FF7R Episode INTERmission (DLC)

Note: This review contains spoilers for Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Over a year after the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake, with no word yet on the second full installment, Square Enix released an updated version, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, for the PS5. Square Enix not only offered this upgrade for free for existing PS4 owners, sans those who downloaded the free PS+ version, they also released a piece of DLC exclusively for PS5 owners (as of this writing). This DLC, FF7R Episode INTERmission, would explore Yuffie’s role in Remake and release as a separate $20 purchase for those who didn’t purchase Intergrade. This was how I played it, as I didn’t want to buy the same game again at full price, though the process involved in getting to that point ensured that I couldn’t actually play it on launch day. As soon as I could play it, however, I explored just about everything it had to offer and found it worth the asking price. Mostly.

Second Look - Final Fantasy VII Remake

Note: This review contains spoilers for Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.

Back in April, when Final Fantasy VII Remake first came out, I played and enjoyed it in spite of my lack of context with the original game. However, as I thought about the story more, I realized that even though the game was billed as a jumping-on point, it still made several references to both the original Final Fantasy VII and the contents of Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. After I subsequently immersed myself in all the major titles, Final Fantasy VII, Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core, I decided to go back and replay Final Fantasy VII Remake with the full context in mind. This second playthrough gave me a different opinion on the story and changes, some for the better, and helped me better appreciate the improvements the game made over the 1997 original.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

If you’ve been in the video game community long enough, you’ve likely heard of Final Fantasy VII and its impact on the perception of RPGs. While I wasn’t really around for the initial hype, I wasn’t even five years old when it released, I had always been fascinated by the lore of the game and the subsequent Compilation of Final Fantasy VII media. When I did try to play it on PS1, I didn’t get very far into Disc 1, so I saw Final Fantasy VII Remake as a chance to experience the full story and jumped at the opportunity, even with the hard sell of its episodic release plan. I enjoyed playing this first game, which covers and expands on the Midgar portion of the original game, but I have to admit that it wasn’t quite what I expected.