'Final Fantasy 7 Remake' Release Date and News Update: First Installment to Come In Early 2017

Sep 18, 2016 10:55 AM EDT

Final Fantasy 7 is considered as one of the greatest games of all time, so it is not surprising that many gamers are excited about its remake. Latest reports the game's remake will have three installments, and the first part will become available in early 2017.

In a report from GameSpot, producer Yoshinori Kitase confirmed the Final Fantasy 7 remake will be a three-part game saga. The development team reportedly used the Final Fantasy XIII series, which is composed of three games, as a model for the remake.

Interestingly, Kitase stated the development team is taking some liberties in the story to modernize it. He explained most of the developers assigned in the remake were also involved with the original Final Fantasy, and they think the game's storyline can be improved for the next-gen consoles. Kitase assured gamers that that they will not change the best parts of the game.

The original Final Fantasy VII was released in 1997 for PlayStation 1. It follows the story of Cloud Strife as he fight against the corrupt Shinra megacorporation and the rogue soldier Sephiroth. The original game is composed of three CDs and over 40 hours' worth of gameplay. 

The remake of Final Fantasy 7 was announced at the 2015 Electronic Entertainment Expo during the PlayStation conference. The revelation received a standing ovation from the audience and surprised many in the event.

The remake will reportedly use a real-time battle system similar to the Kingdom Hearts series, allowing players to freely control Cloud or one of his friends to attack opponents. Also, players will be able to cast magic and summon spells. While the game has more real-time elements, there would still be strategic elements, such as selecting the most powerful weapons and magic for each character.

Furthermore, Gematsu reported the remake will be fully voiced. It is reported that the voice actors from the CGI movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children will reprise their roles.

As of the now, Square Enix has not yet announced the official release date of Final Fantasy 7 remake. The developer is also tight-lipped about the full details of the game.

Amazon is now offering pre-orders for the remake. Its listing says the last in the three-part installment will be released in December 29, 2017,

In the meantime, gamers can also look forward for the latest Final Fantasy game, the Final Fantasy XV, which will be released on Nov. 29.