The originalFinal Fantasy VII’s legacy was so immense that fans were clamoring for a remake years after the release of the original, with the reveal of theFinal Fantasy VIIPS3 tech demo fuelling the flames for a potential re-release that would integrate all the modern advancements gamers are now familiar. While the wait might’ve been agonizingly long,Final Fantasy VII Remakefinally came on shelves this year and — just like the original release on the PlayStation — wowed a new generation of gamers by introducing them to a classic experience.
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In fact, the game’s quality is so immense that some fans will go so far as to say that theRemakeis actually better than the original — a statement that is considered borderline heresy by a majority ofFinal Fantasyfans. To show both sides of the debate, here’s a comparative analysis of both games and how they’ve excelled in their own ways.
Updated Jul 25, 2025 by Thomas Bowen:In the magical world, seven is seen as a very powerful number. The same is certainly true in the world of Final Fantasy as well. The series' seventh mainline entry not only helped to popularize the JRPG genre in the west, but it also taught a generation of young Americans how to understand roman numerals. Given the huge impact that the game had, it was not at all surprising when Square Enix announced plans to remake it back in 2015. What was a little shocking though, was the approach that the developer went on to take. Many things were altered during the remake’s development and not all of these changes were for the better. As a result, we now have two very distinct versions of one wonderful game; but which one is better? Here are seven arguments for each of them.
14FINAL FANTASY VII: A Classic That Needs To Be Experienced Once
There’s a reason why most people considerFinal Fantasy VIIto be the greatest game ever released on the PlayStation, and it’s a reason that can’t be explained in mere words. Any gamer worth their salt should try this game out at least once to experience firsthand a legendary title that has etched its name in the annals of gaming history.
13VII REMAKE: A Modern Reimagining That Does Its Source Justice
Most people were scared thatFinal Fantasy VII Remakewould discard everything that made the original such a gem and try and carve its own niche.
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Thankfully this wasn’t the case —Final Fantasy VII Remakeis easily one of the most faithful modern remakes of this generation, standing along with games likeResident Evil 2as a remake that does justice to the source material.
12FINAL FANTASY VII: Turn-Based Combat Is Still A Blast
Most people who are into the modern generation of gaming might find turn-based combat to be a bit of a slog, which is understandable. However, if a particular individual doesn’t mind engaging with this particular combat system, thenFinal Fantasy VIIis an absolute must-play. The turn-based combat is still as tight and satisfying as ever.
11VII REMAKE: Real-Time Combat Is Seamless
Real-time combat is something that theFinal Fantasyseries has dabbled with, enjoying varying levels of success and praise in the process. Thankfully, in the case ofFinal Fantasy VII Remake,it seems that this system has been refined to a T, making the combat incredibly satisfying in every sense of the word.
10FINAL FANTASY VII: The Materia System Is Better
AlthoughFinal Fantasy VII Remakedid introducea few interesting ideas when it came to materia, for the most part the game’s use of these iconic orbs is considerably worse than the original in a number of ways. The decision to only provide players with one orb of magnify materia (all, in the original game), for example, discourages the use of defensive buffs like barrier and haste while also forcing players to overlyrely on certain party members for certain tasks.
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In addition to this, the original game encourages players to master materia by rewarding them with an additional orb for doing so. As in the original, certain materia found in the remake do give players access tomore powerful versions of spells, but the increased casting time and additional MP cost renders many of these useless in all but the most challenging content. Even then, the inability to use items to restore MP in hard mode discourages players from using these more powerful variants unless absolutely necessary.
9VII REMAKE: Weapons Are More Well Balanced And Remain Relevant For Longer
The original game features a wide array of weapons, but, for the most part, players will equip new weapons as soon as they acquire them and never look back. The remake, on the other hand,gives weapons unique stats and perksthat make certain weapons better suited to certain situations.Some are built to maximize damage dealt by magicwhileothers focus solely on physical combat. Selecting the correct one for a tricky challenge is often a test of the players' understanding of the game and adds a whole new dimension to it.
Another new addition in the remake is the ability to upgrade and improve weapons as the story progresses. This means that a weapon that might not have been too useful at first can suddenly become one of the game’s best. As a result, there’s an argument to be made thatnone of the weapons that players pick up in the remake are truly useless- which is not at all true of the original.
8FINAL FANTASY VII: Summons Were Better Integrated
ModernFinal Fantasygames have always faced a problem when it comes to integrating summons in their games. The better hardware and software available in the modern age means that summons can finally look like the awe-inspiring beasts that they are… but this comes at the cost of having an incredibly effective ace in the hole that will negate any challenge in the combat system whatsoever.
This is what makes the oldFinal Fantasygames so much fun to play — summons can be used without impunity, allowing gamers to turn their battles into something truly memorable.
7VII REMAKE: Visual Fidelity Is On A Completely Different Level
While this point is pretty obvious, one can’t help but marvel at just how beautifulFinal Fantasy VII Remakeactually looks!
The game looks like how children imagined Midgar to look like in their heads when the original game was released, and the fresh coat of paint that theRemakehas slathered all over this classic is truly mesmerizing to behold in every sense of the word.
6FINAL FANTASY VII: A Complete Story From Start To Finish
One of the major draws ofFinal Fantasy VIIwas its story, which had a ton of twists and turns that kept fans guessing to the very end. While the translation of the game might not have been perfect, it did a serviceable job of communicating the sheer epic scale of this truly mind-bending tale while telling a complete narrative.
5VII REMAKE: Expanding Midgar Is Justified… For The Most Part
Longtime fans were worried about the direction thatFinal Fantasy VII Remakewas taking, with most people complaining about the limited scope of the Remake and how it wouldn’t do justice to the final product.
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Well, for the most part, limitingFinal Fantasy VII Remaketo the events of Midgar was actually a smart decision. It gave ample time for the game to truly flesh out this iconic city while also telling a tale that feels way more personalized… in no small part due to the improved script — which was miles ahead of its dodgily-translated counterpart — and excellent voice-acting.
