The highly anticipated Final Fantasy VII Remake, which will feature action-oriented gameplay similar to Final Fantasy XV, will also offer turn-based gameplay similar to the original 1997 RPG through Classic Mode.
The Final Fantasy VII Remake was one of the highlights of the Tokyo Game Show, starting with a new trailer that shows more of the RPG’s story, characters, and gameplay.
Series producer Yoshinori Kitase, who took the stage at the event to show off more of Final Fantasy VII Remake, confirmed that in addition to Easy and Normal modes, the game will also offer a Classic Mode that will revert the RPG to its turn-based roots.
In standard modes, the ATB Gauge fills up by repeatedly attacking your enemy, but in Classic Mode this aspect of gameplay is handled automatically. The player does not need to do anything and the character fights automatically, charging up their ATB Gauge. pic.twitter.com/NjuQp2bHBA
— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) September 14, 2019
In the game’s standard modes, players fill up the ATB gauge of Cloud and his team by attacking in real-time. Once the gauge is filled up, players will be able to pause the action to cast spells and execute special attacks.
However, in Classic Mode, the characters perform the standard attacks automatically. Players will only have to deal with issuing commands once the ATB gauge fills up, which will transform the Final Fantasy VII Remake into a turn-based RPG.
Sony has uploaded Kitase’s 47-minute presentation, which shows how to access Classic Mode at the 17-minute mark.
Classic Mode is seen in action in one of the game’s early boss fights at the 20-minute mark. The battle against Guard Scorpion becomes even more cinematic when players do not have to worry about mashing buttons for normal attacks, instead only issuing commands for special attacks and spells when the ATB gauge fills up.
Kitase also revealed onstage the Final Fantasy VII Remake version of the squat mini-game, as well as the boss fight in which Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith take on Aps in the sewers of Midgar.
Cloud had the “summon materia” for Ifrit equipped in the battle against Aps, allowing him to bring Ifrit onto the battlefield after the summon gauge filled up. Cloud was able to issue commands to Ifrit until the summon gauge was depleted, leading into Ifrit’s ultimate attack.
Ifrit remained on the battlefield fighting until Cloud's Summon Gauge depleted, at which point Ifrit unleashed his ultimate attack: Hellfire! pic.twitter.com/fbM2aS88u7
— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) September 14, 2019
Final Fantasy VII Remake is set to launch for the PlayStation 4 on March 3, 2020. The initial release, however, will only feature the part of the game’s story in Midgar.
