The big news for this week was the release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s demo on the PlayStation Store. Not everyone was thrilled with the combat, though, and it raised some questions about how things would play out later on as we explore the re-imagined RPG masterpiece.
Square Enix posted a new blog post yesterday to allay those fears by diving into each character’s role, how Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s combat works, and how it unfolds even more later on, after the demo.
If you’ve played FF7 before, you’re probably well aware of each character’s basic combat role, but abilities help shake things up even for long-time fans.
Cloud is the all-around fighter, and his Punisher stance lets him counter enemies at times. Barrett is the tank, and his Steelskin ability keeps attacks from interrupting his magic and other abilities.
Tifa is fast and powerful. She does lack in the defense department, but we already knew that. Aerith is still the glass-cannon mage who shouldn’t be at the frontline, but she gets a number of abilities that augment her power further. One lets her absorb MP, for example, while Magic Circle enables multi-casting for everyone for a limited time.
Taking advantage of these abilities and adjusting your approach on the fly is key to success in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Square Enix says. Each boss has a specific pattern and weaknesses you’ll need to figure out to survive the fight. Most importantly, combat gets harder.
SE admits the demo fights are pretty easy except for the boss, but it gets much more difficult. Basic attacks are meant to fill the ATB gauge, and if you rely on them too much, expect to get knocked out fast.
So there you have it. The opening fights of Final Fantasy 7 Remake might be easy, but things ramp up fast after that. While it might not be quite like the original we know and love, it sounds like the combat system is worthwhile in its own right.
The full blog post is on the official Square Enix site. If you can’t get enough Final Fantasy 7 Remake ahead of its April 10 launch, check out our detailed preview, where we said, “it’s clearer than ever that Square Enix is prepared to deliver on its promises…”
