So, the apparent has lastly occurred. One 12 months after the PS4 launch of Ultimate Fantasy 7 Remake we received Intergrade, the PS5 improve that additionally included a bonus chapter. And 6 months to the day after Intergrade’s launch, Sony’s exclusivity grip on this reimagining of a traditional was relinquished, the PC model introduced. Quick ahead a couple of extra days to at this time, and the PC model of FF7 Remake is now out there as an Epic Video games Retailer unique. I’ve been taking part in it early.
What’s there to say? Effectively, for starters, Ultimate Fantasy 7 Remake is without doubt one of the easiest video games of 2020. It’s admirable for a couple of causes, mainly the way it handles the legacy of one of the essential video games of all time and the fan expectations which come connected because of this. Much more admirable is how, after spending a lot of the sport gingerly carrying these expectations with care, it then roughs them up and throws them out of the window – but additionally deftly avoids throwing the newborn out with the bathwater. The place it leads in sequels may effectively find yourself being an actual scorching mess, however I do assume the best way FF7 Remake handles itself is one thing of a masterclass, and much more imaginative than lots of the different remakes within the gaming house.
It’s additionally an incredible recreation, although. Its reimagining of FF7’s traditional ‘Lively Time Battle’ RPG mechanics right into a extra action-driven, directly-controlled affair is the very best Ultimate Fantasy has managed to mix previous and new collectively – and the sequence has spent a lot of the previous decade flirting with variations on that theme with blended outcomes. Briefly, it’s a recreation effectively price taking part in – and now it’s opened as much as an entire new viewers on PC.
PC purists will wish to know, after all, precisely how good the PC model of the sport is. I’m happy to report that it’s… nice? I’m much less happy to report that it’s additionally bare-bones – so for those who had been ready for this launch hoping for real-time ray tracing, higher-resolution property than even the PS5, and even one thing so simple as extremely broad assist, you can be left wanting.
The PC graphics settings menu helps you to select between two show modes (Borderless Full Display & Windowed), quite a lot of customary 16:9 resolutions from 720p as much as 4K, plus two settings every (Low or Excessive) for Texture Decision & Shadow Decision. There’s HDR assist and the related settings, and eventually you’ll be able to modify the variety of non-vital NPCs on-screen without delay from zero (which may be useful for velocity runners) as much as ten. For body price, you’ll be able to ask the sport to focus on 30, 60, or 120fps. The latter might be the most important headline addition for PC, when you have a machine and show that may output at that refresh price.
After all, that is the Intergrade launch of FF7 Remake. Meaning it’s not a PS4 recreation… or isn’t fairly a PS4 recreation. The fascinating factor about taking part in the primary marketing campaign now, over a 12 months on, is that one can actually sense its standing as an end-of-generation recreation. In some methods its imaginative and prescient is past the PS4, with extremely high-end, glitzy cutscenes and character fashions which might be higher than some new-generation unique video games. In others, you’ll instantly perceive from which technology the sport actually hails, in low-poly, low-res textured trash piles within the recreation’s undercity slums and so forth and so forth. Whereas the PS5 ‘Intergrade’ launch labored to iron out a few of these wrinkles, many are nonetheless current – and also you’ll very often discover a nasty-looking texture in plain sight in in any other case beautiful cutscenes.
The Intergrade-exclusive chapter, which is an all-new story starring FF7 favorite Yuffie, can be included right here as customary. It’s a pleasant little aspect story that I price roughly the same as the main game when placing a rating on it. It is not big – it is a 4 or 5 hour distraction it’s best to undertake solely after finishing the primary recreation. As a result of it was designed for PS5 from the ground-up, it’s barely higher wanting than the primary recreation – nevertheless it in the end has lots of the similar foibles, simply because it did on PS5.
It’d be simple to be dissatisfied with this, and I’m positive some individuals will likely be, given it is a full-price, 18-month-late PC launch of FF7 Remake. That’s additionally why I’ve led with it right here – I’m not going to scream about how a lot I really like this recreation and the way glad I’m to lastly have it on PC, as a result of the essential headline PC gamers must know is that this port does the naked minimal. The sport runs, and runs effectively, no less than on the three PC rigs I attempted it on. In order for you PC-specific bells and whistles, you’ll possible be ready for modders to step up, nevertheless.
With that caveat mentioned, although: man, I actually do love this recreation, and I’m so glad to lastly have it on PC. It’s not excellent, however I believe this is a vital recreation, simply within the sense of what it does with the phrase ‘Remake’ and what that phrase involves imply as the sport’s story progresses. I believe it ought to finally land on Xbox too (and this PC model immediately acknowledges Xbox controllers and adjusts the HUD accordingly). It deserves as broad an viewers as doable. The notably value-conscious may in the end wish to await a sale, although.
One ultimate observe, for these considering of leaping in: I do assume FF7 Remake is a greater expertise for those who’ve performed the unique Ultimate Fantasy 7. That’s after all out there on PC, and rather more cheaply. It’s an previous recreation, nevertheless it holds up effectively. Collectively on the identical platform, the 2 make an enchanting pairing – and in how lengthy it would take you to play the unique, this PC launch will possible have dropped in value.
