Squenix on FFVII remake

By Tom Bramwell Published 24 May, 2006

Doesn't rule it out. Again.

Square Enix has poured cold water on yet another "Final Fantasy VII remake" story, reiterating that it "has never stated this" - but doesn't rule it out at the same time.

Apparently it's all down to a bit in the new Electronic Gaming Monthly across the pond, which said that the tech demo intro shown off during last year's Sony E3 conference "was really a sneak peek at a next-gen revival of the PS1 role-playing hit".

Square Enix subsequently said much the opposite, of course, noting to IGN, "there have been a lot of rumours about the presentation hinting at an actual remake". Tell me about it.

"While the June 2006 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly confirms the remake for release in 2007, Square Enix has never stated this," the publisher said. They even underlined the "Square Enix has never stated this" bit.

Which, as denials go, is about as watertight as a biodegradable sponge cheese grater, effectively translating to, "We haven't announced anything but hey we're not going to rule out the possibility".

However, says Mr Square Enix (or Mrs for all I know), the company has confirmed development of Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII for PlayStation 3, as well as a mobile game called Final Fantasy Agito XIII".

Upon which free publicity we'll call it a day. Join us again for more FFVII remake excitement the next time this exact situation unfolds exactly the same way.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (29) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • JHuxley #1 6 years ago

    Square Enix if definately a Mrs.

  • Hamhock #2 6 years ago

    Didn't Square say "to remake FFVII it would take 5 years and a team of over 300 people to do so". Sure it was off the AC DVD.

  • Steroyd #3 6 years ago

    I hate this cat and mouse, the shock announcement was if SE didn't make a FFVII remake.

  • Blerk #4 6 years ago

    Square Enix is a Mr, but looks suspiciously like a Mrs.

  • Triggerhappytel #5 6 years ago

    Much as I love FFVII, I don't want - or think it needs a remake. I'd rather they spent the time & money developing new franchises or doing a Vagrant Story sequel.

    Aah, Vagrant Story. Probably the best PS1 game no-one bought.

    Well, that and Alundra.

  • karlidog #6 6 years ago

    Augh. No more sodding remakes, please, games industry. New things > Paying for prettier versions of things we've already played. See also: HD-DVD and Blu-Ray.

  • MrAtheist #7 6 years ago

    Yay, 30 second unskippable summons animations - NOW WITH BETTER GRAPHICS

  • TheMoonRat #8 6 years ago

    30 seconds? 30 minutes is closer to the mark with W-Summon / Mime / Knight Of Round :p

  • WicKeD #9 6 years ago

    Fiiiinal Fantasyyyy!

    It's Final Fantasy everybody!

  • abeit2 #10 6 years ago

    sQUARE A MR TURNED INTO A MRS?

  • Zero_ #11 6 years ago

    "Much as I love FFVII, I don't want - or think it needs a remake. I'd rather they spent the time & money developing new franchises or doing a Vagrant Story sequel. "

    Word. But not Vagrant Story, more like Brave Fencher Musashi, a proper sequel.

  • Triggerhappytel #12 6 years ago

    "Word. But not Vagrant Story, more like Brave Fencher Musashi, a proper sequel."

    Never played the original. I remember reading about it last millenium, but it didn't get a UK release did it?!

    And I still want a VG sequel. The combat would work well real-time, and it had some of the best designs on the PS1, aswell as a great story and characters. It really blurred the lines between good & evil.

  • Fyzzu #13 6 years ago

    So, uh, I'm the only one who'd quite like to see a really well done FF7 remake, then?

    Then again, I imagine most people would like to see a *really well done* remake. It's perhaps the expectation that it would be a shoddy remake that's causing problems...

  • PinkSpider #14 6 years ago

    I'd be happy with a FF7 remake (not a graphics whore - am playing through the old one at the moment). I however just think it would be cool, and they could add in some more side quests or something.

    Saying that, I'd go for a proper new FF first like.

  • Triggerhappytel #15 6 years ago

    But, other than nice graphics, what could & would a FFVII remake bring us? If they change the style or content to any great degree the fans would be in uproar, if they add new characters and areas it begs the question - why not just save that stuff, and add it in FFXIII?! I just think rather than lingering on the past, they should move forward and use the money in other areas.

    I think FFVII is perfect as it is. I played through it again a few months back & it's still my favourite game ever.

  • Daryoon #16 6 years ago

    They'll probably go and do a remake for the DS, just as they've remade 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 for the GBA, and 3 for the DS. It would be the most hilarious thing if they did

  • Nikanoru #17 6 years ago

    I don't want a FF7 remake. Advent Children should have been a game. That is all.

  • Kami #18 6 years ago

    As much as I'd love a FF7 Remake... you would never quite escape that nagging feeling deep inside that they could so very easily fook it up...

    True enddings, reimaginings, better translations... better graphics aside, FF7 is not remembered for its graphics. Even for its time, it looked SHITE! The game is so fondly remembered for everything else, story, summons, battles, Aeris and Slut-Chan aka Tifa. And Sephiroth. Good ol' Sephy still remains one of the most undeniably cool bad guys ever created, partly because in the CG he looked cool, but the plot made him believably evil.

    If they could promise to ONLY update the graphics and not touch anything else, I'd be sold... but letting people of today loose under the bonnet of a classic... I just fear it would all end in tears...

  • Daryoon #19 6 years ago

    Well they haven't ruined any of the previous games with remakes, so it's not like they have a bad track record...

  • tengu #20 6 years ago

    If they did a straight remake with no rewrites to the central plot it could be good. Maybe even add in a couple of new bits here and there(Can you say 'Save Aeris' option ;)).

    But quite honestly, I think they'd be better just focusing their efforts on new FFs.

  • Raziel #21 6 years ago

    What? There are others that played Vagrant Story? I'm not alone?

  • Nikanoru #22 6 years ago

    Even for its time, it looked SHITE!

    Now really, I can't imagine why you'd say that. You didn't like the intentionally stylised field character models? The battle characters, enemies and backgrounds looked great, some of the field backgrounds were little works of art, some of the FMV's were beautiful, especially the ones with Weapon attacks.....you're just saying things, because. Don't.

  • firefly #23 6 years ago

    Tengu - I can indeed say "save Aeris option" but I'd rather they not undermine the impact of her death by negating it, especially now so much time has passed.

    Anyway Final Fantasy VII is fine as is - Sony should follow in Nintendo's footsteps and do an old game download service so that the original version remains available for all who would want it.

  • The12thMonkey #24 6 years ago

    No Square. Just no.

    Final Fantasy VII was nine years ago. Just let it rest. Please. Get down to some new content.
    Oh, and get shot of Tetsuya Nomura; I've seen enough J-Pop clones, school girls, and hermaphrodites thanks. Whatever happened to proper character design. If better graphical technology means the death of original character design, it's a regression, not a progression.

  • Kami #25 6 years ago

    Come on Nikanoru, FF7 is one of my fave games ever. Believe me, I was shocked at how poor most of the visuals were... even at the time. But it is like 16-bit RPG's of the SNES era, you go back and they work. But while I'll conceed some of the movies and backgrounds were artfully done, I remember the graphics as the weakest part of the game, meant in the nicest possible way - they were shite, but you know what? You get to like that. And that is wherein the beauty lies... it was just a good game. You could honestly forgive the failings because it was a bloody good game.

    ... and sadly, nothing since has really come much closer to that for me... not even in the Final Fantasy fields. Whereas we have all the visual wizardry at our disposal now... strip the pretty clothes away, and what do you have?

    No, SquareEnix don't have a poor track record. They have a good track record. But you're not talking about lost classics here, games which few would have heard of let alone played, you're talking about a game which nine years on is still hailed regularly by most as one of the greatest games ever made. But in doing a game of such magnitude, they have not reached that level of appreciation since... and now, instead of trying to better themselves, they appear to be chasing some misconcieved notion that they MIGHT be able to ressurect their glory day... which is what concerns me. Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core...

    FF7 has had its moment in time. It is fondly remembered. It is much loved. And while part of me would die to see FF7 remade on the PS3... ALL of me knows that it could all go horribly wrong. That it might not work well. That the game may be altered. The plot smoothed over. Summons shortened. Voice acting. Things dumbed down. Or the core, the heart of the game may show its age under the tight new 21st century clothing.

    I'd rather remember what it was back then... a damn, damn fine game. And move on to newer things...

  • Scimarad #26 6 years ago

    FF7 did look fantastic at the time but the visuals aged very quickly.

  • Triggerhappytel #27 6 years ago

    "What? There are others that played Vagrant Story? I'm not alone?"

    Ha ha, yes my friend, official sales figures are 2 people in Britain (that'll be you and me then) and about seventeen people in Japan bought the game. Shame really, because apart from being possibly the most technically impressive game on the PS1, it had one of the most amazing stories and utterly superb characterisation. Not to mention a battle system that, while tricky to master, is better than about 90% of other Squeenix games.

    It's my 3rd favourite PS1 game (possibly ever). I'd love to see a sequel but appreciate it will probably never happen.

    /Cries a little

  • rinoaMW #28 6 years ago

    "save Aeris option"

    What the? Aeris dies?!?!?!


































    heh - just kidding with you :)
    Edited by 1 at 25/05/06 @ 09:06

  • Nikanoru #29 6 years ago

    Kami: well that's great that you like the game as a whole, I do too, but that's not really relevant when we're talking about graphics. :p

    I'm not gonna try to argue against you on the looks of the game, I'll just remember from now on not to take your opinions on visuals all too seriously. ;p