Please Put an Overworld Map in Final Fantasy VII Remake…Please?

Hardcore Gamer: This week finds the gaming world in various stages of unrest. Outraged voices, calming personas, fence sitters, speculators and opinionists are flooding the forums, websites and social media to express a multitude of emotions and thoughts. One of the main culprits of this unrest is Final Fantasy VII Remake. A new trailer was released at PSX this week, causing varying amounts of uproar and/or excitement.

With the direct implications of that announcement worth a discussion, I wanted to express my thoughts on something specific that is definitely impacted by it, along with various elements of the trailer. That is Final Fantasy VII’s overworld.

[ninsigma]

Considering it was never stated there wouldn't be an over world, why bring it up and stir the pot??

[breakpad]

if they dont include some form of free roaming/explorable world mad wont be an FF VII ...they did it in Crisis Core (but they were justified there, it felt like a half game and very restricted overall

[ninsigma]

I agree that it should be there due to ff7 not being a linear game (at least when it leaves Midgar it isn't linear). Not going to speculate or negatively assume on things never alluded to by the devs though. There's enough of that going around without me adding to the fire.

[miyamoto]

There is so many possibilities when it comes to enemy encounters in an open world design and setting.

FFVII R team said they are aiming to balance the game's fantasy and realism.

The original game was presented that way because of hardware and software limitations.

Now with the power of PS4 they are gonna "Limit Break" those limitations to keep up with the times and the gamers.

So excited for this game!

[Mikeyy]

I'm getting sick of being told my entire RPG childhood is because of "Hardware limitations".

We are talking about STAPLE gameplay functionality that defined the genre.

[miyamoto]

"The enemy of art is the absence of limitations." ~ Orson Wells

FFVII is all about "Limit Breaks"

[DiscoKid]

Pretty sure it will just be open world like FF15?

[ninsigma]

That's what I think as well. Wish we had more info!

[franwex]

Like having giant characters the size of towns over world? Well...I'm sure purists will complain if they didn't include that anyway...

[Ferrethat22]

Overworld ls are obsolete game designs especially on console.

[Pintheshadows]

Ni No Kuni disproves that assertion. It works beautifully.

[ShinMaster]

Ni No Kuni is a much more cartoony and light hearted game.

Look at FF7 Remake's visual style and presentation overall.
It would be goofy.

[Bahamut]

I absolutely loved Ni No Kuni. Can't wait for #2.

[Bahamut]

Not happening. Why would they? If there isn't random encounters or classic RPG battles, what would the point be? The game's already going to be something completely different.

It's already so vastly different that they might as well have made it a first person shooter from Barret's point of view. This game will not be Final Fantasy VII. It might tell a similar story, and include the same characters, but those will be the only similarities.

Sadly, this isn't the remake most of us have been asking for.

[Eiyuuou]

Random encounters are possible though. Type-0 had it.

Nonetheless, I don't think the game'll have it though.

[ninsigma]

With the combat implementation the way it is it probably won't be random encounters. Though I'm fairness the only fight scenes we saw were scripted areas that are part of the story rather than random battles so really we don't have a clue lol

[_-EDMIX-_]

"Sadly, this isn't the remake most of us have been asking for"

You don't speak for "most of us" and you actually don't know what "most of us" are saying regarding this remake.

Millions bought and played FFVII across several platforms.

"If there isn't random encounters or classic RPG battles" ? I don't know where you heard any of that.

They never stated anything about if random battles are in the game or not, mind you many RPGs have had random battles while still having the enemies on screen before the battle, sorta like a random, optional encounter like in Xenosaga series.

Also the game is still an RPG, waiting a turn and not moving doesn't define an RPG, I don't know what you mean in this regard bud. its been confirmed the action you do doesn't need any technical skills at all. Its not DMC, moving, jumping and overall doing physical attacks didn't suddenly make it not an RPG as I've never heard of a RPG defined by the absence of those things.

Again....confirmed by the producer and DIRECTOR, you still use magic, materia etc, the action attacks take NO SKILL and it wasn't made for that purpose, you still need to do strategies etc.

I think you've jumped the gun a bit assuming it suddenly a different genre. FFVII and RPGs in general are more then stopping and waiting a turn while watching a set of animations.

[Bahamut]

Yeah, we'll see about all that. Hopefully you're right, I'd love to see it made the right way. But so far, it's not looking so great.

[_-EDMIX-_]

@Bahamut- what "right way"? That is a matter of perception and you didn't make the original FFVII, the people who did are making it clear what they want the remake to actually be. I'm pretty sure they have a better understanding of that then you, its their project, not yours.

@Smear- "Even IF he doesn't speak for "most" of us, he DOES speak for the true fans"
??

Subjective bud, people who have played the original are still actually behind a remake being action RPG, I'm not telling you "most" because its again a subjective matter, we don't have any numbers to say this much don't want this or that.

The reality is, if you played FFVII and you liked it and you also exist as a human.......your a "true" FFVII fan, you exist and you like FFVII lol

I have no clue how suddenly its now defined who are real or fake or anything of the sort. I played the original and I'm ok with those changes based on the team made it clear this is them remaking it the way they would have and wanted to from the start. We already have FFVII 1 way, I'd like to see it done another way.

You may not like that, but as a fan of FFVII too, I respectfully disagree.

A fan of FFVII is merely someone who played it.....and liked it, thus being a fan of it. No true, or fake or more of etc. You played it, liked it.....you are a fan. I've seen nothing to say everyone is 100% unanimous that they hate the changes.

MOST fanboys say this about any and every change thus....ignore, mute, don't care.

"It is not an RPG, it is a hack & slash action game with RPG elements"

??? When did RPG get defined by not having "hack and slash"? A RPG is not actually defined by that.

http://gematsu.com/2015/12/...

and when it was first announced. They made it clear, its not just a better looking FFVII, go play the remaster if you want that.

http://www.wired.co.uk/news...

" now it isn't an RPG " ? Where are you hearing its not a RPG? So the creators tell you its a RPG, but stand back SmeargieFlint from N4G states its not?

But....I should believe you over the creator of the original game? Um....sure. Skyrim isn't an RPG folks, you have a sword and can swing it. IT seems RPG really means not moving and animations showing your actions vs you actually doing them, we must have gotten it wrong all theses years. /s

You really think that anyone who is a fan of this game will listen to the series extremist? LMFAO! Sure....sure. Classic extremist....1 thing changed = end of the world and or worst game....ever - ComicBookGuyVoice.

[ninsigma]

"Also the game is still an RPG, waiting a turn and not moving doesn't define an RPG"

"RPGs in general are more then stopping and waiting a turn"

THANK YOU! Seriously, thank you. This is what I've been trying to drill into a certain users head. Rpg is not turn based, turn based is an rpg style. It's mind blowing how people can think turn based is the only type of rpg, especially when all you have to do is look up video game genres on wiki and under rpg it will give you so many different types.

@Flint

What on earth is a true fan?? I played ff7 when I was a kid and loved every aspect of it. It became my favourite game. Yet I'm not a true fan because I'd like a real time rpg instead?? That's pathetic logic right there. Anyone can say someone isn't a true fan of they don't agree with their opinions. You're opinion isn't better or more right than anyone else's. Get over yourself.

Again, it's still an rpg. It's an action rpg (note RPG in the name).

[Bahamut]

@SmeargleFlint

Unfortunately, you and -EDMIX- aren't the majority, I hate to say it. A lot of people on this website are more "casual" than other sites, so there's a lot of people that disagree, but if you search around the internet at various sites and talk to actual fans of the game, you'll see that you're mostly alone with your opinion.

But don't get me wrong, I still plan to play this, because the cutscenes look great, and I'd like to see some scenes recreated in those shiny graphics, but the gameplay could have been so much more.

[_-EDMIX-_]

More then what? The director and the original director stated its NOT ALL ACTION and you didn't even see all of its gameplay and you didn't play it.

But it could have been more of something you never saw in the first place?

No. Sorry bud but it makes no sense. I can't say anyone on here is "casual" I as I have many on here on N4G on my PSN and many of them game daily.

I mean....if your on N4G, your already MORE up to date on games to most so I would never say they fall under "casual".

From RTS games. to SRPG, to WRPG, to JRPGs, I put easily close to 500 or more hours in RPGs a year, its the genre I easily play the most of and I'm tell you...I don't care, I own Bravely Default and getting Bravely Second day 1 and I LOVE turned based RPGS and FFVII wasn't one of them. Its not a great turned based game, in fact it could have not been one and still been fined compared to FFIV, FFV and FFVI.

Your merely upset lots don't care as much as you and your not getting your way. Mind you, we've again yet to even hear more details regarding its game play to jump to such a stupid conclusion.

You saw seconds of fighting and saw enough? lol

Could it not be similar to FFXII and have the option to make it turned based by having the animations auto attack and have magic spells set up?

FFXII had both, you could control them or you could set a series of moves while the game is paused, then unpause and allow for the actions to happen as if in turned based.

How do you know this game doesn't have such a feature? Did the director not state the whole gameplay was not fully action?

"I hate to say it. A lot of people on this website are more "casual" than other sites"

many on this site again I know...I see them on PSN, I see what games they play and they play often.

Almost 60 hours in Witcher 1
70 Hours in Witcher 3
50 hours in Bravely Default
90 Hours in MGSV
30 hours so far in Fallout 4, that isn't even my whole year as I'm leaving out a few games, Witcher 1 and Bravely Default btw I was replaying...again. So consider I'm not disagreeing with you because I'm um...'casual" I'm fine with turned based, I even recently got the PS4 remaster of FFVII, that doesn't mean I agree with FFVII's remake being this better looking version of the exact same game.

I actually don't want that, I want it action based (as a RPG can still be action based, that has NOTHING to do with not being an RPG as that is just stupid beyond words) open world etc. I want to see what the team creates and I'm fine with the change as the original director of the damn game is fine with them.

Its still an RPG. Again...consider I like turned based, that doesn't mean I HATE Witcher 3 or I HATE Fallout etc. That is just stupid. An RPG is NOT defined by that. If they have a vision for it not being turned based, I want to see what it is...FFVII wasn't even that great of a turned based RPG in the first place, not compared to FFIV ,FFV or FFVI. IT was good RPG, but in terms of the importance of turns....it rarely had moments where it really relied on that.

[Bahamut]

@-Edmix-

Dude, chill. I'm not reading all that, I have shit to do.

[Kamikaze135]

Given the battle system and the elimination of random encounters in the remake, the overworld will likely be more or less like XV.

[Bahamut]

So the battle system and world map will both be like Final Fantasy XV. Sounds like a lot of copy/pasting is going on.

[Eiyuuou]

I can say with confidence that it probably won't be like FFXV in terms of combat. More like Kingdom Hearts.

So yeah, a bit of copy pasta. They'll just use the same basis. That's quite normal though.

[_-EDMIX-_]

yes because game development is that easy /s

[Bahamut]

@_-EDMIX-_

It is that easy. You can literally copy and paste. Literally. You must not know much about game development.

But to be clear, I was exaggerating.

[Summons75]

You do realize at this point it's most likely just open world like FFXV right? I'd much rather running around the open world than a giant figure on a map.

[_-EDMIX-_]

Agreed. I see no reason to keep the game dated. Its being remade to design standards of this current generation.

FFVII when it was first made was not a sprite based game...

Square went HUGE LEAPS to make FFVII what it was in 3D, something that is just a unknown difficulty if you consider it was their first time with 3D.

Why should they now waste the time and opportunity to make it in a way that can further that leap and monumental step?

I've said for years, to do what was done in sprite based FF games would take a HUGE, HUGE under taking in 3D with the same AAA development design as we see today in games.

Folks really, really don't get......they are not asking for the same thing.

Star Citizen is attempting to have a game where you go from a planet, space, etc.

FFIV you went from the planet, to underground, to SPACE TO THE MOON! So consider that is like legit saying what FFIV did in sprite, is suddenly teh same task being done by Star Citizen.

Square is correct to seek to make it open world and to really, REALLY push the boundaries of design and make it happen. FFVII in real time vs overworld map, could be very, very MASSIVE. Especially if they are having a fully rendered, real time air ship.

I don't want FFVII merely better looking.

I want FFVII REMADE, I want the team to make to to what we are use to in todays standard and to really, really push what they can do in terms of design. Gaming needs this more then a bunch a crying, whining fanboys begging for the same dated design due to emotional reasons.

Maybe they need to see it 5 to 6 years from now when its fully complete, to get that gaming really, really needs something like this. The industry would not be were it is today, if Square just decided to keep FFVII sprite based like FFVI because some fanboys wanted the same thing...

Something has got to give, they need to seek to advance, even if its not to fanboy's liking. They'll live.

[sssb]

Hope they make it like Ni No Kuni, no problem if Cloud looks same size as villages/cites, freedom of running around world something always accepted, also they should add side quests to make traveling more fun and successful.

BTY this my opining, I know it's difficult to delivery world map with graphics level we saw in PSX trailer, I hope SE deliver ideas make fans satisfied like they did in 1997.

[djaparatic]

Another stupid article.
It will be an open world, not an overworld map. It would look silly in HD. The map overview could be included as a navigation map, for example when you press map button to navigate yourself instead of a 2d map, it could zoom out of your character to the overwold map. This would probably take a lot machine power.

[JevonDee]

I think this is a wonderful idea.

[Elda]

Can they just finish developing this game...please!

[Feriku]

I love overworld maps so much, and I miss them. I didn't realize how MUCH until I played Tales of Symphonia earlier this year, after not playing older RPGs for a while. The moment I saw the overworld, it struck me how much I miss that design.

If the FFVII remake has an honest-to-goodness overworld like the original, I'll be unbelievably happy.

[phantomexe]

Yea i was so for this remake and then i seen a hack&slash. I think it should of stayed true turn based. FF games have went to hell since 12 IMO. They have been made simpler and mindless there no strategy to any of it. My money on there being no over world map for 7 even tho they could do one like (i know i'll say it wrong NI NO Kumi?). Its sad too but hey the game looked preety.