Hit fast and hit hard: Introducing combat in Final Fantasy VII Remake

If you’ve read about our recent hands-on with the Final Fantasy VII Remake, you might have walked away just knowing that the animations look jaw-droppingly good. Well, it’s an absolute beauty gameplay-wise too, so much so that we figured the battle system deserved its own space.

Plus, you can even give it a test drive later. The demo version is already available, so why not download it while checking this out?

Introducing the formula

Combat in the FFVII Remake is a marvelous blend of frenetic button-mashing action, spur-of-the-moment tactical decision-making, and really unlike any game I’ve played to date. I know I don’t have a ton of experience with the series, but hey, if it makes a series-newbie like me go “Wow!”, the effects should be even more pronounced if you’re a series veteran, right?

Still, while we’re really ecstatic to tell you everything; we can’t because media embargoes are a thing. But it’s cool because there’s still quite a lot of beef on this cow anyway.

Fundamentally, the fighting bits can be split into two aspects. There’s the regular attack-dodge-block button spam we’re generally used to seeing in RPG titles, as well as a slow-motion skill and item selection overlay, which is way more interesting in our opinion (we’ll get into this later!).

Good old hack-and-slash fun with lots of "oomph"

The former is business as usual if you’ve played stuff like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, although it’s certainly far less punishing. Credit should still be given where it is due though, and Square Enix has made sure that even Cloud’s regular slashes have a rather satisfying kick to them, in terms of the sound and execution. I personally can’t get enough of his brutal Punisher Mode, actually. You can swap to it by hitting the triangle button, and while he can’t block ranged attacks in this stance, his sword moves sure feel (and sound) like they hit as hard as a truck.

Of course, Cloud isn’t the only guy with an “alternative fire”. Barret packs one too, but his comes in the form of an Overcharge that readies his Gun Arm to fire a special, super-powered barrage. This came in extra handy at many points in the preview, as will ranged attacks in general, given that there are some baddies that Cloud’s oversized butter knife can’t reach. The Scorpion Sentinel from Chapter 1 is a great example. No spoilers, but I don’t see how our edgy protagonist can hit the boss with a sword when it’s halfway across the chamber. 

This is a great time to introduce the "Pressured" and "Staggered" mechanics, which I believe is a new addition to the franchise. It's conceptually similar to how your enemies' "Guard" meter works in Sekiro. By continuously pummeling your opponent with attacks, they'll be put under increasing stress and become "Pressured", and eventually "Staggered" once the bar underneath their HP is full. In this mode, they take a lot more damage from players' attacks, and are usually stunned for the duration. Of course, using abilities that they're particularly weak against makes the bar fill up a lot quicker, kind of like how type matchups work in Pokemon. I found this mechanic particularly interesting because it really keeps you on your toes even when you're facing off against a horde of underlings, so even going from Point A to Point B doesn't feel too grindy. 

Meanwhile, the Active Time Battle (ATB) gauge also makes a return, although it’s rather different from its previous iterations. For those who are new to Final Fantasy, it’s kind of like a “charge” meter that fills up as you get basic attacks in, and expending abilities or skills will deplete them. Do take note that it's completely separate from the regular MP bar. 

Coincidentally, the skills and magic application is the other half of the combat system and is what we feel really sets the Remake apart from the competition. Honestly, if we were to take out this aspect the game would literally just play out like a dystopian The Legend of Zelda title, which happens to also have a blonde-haired protagonist. How convenient.

Coordinate your fights, Matrix-style

By pressing the X button, players can bring up an interface while the fight continues in slow motion in the background. Here, they can select different skills and items to apply, as well as their targets. From triggering fancy skills, Summons and LIMIT abilities, to replenishing allies’ health via items, this is always your first stop whenever you feel your regular attacks don’t have enough “oomph” to take down your foes. Of course, you can hop from one character to the next within the overlay too, so you’re effectively coordinating a two or three-pronged-assault at any given time. It’s a nice way to sneak the original games’ fighting format into the Remake in some sense, while still giving the latter its own unique formula for newbies to get acquainted with.

So, what happens when you put all of those together? Amazingly intense fights, of course. After all, there’s nothing quite like fighting a challenging boss with a bunch of flashy skills and Summons going on while another character pummels them up close. Yes, it’s messy and absolutely chaotic, but hell if it isn’t fun.

Couple that with the various Summons and LIMIT abilities, which I can assure you make your regular skills look as flashy as cardboard by comparison. To be honest, it would be understandable if someone were to mistake your Summon for a boss in Monster Hunter: World - they're just so awe-inspiring! Still, they don’t feel overpowering like when you add too much pepper into your soup – it’s just awesome enough to get your attention and keep it there, while still dishing out enough in-game hurt to knock your enemies for a loop. Plus, there’s no better way to end a boss fight than with your “Ultimate” technique, right? It’s Badassery 101.

And there you have it, one amazing remake with an equally amazing combat system. Did we mention the other bits look really good too? There’s much more to be said, of course, but there's no fun in that. You’re better off finding out the nitty-gritty for yourself when the first episode arrives for the Playstation 4 on April 10. Have fun in Midgar!

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