Remakes are a precarious proposition. Do too much and you risk losing a fanbase. Do too little and fans question if it was even worthwhile. With a game as iconic and beloved as Final Fantasy 7, the risks are gigantic. This new trilogy, based on the PlayStation classic, is proving to be less remake and more a re-imagining of the original, a reinterpretation – a rebirth, if you will. But how do you balance old and new? How far can the boundaries of this story be pushed?
These are the sorts of meta-narrative questions Final Fantasy 7 Remake posed. In that game’s brand new finale twist, Cloud and co battled the physical embodiment of fate to break away from destiny and carve a new future. It was seemingly a message from Square Enix: just like Cloud, its developers wouldn’t necessarily be sticking to the script. Now in Rebirth, it appears both parties are wrestling with their decisions as the game attempts to answer the ultimate philosophical question: why should it exist?
I’ve also wrestled with these thoughts. FF7 was the first Final Fantasy I played and remains a favourite. But am I too protective of the original, too invested in my own nostalgia? When changes are made, should I bemoan the difference or relish something new? Over time, I’ve come to appreciate the developers’ desire to not simply repeat the same story and release a near-identical product, but steer it in a new direction – for better or worse.
