Sephiroth.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a thrilling adventure, full of surprises that we don\u2019t want to ruin here. But what really makes it stand out are the characters. The main cast of Cloud, Barret, Tifa and Aerith are some of the most beloved in gaming, and Final Fantasy VII Remake<\/em> goes deeper into their personalities than ever before.<\/p>\n
Even side characters get richer, more layered personalities \u2013 by the end of the game you\u2019ll think of them as friends.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
An Iconic Setting<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Then there\u2019s Midgar \u2013 the game\u2019s iconic setting. It\u2019s a clich\u00e9 to say the city is like a character in its own right but\u2026 well, Midgar is like a character in its own right.<\/p>\n
\u2026what? Sometimes clich\u00e9s can be right<\/em>.<\/p>\n
Known as the \u2018City of Mako\u2019, it\u2019s a vast circular metropolis comprised of a top plate where the more well-to-do residents and Shinra employees live, and slums beneath which are\u2026 less pleasant.<\/p>\n
Because of the top plate covering the sky, the people in the slums are forced to rely on artificial suns for light. Combined with the lifeless earth caused by the mako-sucking reactors, and mutated fiends that roam the wastelands between sectors, it\u2019s a hard life for many who live there, but there\u2019s life and community too.<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
It was an instantly memorable setting for the original game\u2019s opening act, but Final Fantasy VII <\/em>Remake brings Midgar to life like never before. With a full-length adventure set in this city, you get to really explore each area, get to know its people, and discover whole new parts of the city that weren\u2019t in the original adventure.<\/p>\n
Hamaguchi says that it was important that this city didn\u2019t just look good \u2013 it also felt like a believable place: \u201cAt the start of development, the game designers and scenario writers created documents that detailed the setting and the world, including the economic status of the different regions.<\/p>\n
This information was invaluable in helping us define which elements of the environment could be shared across areas, and which should be region-specific \u2013 right down to the ratio of text on the posters and the look and feel of the inhabitants in those areas!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
21st Century Combat<\/strong><\/h2>\n
As you explore the city, you\u2019ll encounter numerous threats \u2013 from snarling fiends to Shinra\u2019s ample army of troopers and war machines.<\/p>\n
Ironically, this is a good thing because it means there\u2019s plenty of opportunities to battle \u2013 and Final Fantasy VII Remake<\/em> has one of the best combat systems out there. It\u2019s a hybrid system that combines elements of the original game with fast-paced action gameplay.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how it works: you attack, block and dodge in real time and as you do so, you\u2019ll fill your \u2018ATB\u2019 gauge. Once it\u2019s full, you can press a button to slow down the action and select a command for your fighter or their allies to carry out. Alternatively, you can set moves to shortcuts to unleash them without slowing down the action. It makes for fast-paced, exciting battles where skill and strategic thinking are both rewarded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe intentionally designed the game to be welcoming to all types of players \u2013 if you\u2019re a fan of action games, or prefer something more tactical, there are different control modes that allow the game to be played to your preference,\u201d Hamaguchi adds.<\/p>\n
There are four playable characters (five including the extra episode\u2019, and you can switch between party members instantly. Each one has their own very distinct playstyle, from Cloud\u2019s quick and stylish swordplay, Tifa\u2019s powerful single-target martial arts, Aerith\u2019s magical might and Barret\u2019s powerful ranged attacks.<\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s FF7R EPISODE INTERmission \u2013 a two-chapter tale that takes place concurrently with the main story. It focuses on ninja Yuffie Kisaragi \u2013 an excitingly agile fighter who offers another playstyle to dig into!<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
As you can hopefully see, Final Fantasy VII Remake<\/em> is more than just a simple revisitation of a landmark game. It\u2019s a boldly ambitious, incredibly high-quality and \u2013 most importantly \u2013 wildly entertaining adventure that\u2019s a perfect introduction to this incredible world. We can\u2019t wait for new players to discover it for themselves on Xbox \u2013 and take their first steps on an unforgettable journey.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/xboxwire.thesourcemediaassets.com\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/FFVIIR_Xbox_01_CLOUD-6b2c220855e6fd055591-1900x1080.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/xboxwire.thesourcemediaassets.com\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/FFVIIR_Xbox_03_BOSS-f1ad0a83ff85cfc9fce7-1900x1080.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/xboxwire.thesourcemediaassets.com\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/Midgard-FF7-a226c182bf59e42b60d2-1900x1080.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/xboxwire.thesourcemediaassets.com\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/FFVIIR_Xbox_04_FIELD-7fe8ad43be0071009a45-1900x1080.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/xboxwire.thesourcemediaassets.com\/sites\/2\/2025\/09\/FFVIIR_Xbox_02_BATTLE-3463cc72bd5d05f2d611-1900x1080.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Xbox](\"https:\/\/assets.onestore.ms\/cdnfiles\/sfw-service-web-onestore-onerf-2017-11-8-12\/store\/common\/images\/xpalogo_black.png\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n