At TGS 2019, Square Enix revealed a second trailer for the Final Fantasy VII Remake (you can check out the first TGS 2019 trailer here). This one focussed on gameplay aspects such as combat and mini-games, revealing a host of details on what to expect from the Final Fantasy VII Remake on its March 3, 2020 release date. These include multiple difficulty modes in addition to a new combat option called Classic Mode. This new feature lets you play Final Fantasy VII Remake like the 1997 original in the sense that, all combat is turn-based. You can watch the footage right here.
This is a welcome touch for those of us not convinced of the game’s real-time combat chops. Furthermore, Square Enix dropped a host of details regarding boss fights, summons, and more.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Gameplay: Combat, Classic Mode, and Summons explained
- We got a glimpse at both “Easy” and “Normal” modes from the in-game option menus, and producer Yoshinori Kitase then showed us a new combat mode, named “Classic Mode.”
- In the original Final Fantasy VII, you would wait around until the ATB Gauge fills up, and then select a move to initiate your attack. With Classic Mode in Final Fantasy VII Remake the team have re-created the same style of play.
- In standard modes, the ATB Gauge fills up by repeatedly attacking your enemy, but in Classic Mode this aspect of gameplay is handled automatically. The player does not need to do anything and the character fights automatically, charging up their ATB Gauge.
- So anyone playing Final Fantasy VII Remake in Classic Mode does not have to worry about the action side of the combat system, and can instead focus on selecting commands, making it possible to play Final Fantasy VII Remake as if it were a classic menu-based RPG.
- After showing off combat in Final Fantasy VII Remake, Kitase-san introduced one of the elements we first saw in the Final Fantasy VII Remake TGS Trailer a few days ago—the Squats mini-game.
- Finally, we got a closer look at one of the boss fights in the game. In this segment we saw Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith take on Aps in the sewers of Midgar.
- Aerith’s standard attacks are long-ranged, and pressing the Triangle button uses her unique character ability “Tempest.” Her Holy Circle ability creates an area in the battlefield, and any spell used within the area is cast repeatedly.
- During this boss battle, Cloud had the Ifrit Summon Materia equipped. And because of this, Cloud’s attacks caused his Summon Gauge to eventually fill up completely over time.
- With a filled Summon, we saw Cloud summon Ifrit, who remained on the battlefield.
- Summons are typically controlled by the AI, but we saw Cloud spend his ATB charges to make Ifrit use his unique abilities, such as Flare Burst and Crimson Dive.
- Ifrit remained on the battlefield fighting until Cloud’s Summon Gauge depleted, at which point Ifrit unleashed his ultimate attack: Hellfire.
- Each character can equip up to one Summon Materia each, and while playing Final Fantasy VII Remake it’ll be up to the player to decide which Summon to equip, depending on the battlefield and enemy.
The Final Fantasy VII Remake is out on March 3, 2020 for the PS4.
