It doesn’t take an expert to state that Final Fantasy VII Remake is one of the most anticipated video games of all time. The idea of playing out the journey of Cloud & Co. in the new generation of gaming was nothing more than a pipe dream, but the fact that Square Enix is actually working on a remake that is releasing this year is a fact that is still hard to believe for a substantial proportion of the fanbase.
All good things take time, and — unfortunately enough — Final Fantasy VII Remake was delayed from its initial release date of March 3, 2020 to April 10 of the same year (thankfully enough). While this delay is nothing compared to the massive pushback of Cyberpunk 2077’s release date, it’s still enough for fans to react — and overreact — and expect different things when it comes to the title. So, in a bid to manage expectations, here are 10 realistic things once can assume will happen with Final Fantasy VII Remake in the wake of this delay.
10 The Game Is Going To Be As Polished As Can Be
The main reason why Final Fantasy VII Remake has been delayed is mainly due to the fact that Square Enix wants to polish the game as much as possible and wrap up any loose ends, if need be. While this might lead to the introduction of a Day 1 patch that fans absolutely detest, one can’t deny that it’s all for the greater good.
After all, Final Fantasy VII Remake is no small title. Fans would want to enjoy this experience as much as possible, and any technical hitches will just take away from the overall experience. However, this doesn’t mean that the entire journey will be smooth sailing.
9 Expect Your Fair Share Of Bugs And Glitches
Games that are big in scope always have their fair share of bugs and glitches — just take a look at The Witcher 3 or any Bethesda game that’s ever been released. These games have been hailed as excellent titles in every sense of the word — well, except for Fallout 76, that is — but glitches have still been pretty commonplace.
In fact, The Witcher 3 was delayed just to take care of these bugs, but the title still had certain problems at launch regardless. To except more from Square Enix would be unfair, so it’s fair to say that Final Fantasy VII Remake could very much be cluttered with bugs and glitches. Hopefully, none of them will be game-breaking.
8 The Camera Might Make Or Break The Game
There’s another Square Enix game that was delayed before launch and released to positive critical reception — well, for the most part. That game is Final Fantasy XV, and it would be fair to say that Final Fantasy VII Remake will be using the same engine as its predecessor.
While the combat of Final Fantasy XV was way more frenetic and fast-paced than what Final Fantasy VII Remake is shaping up to be, there’s no denying that the former had an extremely erratic camera at launch. One can only wonder if Final Fantasy VII Remake will face the same problem.
7 The Feedback From The Demo Will Be Taken Into Account
The demo of Final Fantasy VII Remake generally received a positive reception upon launch, but it had its fair share of kinks and optimizations that fans suggested across the board.
Knowing Square Enix, it’s very much possible that this extra development time will be used to incorporate these fixes into the game and streamline the experience even further. Speaking of which…
6 Combat Is Going To Be Refined Even Further
The combat of Final Fantasy VII Remake is shaping up to be quite interesting indeed. In fact, one might argue that this combat is shaping up to be the highlight of the entire game, featuring new real-time systems that are in sync with classic elements to make for a one-of-a-kind experience.
With the extra time that Square Enix, it’s obvious that these combat will be smoothened out even further to make for an experience that is all the more memorable.
5 Square Enix Will Be Transparent About The Development Process
Square Enix has never hidden any details when it comes to the development of their games. This can be seen with Final Fantasy XV, where Hajime Tabata himself hosted an Active Time Report to update fans on new content and updates for the game.
So, it wouldn’t be a stretch that Square Enix would provide the same level of transparency and care to one of their most anticipated titles.
4 The Game’s Timed Exclusivity Is Also Delayed
One of the weirdest things about Final Fantasy VII Remake is its timed exclusivity, appearing solely on the PS4 for a year before shifting over to other consoles.
With the delay of the game’s release, this timed exclusivity has also been pushed by a month as a result. While this does seem obvious, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s quite a bummer that we won’t be able to experience Final Fantasy VII Remake at its very best for a year.
3 The Game Might Be Remastered For The Next Generation
If the game is successful, then this delay can also pave the way for Final Fantasy VII Remake to be remastered for the newer generation of consoles as well.
One can only hope that this extra development time can help improve the game’s quality to an extent where a re-release on newer consoles is actually a possibility.
2 Optimizations Can Lead To Graphical Downgrades
Games that aren’t properly optimized for consoles can face various problems related to erroneous rendering, FPS drops, and everything else along the same lines.
Fixing all these issues can possibly mean that the graphical fidelity of the title will take a hit on the PS4. A lot of games that have demoed at E3 have shown this tendency to downgrade their games, so it won’t be all that surprising if Final Fantasy VII Remake goes down the same route.
1 The Sequels Will Have More Streamlined Development Times
Keep in mind that Final Fantasy VII Remake is just one of the many titles that will explore Final Fantasy VII’s story to the very fullest.
So, while the initial few moments can be a bit rocky for the development of these titles — with the delay in Final Fantasy VII Remake’s release being a clear indicator of this — it seems that Square Enix will learn from this experience and develop the other games in more streamlined and planned-out fashion.
NEXT: 10 Things That Make The Final Fantasy VII Remake Better Than The Original
