I give this game a rank S- (95-96%)
Fantastic - you need to do this game once in your life!!!
See my profile for more details about my reviews.

Additional notes: it is really hard for me to judge this game, and review it objectively. I actually don't think I can. If I made the effort to, THIS specific game, called FFVII REMAKE, would probably get a A- (85-88%). Which is honestly a great rating already, so you know what to expect. If you never played a JRPG, you can try this one without hesitation, it is very good!

Okay now back to the people who KNOW the original game: unfortunately, as I said, I can't judge FFVII objectively anymore. Let's put it simply: FFVII is in my opinion the best FF of all time, and I played almost every FF since FF1 up to FF15 - the 13th is the only one I have left to do, because 11 and 14 are mmorpgs, and 16 is not out yet for me). FF7 is the best one ever on so many levels: lore, narration, story, characters, music, world, gameplay (materias), arch enemy, length, symbology, ethical messages... the list is just huge. Now, I was anxious with this one, because FF7 is one of the best games of all time for me, but at the same time it got old, it is ugly (the 3D parts mind you), clunky, slow... technology caught up. I was full of apprehension regarding what they could do to this game - I had almost 80% fear that they would ruin it, and 19% disbelief they could do anything great, just an okay RPG, differently done.... the remaining 1%, I could not believe it, but they did it: they replaced the original one. I really think now FFVII gets mashed together in my head between the original one and this one. Unless they completely mess up the 2 and 3 of this remake trilogy, if they keep the bar like this in terms of content and quality, I believe FFVII Remake/Rebirth/Rewhatever will simply replace the original one just because it is the updated, thoroughly re-established modern version of this original masterpiece. That is why I judge FFVII Remake a masterpiece, albeit a S- one, just for a few things (some weird jokes, a hard mode that is arguably problematic in terms of design - let's remove the items and the refill of MPs... why?), some flaws here and there. But if you played FFVII back in the day, and always wanted 25 years later to relive this masterpiece, through a new eye, with THOUSANDS of winks at you, like a love letter, so many reminiscent easter eggs, so many tributes, then you should play and enjoy this game. For the first couple of hours I was not very happy with the choice they made for the fights (real time + ultra slow pausing mode to select stuff)... now I can not help but thinking that is the best choice they could do and it is amazingly well implemented. So dynamic, so active, yet so faithful to the original turn by turn style of the old school jrpgs. All the characters are back, and more, and if back in the day they spent X time on each, now they spend 10, 20, 50 times X on EACH character, even minor (Jesse, Biggs and Wedge! oh my god!) to give them depth, meaning, to create a layer of threads in this new narration and lore where everything makes so much more sense... just WOW. And the levels, the rooms, the graphic and illustration choices, did you see some screenshots? I spent my first run just WALKING, enjoying EACH room for the generosity of the graphics and visuals. So RICHLY done. Amazing.

FF15 had started a new trend in the series I was surprisingly happy with, and now I am full of expectation for FF16, and also I can not wait for Rebirth and the 3rd opus. Final Fantasy is not dead, it is strong and alive!

I give this game a rank S- (95-96%) Fantastic - you need to do this game once in your life!!! See my profile for more details about my reviews. Additional notes: it is really hard for me to judge this game, and review it objectively. I actually don't think I can. If I made the effort to, THIS specific game, called FFVII REMAKE, would probably get a A- (85-88%). Which is honestly a great rating already, so you know what to expect. If you never played a JRPG, you can try this one without hesitation, it is very good! Okay now back to the people who KNOW the original game: unfortunately, as I said, I can't judge FFVII objectively anymore. Let's put it simply: FFVII is in my opinion the best FF of all time, and I played almost every FF since FF1 up to FF15 - the 13th is the only one I have left to do, because 11 and 14 are mmorpgs, and 16 is not out yet for me). FF7 is the best one ever on so many levels: lore, narration, story, characters, music, world, gameplay (materias), arch enemy, length, symbology, ethical messages... the list is just huge. Now, I was anxious with this one, because FF7 is one of the best games of all time for me, but at the same time it got old, it is ugly (the 3D parts mind you), clunky, slow... technology caught up. I was full of apprehension regarding what they could do to this game - I had almost 80% fear that they would ruin it, and 19% disbelief they could do anything great, just an okay RPG, differently done.... the remaining 1%, I could not believe it, but they did it: they replaced the original one. I really think now FFVII gets mashed together in my head between the original one and this one. Unless they completely mess up the 2 and 3 of this remake trilogy, if they keep the bar like this in terms of content and quality, I believe FFVII Remake/Rebirth/Rewhatever will simply replace the original one just because it is the updated, thoroughly re-established modern version of this original masterpiece. That is why I judge FFVII Remake a masterpiece, albeit a S- one, just for a few things (some weird jokes, a hard mode that is arguably problematic in terms of design - let's remove the items and the refill of MPs... why?), some flaws here and there. But if you played FFVII back in the day, and always wanted 25 years later to relive this masterpiece, through a new eye, with THOUSANDS of winks at you, like a love letter, so many reminiscent easter eggs, so many tributes, then you should play and enjoy this game. For the first couple of hours I was not very happy with the choice they made for the fights (real time + ultra slow pausing mode to select stuff)... now I can not help but thinking that is the best choice they could do and it is amazingly well implemented. So dynamic, so active, yet so faithful to the original turn by turn style of the old school jrpgs. All the characters are back, and more, and if back in the day they spent X time on each, now they spend 10, 20, 50 times X on EACH character, even minor (Jesse, Biggs and Wedge! oh my god!) to give them depth, meaning, to create a layer of threads in this new narration and lore where everything makes so much more sense... just WOW. And the levels, the rooms, the graphic and illustration choices, did you see some screenshots? I spent my first run just WALKING, enjoying EACH room for the generosity of the graphics and visuals. So RICHLY done. Amazing. FF15 had started a new trend in the series I was surprisingly happy with, and now I am full of expectation for FF16, and also I can not wait for Rebirth and the 3rd opus. Final Fantasy is not dead, it is strong and alive!