The Final Fantasy VII Remake dropped in 2020, and it set us off on a journey that we’re still yet to conclude, bringing back the first part of the all-time classic game in an entirely new (and genuinely stunning) way. The final part of the trilogy is on the way at some point, with most expecting a release in 2027, which makes this the perfect time to get started if you haven’t just yet.
Though you can play it wherever you like these days, the Final Fantasy series really came to fruition during its period of dominance on the early PlayStation consoles, including with the original run of FFVII. With that in mind, if you are planning on bringing back the glory days as a PlayStation player with this latest iteration, you might not need to part with any of your hard-earned cash.
In case you weren’t already aware, the Final Fantasy VII Remake is available to play via PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium, so if you’re already subscribed to those, you don’t need to buy the game outright. Even better, it’s available for both the PS4 and PS5 releases, so nobody is left out of the proverbial party, regardless of which console they main.
The first part of the trilogy covers the earliest portion of the original 1997 release, with the game taking place entirely in the metropolis of Midgar. Even if you played it at the time (or indeed since), there’s so much that has been changed in the Remake that it’s well worth jumping into if you’re a fan of the franchise or genre.
The story has been tightened up considerably, and it’s a lot more cohesive, though it retains the original cast of characters and leans into the meta narrative where players already know what went on in the PS1 release. It also keeps more than enough of the original that it doesn’t feel like it’s putting down the game that birthed the remake.
It’s an absolute barnstormer of a game, and the second isn’t too shabby either, so if you plan on playing the conclusion, then it’s a great time to settle in and make a start.
PlayStation Plus is bizarrely light on Final Fantasy games right now, with the remake of VII serving as the only title available on the subscription service. Game Pass is actually a lot more flush with older titles from the series, including Final Fantasy IX, XIV Online (Starter Edition), XV Royal Edition, Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion, and the pixel remasters of I-VI.