Ben-DutkaWhen it was revealed that the anticipated Final Fantasy VII Remake would be released in episodic format , or what Square Enix called a "multi-part series," the fans were miffed.
To say the least.
But franchise mainstay Yoshinori Kitase has come to the project's defense since, once just after the PlayStation Experience (where Square Enix debuted a new controversial trailer ), and now again on the Square Enix Blog . Kitase directed the original FFVII release and now says they intend to "go beyond the story, world, and experience of Final Fantasy 7 in ways we've always dreamed of." He claims this is a chance to expand the story and make it something both "fans and new gamers alike" will want to play.
Kitase also restated his stance that if they attempted to fit everything into the original in one installment, it wouldn't work:
"We would have to cut various parts and create a condensed version of Final Fantasy 7. We knew none of you would have wanted that … I hope that by explaining a little more about our design decisions that you can appreciate the size of this project and what we have planned for this remake."
He finished by saying they "like delivering surprises." …yeah, well, that's the thing, Kitase: A lot of these fans have no interest in "surprises" when we're dealing with a remake of a beloved classic. Breaking apart an adventure and story that was never designed for such treatment sounds like a terrible idea to me. And it's still ridiculous to claim that one of the shortest (and smallest) FFs ever made in the 3D realm wouldn't fit into one modern installment. I still say they did this – this "expanded take" – so they could charge more overall.
Which brings us back to the question: How much are you willing to pay for the entire Final Fantasy VII Remake saga?
Related Game(s): Final Fantasy VII Remake
I don't mind it. Actually, it'll be like a throw back to the multi disc era. A screen will show up "please insert disc two." Hopefully it's not $60 per part.
Last edited by CHAOS THEORY X on 12/11/2015 11:32:16 AM
Yeah, except you don't pay each time you put the disc in, nor do you have to wait months and months for the disc to show up.
I think you mean is like those crappy episode games that last 15 minutes (exaggeration) and you have to wait half a year for the next one.
Please insert disc 2 in 2 years.
Looks like they plan to release 3 FFVII games like they did with FFXIII.
Maybe if they stayed with the turn based system they wouldn't have so much problems dealing with no cutting stuff.
Coming from someone who never did finish the original FF7 on Playstation, I will be getting the new remake.
I don't mind that it's in installments cuz I might not finish it again, anyways. (not a huge JRPG fan)
My only worry is if each installment is full game price each. That will really affect my purchase decision…
Just finish the game man. You deserve it, there's no closure, nothing ends but the game.
Depends on how honest he's being, really. If their current vision genuinely couldn't fit entirely into one game, then this is an excellent idea to go this route. If it's lip service, then shame.
I'm hoping for the best!
But if it turns out being some worldmap'less streamlined hallway of an experience there'll be hell to pay.
Btw, anyone get Ligjtning Returns for Steam? Users seem pleased by the quality of the port.
I'm thinking about it. I never could stand Lightning as a character, though, so it's probably just the masochist in me that's pondering this.
I'm just curious because Steam''s current user response is "very positive" at 85% of hundreds of reviews being positive.
Hundreds of reviews isn't a very big sample size for Steam reviews. For example FFXIII has over 5,000, which is pretty average (big games average user reviews in the hundreds of thousands). FFXIII averages "mostly positive reviews", and so does XIII-2.
I've played the Steam version of XIII, and it was a bare bones port with zero graphics options. The only difference between it and the console versions was the file size (60GB on Steam, ouch). Lightning Returns apparently offers a fully customizable graphical interface, though, so I assume people are just happy Square finally gave them basic options.
Thanks Bio I'm not aware enough of Steam's ranking terms to really know where "very positive" stands in percentages.
I do see however that reviewers are citing that this port job is much better than their past two.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 12/11/2015 2:03:15 PM
FFXIII and XIII-2 were decent; Lightning Returns was shat.
No problem. If I pick it up any time soon, I'll let you know how it is.
LR was fun shat in the battles, but still shat everywhere else.
Sounds to me like you're trying to convince other readers to give up hope like you Ben. The rapidy growing number of articles where you basically trash talk this FF remake is becoming absurd.
Ever think that the OPPOSITE of what you THINK could happen might occur? What if Kitase (being the original's director) actually CAN'T fit it all on one disc without major cuts?
AND WHAT IF THE GAME IS ACTUALLY BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL?
Actually…im a bit of a hypocrite since I also expect this to fail…but I'm not the Lead Editor of a Sony fan site and I don't obsessively beat my readers over the head with my negative opinions.
This brings about the age long debate over WHO should be fit to review certain products, when the author has negative views going into said review.
If SE does fall flat, THEN you can do what a reviewer does best and BURN THEM ALIVE…with your article of course!
Aren't you the guy who always talks about how everyone feels "entitled" these days? And you also always alude to the way most people complain about certain societal issues…sort of in the vein that you've been doing as of late.
"convince other readers to give up hope like you Ben"
What if he is? Kitase and SE are trying to do the total opposite.
"Ever think that the OPPOSITE of what you THINK could happen might occur?"
If it does that's great but that's all hypothetical and from what I've read there's so much passion for this game that most fans want to play the entire game on one disc/download
"I don't obsessively beat my readers over the head with my negative opinions"
A smart author once wrote "Don't take things personally. Anything anyone does is NOT because of you." — Even more so on the internet.
Last edited by MRSUCCESS on 12/11/2015 2:02:20 PM
This is standard FFVII Remake news, nothing more. You might want to check other sites where headlines and giant articles are raking this game over the coals with far greater frequency and verve than I've ever done.
I haven't even judged anything. I have questions and I state my beliefs as to what Square Enix's goals are for this project. Yeah, I'm allowed to do that and NOWHERE am I saying people should hate it. I'm saying they should question it, which they should, and are.
So get the hell off your high horse, which you apparently never get off of, as you basically only show up in the comments when you think you need need to act as my father, and leave me alone.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 12/11/2015 2:26:58 PM
Editorial content is supposed to be opinionated, Wizard.
Well I actually only used to read the news here back before the ps3 launched and I was a frequent commenter, until you started being a huge dick to many other long time readers. For the past 4 years, I've been regularly checking IGN, gamespot and Digital Foundry for gaming news since I'm a multi console owner and its not the same around PSXE anymore.
You also claim that Bio only comments when he "attacks" you…which is FALSE. You find anyone willing to challenge your POV or so-called "genius" annoying and you automatically place them into a doghouse they can't escape from. And if anyone needs to get off their high horse, it's definitely YOU…"dude".
Last edited by PS3_Wizard on 12/11/2015 3:17:20 PM
And I know that an editorial is a opinion piece, Bio. I'm just saying that ever since the FF7 remake had been revealed, a butt load of his news coverage of the game is depressing. And its JUST ONE MAN writing them all…we don't get a different look or insight into the game like bigger publications (IGN and other multi-console news sources) offer. We don't receive contrasting views.
What we do have? A guy named Ben Dutka…who happens to LOVE Jrpg's of old (which of course isn't a problem because he's entitled to whatever he likes.), and who is highly conflicted on how his favorite genre has changed into what HE calls "faster" and "dumber" gameplay, even though the younger crowd finds it amazing anyway.
We get it…Dutka doesn't like action rpg's. He's not fond of many open-world formats. He hates almost EVERYTHING about the FF7 remake…why must we keep hearing about it either through his articles or his comments? If you let him tell, it's because he CAN. He can do anything in this world that he wants.
…BUT
If anyone challenges him on anything, that person is on a high horse and no amount of debate or anything can change the fact that Dutka is never wrong (and i literally LOL when he used to say Bio never thinks Bio is wrong…you call that kettle black, BOY!)
But I'll leave Ben alone alright. I'm leaving this site altogether since it isn't healthly to hate someone I've never met as much as I hate that…thing.
And since he probably won't accept that "comment pending moderator approval" mess, I'll just be another in a long line of faithful readers to stop being a part of this once GREAT community because dude is too abrasive.
PS3_Wizard signing off…
Well I don't think you should hate anyone for their opinions, because you're right it's not healthy at all. I hope you don't leave, you seem like a cool dude. Just let Ben do Ben, and you do you.
"We get it…Dutka doesn't like action rpg's. He's not fond of many open-world formats. He hates almost EVERYTHING about the FF7 remake…"
You get shit. My favorite game of the year is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which I've talked about FAR more often than anything related to FF on this site, but you ignored all that because it doesn't fit in with your biased assessment of my image. Some of my favorite games of all time are action/RPGs, including Darksiders II (which I've often raved about), the Kingdom Hearts games, etc. Some of the games that have received the highest scores ever from me are action/RPGs, including The Elder Scrolls and Fallout games.
As for open-world, GTA is probably my second favorite franchise of all time. As is Assassin's Creed. As is inFamous. As is Red Dead Redemption. Oh yes, I hate action/RPGs and open-world. Very much so, especially considering they've probably occupied the majority of my play time in the past decade.
But hey, as this means everything you believe about me is wrong, and all your accusations are wrong, and all you want to do is ignore it all, there's not much I can do, is there? Go ahead, tell me what my opinions and thoughts and desires are because obviously, you know and I don't. Or, maybe you selectively read what you want to read on this site, make up crap to fit your longstanding dislike of me, and that's really the long and short of it.
Guess what? It's the latter. Good riddance.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 12/11/2015 5:10:31 PM
Damn dude if you were going to rage-quit sucks that you did it in a SE article, until they finally release a good game again(lets hope XV and Remake prove all of us wrong), that company don't deserve much respect.
I've never been bothered by Bio being confident in his opinions because even when we disagree, he typically can defend his stance. Same reason I'm ok with disagreeing with Ben and a couple others here.
I've never felt that way about PS3_Wizard, though.
Dude, don't leave man. I know what you mean and understand where you're coming from, (no offense Ben), but it's just who he is and personally have just accepted for what it is. In a way, it does give this site a unique characteristic anyway.
@daus26 Agree.
And imo you are not a real PSXTREME user until you get your first fight with Ben and you still visit because you didn't take it personal.
Ben and I have gotten into many a scrap, and I still respect what he does. I have watched him grow as a person in how he writes his articles and even how he responds to some of his users.
Yes he still can get hot headed, but the Ben now is a much more balanced Ben than the Ben I used to tussle with back in 2011/2012.
I still come here because I like the community and I enjoy the articles, and there was a time where I enjoyed arguing with Ben, because I liked debating, and honestly I was never troll arguing, there were a lot of things we didn't see eye to eye on and it was actually enjoyable to debate, and try and see where he was coming from, but to also hope I could change his mind. The latter being pretty much an impossible thing to do to anyone let alone on the internet.
Anyway peace out Wizard.
Yea well, I've lost faith that this guy can deliver. He's destroyed the brand name with FFXIII.
The hell?
It is?
Why didn't anyone say so before
He's been the director/producer for a long time so it wouldn't be fair to not acknowledge the greatness of past games but he's the doof that was front and center pushing that garbage trilogy. Defending everything from their decision to go multiplat to making it a trilogy to making it more action focused. Blagh…
I'm not against action RPG's but XIII was atrocious in my opinion. The one saving grace for XV is that it was mostly directed by Numora and was taken over by the Crisis Core director. Numora just might be able to save this remake from being a turd but the fact that this Kitase doof is out again defending what so far seems to be a questionable move has me concerned.
Last edited by Jawknee on 12/11/2015 6:19:00 PM
yeah he sorta lost all credibility. We need to go back in time and get him from the past.
i will admit im not too happy about paying $60 per episode (rumors are theres gonna be 3) but if theyre as large and in depth as they need to be, then ill consider it justified.
I believe SE should just tell us how many parts and the pricing plan even if its changes along the way so we can know what to expect!
Personally Im ok with it being a action rpg but Im concerned about the added content is it stuff that was cut from the original game or is it all new.. I don't know why but I think its going to be more than three parts maybe its the way its worded.
yeah I agree, but they will want to wait to see how many pieces they can cut it into and how much they can charge per piece.
Here's the thing. You don't HAVE to cut anything. It's your game. You can put it ALL in there.
The more I hear from SquareEnix on this game the more it makes me angry and determined to never play this game.
I too was miffed by the episodic content, but until otherwise the only one who can know if disc size is a real limit and not an excuse is SE.
For that to be true, each episode of this remake better be bigger than FFXV (unless I missed the announcement of that being multi disc). And if there is going to be that much content for the remake consider me happy at this point.
However, in the era of patching, dlc, and hard drives, disc size is nothing short of a cop-out. Most games rely on downloads and installs to get around the disc limits (FFXIV for example)
As long as there are less than 3 episodes to get through the remade content from the original, I'll deal. I just hope the final product is seamless and once I buy all the episodes I don't notice that it was episodic.
I'm wondering how much you will be able to do when you are finished part one.
Will you be able to continue to level up? Will you be able to play mini games, unlock costumes etc?
Basically will we have enough content to keep us busy until the next entry comes out?
I too think its going to be a little jarring to have to wait, BUT it might be worth it who knows. My only hope is Nomura takes this in the right direction.
Couldn't make it work as a whole so they're "milking" it out bit by bit. Yeah that's right keep dangling that carrot on that stick (and get bit back HARD in the process) & see where it gets you.
Until proven otherwise I'm still betting on them doing this as a way to avoid having to recreate the entirety of the world map.
Sounds like they're trying to work a Final Fantasy VII-2 into it, and divide it all up instead of making 2 full games.
I don't plan to spend a dime on this. I'll wait, and if people say it's actually good, then I'll think about considering buying it… See, the thing is, I don't have faith in Square. They have failed to give me anything I wanted to play, for YEARS. As far as I'm concerned, the only way I'll even bother with this, is if other people willing to plunge their cash and time into it decide it's a worthy installment.
Till I get clear evidence this is a must have title… I don't need it.