Real Remakes of Final Fantasy Games

[foreverundecided]

Something that's been bothering me about FF remakes is that they're not really remade. They just improve the graphics, slightly,and stick them onto the latest handheld. I mean you can play the first four games on an I-Pad!
Don't get wrong, I think the I-Pad's great and all. Super convenient, with all the little apps, and music and photos… But, I digress. Seriously, this is Final Fantasy! I think it deserves it little more attention, than that.
It's fine for the side games, most of them we're designed for handhelds originally, anyway. But I used to play these games on my tv, they were the best in graphics for their time. They didn't have to give them XIII's graphics and cutscenes, but they could have improved them to at least IX's level. In fact, I would be fine with all-text dialogue and no cutscenes (though cutscenes would be wonderful, obviously).
The original Final Fantasy is definitely in my top three out of the series. Because, it spawned everything else and because it wasn't bogged down by an emotional cast or complex plot (time travel aside). I mean it was simple: Start at A, Go to B, Get item, Take item to C, Get another item, Take item back to A (and defeat monsters in-between). Because, it was so simple they could done anything with it. First, given you more jobs to choose from at the beginning. Second, given you a male and female model to choose from. Third, given you summons without affecting the storyline (you obviously couldn't have Bahamut, but still). Fourth, given you more upgrades for each class; examples:

Warrior<Knight<Dark Knight or Paladin.
White Mage<White Wizard<Devout
Black Mage<Black Wizard<Magus​

Regarding FFVII: Most people agree that it has the best plot of the series, to date! But, I know that a lot of people won't even consider playing it, because it's not compatible with the latest system or because of the graphics. I love the game, but the Lego games look better. And even if you disagree with that last statement, remember the Lego's look that way, intentionally.
Just to be clear, I'm not saying we should write letters, or sign petitions, or anything like that. I just want to know how many other people felt Square was being cheap with their "remakes".
EDIT: I'm specifically referring to remaking FFI-VII.
TL;DR:"What would you have like to see in some of the FF remakes, instead of what we got?"

 

[Somber]

I would like to see remakes of VII, VIII and IX. Oh....is that too much?

 

[LeonBlade]

I-Pad

You sound like an old man when you say it like that, it's iPad, dude... and it's on all iOS devices, as well as Android devices.

As for the remakes, the current remakes are completely fine, the only thing I don't like is the actual art style, I would have liked it if they left it alone, they made it worse.

Other than that, I don't see any problem putting these classic games on mobile devices like this, as it just allows for people to play them on their phones/tablets without having to get an emulator on their device, they can do it while supporting Square Enix with some small updates in graphics and features I believe.

I'd of course love to see VII remade, but I don't see that happening any time soon, as it's a massive game. They said it's possible in the future, but only after something beats it (FFXV) plus the amount of time it would take. Other games would be VIII as well, in the same line with VII, it would be a gigantic project.

Also, not Final Fantasy related, but I really wish they made an HD remake of Dragon Quest VIII for PS3.

 

[yeah_93]

I'd love to see a XIII remake said no one ever.

 

[Alleo]

I´m not sure if remaking games is the right thing to do. I know that it´s nice for a fan to be able to play their favorite game with better graphics but at the same time I think that a company should move forward and create new games and let the old games alone. Not only does it cost a lot of money which they could use to create new games but they could also unleash "hell" with that. At least among the fans.

I was quite amazed that some people who really disliked the 13th saga said that they would have played XIII as 16 (or was it 8?) Bit version after Square Enix released the retro trailer of it. This made me thinking how they would react to a old game being remade. I can´t see them remaking them only with medium graphic and no voiced characters. People would then probably complain why the graphic is not at it´s best or why there is only text. (After all if you really plan to do a remake then to it right And I see a lot of people who complain about the graphics of Lighting returns even though it´s only a sequel. This shows that graphic is still something really important) But the question is, would this be how the fans wanted it to be? Maybe they don´t like the voice actors because they had their perfect voice as headcanon or maybe the story does not feel like it was before because they had to chance some things so that it fits better with the new version. Since it should also gather new fans they may have to change the battle system to a more modern way (I´m not sure if the old battle systems would work great with new graphics). For me who never played another Final Fantasy other than XIII it would be completely uninteresting to fight real turn based battles. Standing there and waiting till the enemy made it´s move would be kinda boring and I´m not sure if I would be the only one who feels that way^^;;

Many old fans want a remake of VII but I´m really not sure if Square Enix really would do them self a favor if they did one. The fans can be quite unforgivable, especially if it´s their favorite game. Little mistakes could be seen as something quite negative (for some) which could destroy their love for it. And who knows maybe a remake would show them the flaws of a game because no game is really perfect.

This is only my opinion and I have some language problems to really and deeply explain myself. ^^;;

 

[Azuardo]

Well, the only real FF remakes are FF3 and 4 on the Nintendo DS. Everything else is an updated port or (in FFX and X-2's case) a 'remaster.'

With the 3DS and Vita now being here, you would think the next proper remakes akin to FF3 and 4 would be FF5 and 6. Bearing in mind the upgraded power of those two handhelds, remakes of FF5 and 6 could easily look as good/better as the original FFX.

The rereleases of FF7 and 8, though...could they have made some mods for them, like upgraded character skins, new textures, etc? Maybe. But I never would have expected it for those games, to be honest. There's a lot of people quite content with these games coming to Steam to play them again. I know many really want FF9 to come next.

Are they being cheap? Could more be done? Yeah, probably, but I don't expect too much for ports. I just see them as a way to let a new audience play them again, or oldies like myself to relive the memories—anything else on top is a nice bonus. Besides, FF7-9 (9 especially!) hold up incredibly well on a portable console. It's really just the character models of 7 that are the standout drawbacks. But FF9 is still gorgeous! With services like PS Classics and Virtual Console, it's great to be able to play these old games again, and I really hope they come to as many platforms as possible to let people play them on their preferred systems of choice. I don't have any issues with porting old games with nothing added in that sense.

The GBA ports were actually much appreciated because they did add some new stuff. New dungeons and the like were definitely very welcome. I don't think it'd really be feasible to add any extra areas to a game like FF7, though. Besides, the Steam version is out now. It's FF9 that hopefully comes next, and I can't see any new areas being added there. In the case of FF9, in particular, I would love if they unblocked the areas that get closed off on Disc 4, but that would never happen.

When it comes to the FFX/X-2 remaster, I really was hoping for a little bit more, though. Something more along the lines of FF13 graphics, and I especially wanted them to tweak the 100% completion system in X-2, which is almost impossible to achieve unless following a guide. That was probably asking for too much, though, and I'm still really looking forward to buying it to experience such a great game again.

Since I doubt we'll ever get remakes of FF7-9 (well, 7 might happen around the game's 30th anniversary lol), then I do think rereleases with upped graphics on Steam/PSN would be really nice things to do for us, but again, I'm just happy in the knowledge that a new generation can experience the games I grew up on and loved easily enough.

 

[foreverundecided]

I would like to see remakes of VII, VIII and IX. Oh....is that too much?

I was referring to remaking I-VII but, no, it's not to much.

 

[foreverundecided]

You sound like an old man when you say it like that, it's iPad, dude... and it's on all iOS devices, as well as Android devices.

As for the remakes, the current remakes are completely fine, the only thing I don't like is the actual art style, I would have liked it if they left it alone, they made it worse.

Other than that, I don't see any problem putting these classic games on mobile devices like this, as it just allows for people to play them on their phones/tablets without having to get an emulator on their device, they can do it while supporting Square Enix with some small updates in graphics and features I believe.

I'd of course love to see VII remade, but I don't see that happening any time soon, as it's a massive game. They said it's possible in the future, but only after something beats it (FFXV) plus the amount of time it would take. Other games would be VIII as well, in the same line with VII, it would be a gigantic project.

Also, not Final Fantasy related, but I really wish they made an HD remake of Dragon Quest VIII for PS3.

"Old" is relative. I am one of those people that enjoy playing those games on handhelds. And I know that it is extremely unlikely that this would occur. This is just a discussion, a poll. Thank you for answering AND providing additional thoughts.

 

[yeah_93]

But being serious, I really want a VII remake. I don't think a remake of VI would do, considering many things were left to the imagination, and a full remake would kinda kill that for me.

 

[Zefreonnoerfez]

I would like to see remakes of VII, VIII and IX. Oh....is that too much?

I would love to see that too

 

[Squirrel Emperor]

I wanted a remake of FFVI and I got this.

Now I have no interest in remakes from this company anymore. Butchering a classic and not giving a damn about it does not sit well with me.

 

[APZonerunner]

I'd love to see more remakes in the vein of the ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT FF3 & FF4 DS releases, but it's sadly a pretty expensive thing to develop. The smoothed-over RPG-maker looking HD sprites are much easier and much less costly to do Bleh.

 

[Somber]

Imagining aren't problematic in the past but now. Just look at Mass Effect 3 endings. I'm not saying they are stupid or something.

 

[Alleo]

I wanted a remake of FFVI and I got this.

Now I have no interest in remakes from this company anymore. Butchering a classic and not giving a damn about it does not sit well with me.

And this is why I think that they should not do remakes. They can´t win. A complete remake (which is more than enhancing graphic ->that would be a remaster like X/X-2 and not a remake) would be too expensive and improving it only a little bit will not be something the fans want. Or at least some fans. So even if they´ll really try to remake a old game there will be always fans that dislike it. That´s why I think that they should move forward and produce new games. I mean can you imagine how some fans will rage if they do something wrong with a remake of VII? It does not even has to be a big mistake. Even small things can destroy a game in the eyes of some fans.

 

[Nikolasvanitas]

And this is why I think that they should not do remakes. They can´t win. A complete remake (which is more than enhancing graphic ->that would be a remaster like X/X-2 and not a remake) would be too expensive and improving it only a little bit will not be something the fans want. Or at least some fans. So even if they´ll really try to remake a old game there will be always fans that dislike it. That´s why I think that they should move forward and produce new games. I mean can you imagine how some fans will rage if they do something wrong with a remake of VII? It does not even has to be a big mistake. Even small things can destroy a game in the eyes of some fans.

For a person who only played final fantasy XIII,do you think you can know exactly what the fanbase wants?
Also companies need to take risks sometimes instead of playing it safe with low quality releases,see for example LR
Imagine if Squaresoft was afraid to make FF7 because there was the risk of the game not selling enough to cover the development costs
Also lets not forget the huge risk that Square took with FFXIV ARR

 

[Alleo]

For a person who only played final fantasy XIII,do you think you can know exactly what the fanbase wants?
Also companies need to take risks sometimes instead of playing it safe with low quality releases,see for example LR
Imagine if Squaresoft was afraid to make FF7 because there was the risk of the game not selling enough to cover the development costs

Nope but even if you played all the Final Fantasy games you still don´t know what the whole fanbase wants because everyone want something different. (This can be seen by how divided the fanbase is. That´s why I think that Square Enix can never win.) This still does not mean that one can´t write their opinion about remakes in a thread that is about that. No need to get mean about it.

For me making a complete new game is something different than remaking something old. You will never know if it sells well so they´ll always risks everything by creating something new. (And it´s not like they did not took some risks with the 13th saga since they tried out something new. But you see that not everyone liked the new way. ) As far as I read on other sites the old Final Fantasy 14 was a big mistake and they paid greatly for this. But if they don´t try something new then they´ll be left behind in the games world. However in the end they are still a company and need to earn more than it had cost them or they will cease to exist sooner or later So I´m quite sure that they would not plan a game that from the very beginning completely goes over their budget.

If they want to remake VII then they should but "I" see this as something that could go bad. It does not need to be but it could and I´m not sure if I would take such a risk. My response to Squirrel Emperor was more to show that even if they only enhance something that this could be received as negative. Now think about how the reaction could be if they make something wrong with a VII remake. This could put some of the old fans off and I´m not sure if that´s all worth it, especially since they´ll need a lot more money to remake it than they need for a remaster. And where to stop then. Do they have to remake all the other games too? Would it not be unfair for the fans of other Final Fantasy games if they only remake VII? Will a lot of recourses go to recreating older games and not into making new ones? How should they remake them? Completely like they were or should they change some critical things like the battle system? And if they don´t change anything why should they remake it? You can still play the old games if you want and you enjoyed it even with the old graphics so why remaking it? Only to make it look prettier?

In the end this is only MY opinion and I would be still be unsure if they need a remake a game even if it´s my favorite game.

 

[APZonerunner]

Imagining aren't problematic in the past but now. Just look at Mass Effect 3 endings. I'm not saying they are stupid or something.

In the case of ME3 it was just poorly done, but I see nothing wrong with endings that leave questions and leave room for debate. I think one of the worst things Square Enix has done to any FF universe was using sequels to take the mystery (did all the humans die? did they survive? etc) out of the FF7 ending.

 

[Nikolasvanitas]

Nope but even if you played all the Final Fantasy games you still don´t know what the whole fanbase wants because everyone want something different. (This can be seen by how divided the fanbase is. That´s why I think that Square Enix can never win.) This still does not mean that one can´t write their opinion about remakes in a thread that is about that. No need to get mean about it.

For me making a complete new game is something different than remaking something old. You will never know if it sells well so they´ll always risks everything by creating something new. (And it´s not like they did not took some risks with the 13th saga since they tried out something new. But you see that not everyone liked the new way. ) As far as I read on other sites the old Final Fantasy 14 was a big mistake and they paid greatly for this. But if they don´t try something new then they´ll be left behind in the games world. However in the end they are still a company and need to earn more than it had cost them or they will cease to exist sooner or later So I´m quite sure that they would not plan a game that from the very beginning completely goes over their budget.

If they want to remake VII then they should but "I" see this as something that could go bad. It does not need to be but it could and I´m not sure if I would take such a risk. My response to Squirrel Emperor was more to show that even if they only enhance something that this could be received as negative. Now think about how the reaction could be if they make something wrong with a VII remake. This could put some of the old fans off and I´m not sure if that´s all worth it, especially since they´ll need a lot more money to remake it than they need for a remaster. And where to stop then. Do they have to remake all the other games too? Would it not be unfair for the fans of other Final Fantasy games if they only remake VII? Will a lot of recourses go to recreating older games and not into making new ones? How should they remake them? Completely like they were or should they change some critical things like the battle system? And if they don´t change anything why should they remake it? You can still play the old games if you want and you enjoyed it even with the old graphics so why remaking it? Only to make it look prettier?

In the end this is only MY opinion and I would be still be unsure if they need a remake a game even if it´s my favorite game.

No offence but I respect your opinion and I didnt try to cause a fight

,my main concern is that you claim these things without evidence or sources
1)Square Enix doesnt have the budget or ability to make a remake
2)Everyone will hate it if it has some flaws
3)Old fans or people who may have stopped playing FF games this gen cant be potential customers and do not belong to the community

I never claimed that I know what the fanbase wants,I just believe that FF7 is without a doubt whether we like it or not their biggest success financially and commercially
Remaking this game could be a huge risk like FFXIV ARR or other previous FF games were,but seeing that FF7 is the most recognisable game in the series it could attract both the older gamers who played this game in the past and new people who are aware of FF7's good reputation and the important role it played for Final Fantasy and the Jrpg genre
Its not just about what you or me or other dedicated FF fans want,FF7 is well known not only to the fanbase but to the gaming world in general,even people who may not be traditional gamers,so thats why Square decided to show the ps3 opening of FF7,they knew that they could grab everyone's attention

Anyway thats just my opinion and again I dont want to cause a fight

Edit:Also even though its not a very credible source,I have posted an article about the Neogaf user Verendus who was the first to state that FF13 Versus was rebranded as FFXV and it would be the next magor FF release Hashimoto had hinted last year
Posting in response to recent comments made by FF7 creator Yoshinori Kitase he stated that the FF7 Remake is happening but take it with a grain of salt because its Neogaf
http://gamerant.com/final-fantasy-7-remake-rumors/

 

[Squirrel Emperor]

And this is why I think that they should not do remakes. They can´t win. A complete remake (which is more than enhancing graphic ->that would be a remaster like X/X-2 and not a remake) would be too expensive and improving it only a little bit will not be something the fans want. Or at least some fans. So even if they´ll really try to remake a old game there will be always fans that dislike it. That´s why I think that they should move forward and produce new games. I mean can you imagine how some fans will rage if they do something wrong with a remake of VII? It does not even has to be a big mistake. Even small things can destroy a game in the eyes of some fans.

Square Enix did a FFI, FFII and FFIV sprite remake for PSP. That approach is much more acceptable with a lot of fans then what they did with FFV and FFVI on iOS. It’s the proper way to do it. It’s not that hard.

The big concerns with a FFVII remake really come down to two things. Voice acting and changing/updating the script, two things that will definitely happen if they do remake the game.

 

[Alleo]

No offence but I respect your opinion and I didnt try to cause a fight

,my main concern is that you claim these things without evidence or sources
1)Square Enix doesnt have the budget or ability to make a remake
2)Everyone will hate it if it has some flaws
3)Old fans or people who may have stopped playing FF games this gen cant be potential customers and do not belong to the community

I never claimed that I know what the fanbase wants,I just believe that FF7 is without a doubt whether we like it or not their biggest success financially and commercially
Remaking this game could be a huge risk like FFXIV ARR or other previous FF games were,but seeing that FF7 is the most recognisable game in the series it could attract both the older gamers who played this game in the past and new people who are aware of FF7's good reputation and the important role it played for Final Fantasy and the Jrpg genre
Its not just about what you or me or other dedicated FF fans want,FF7 is well known not only to the fanbase but to the gaming world in general,even people who may not be traditional gamers,so thats why Square decided to show the ps3 opening of FF7,they knew that they could grab everyone's attention

Anyway thats just my opinion and again I dont want to cause a fight

Edit:Also even though its not a very credible source,I have posted an article about the Neogaf user Verendus who was the first to state that FF13 Versus was rebranded as FFXV and it would be the next magor FF release Hashimoto had hinted last year
Posting in response to recent comments made by FF7 creator Yoshinori Kitase he stated that the FF7 Remake is happening but take it with a grain of salt because its Neogaf
http://gamerant.com/final-fantasy-7-remake-rumors/

Thank you for your answer and hopefully my writing did not read like I want to fight or anything. It´s always a little difficult for me to write my thoughts in English

About your concerns, maybe it´s just a big misunderstanding but I did not meant it to come over that way . I do not know how you got your second and third point out of my posts but I never intended it that way (can you write some quotes so that I can see where you got them? ) I always tried to use the word "some" so that it will not look like I mean every fan. It´s just that I read enough posts from other sites even from other games that sometimes the fans are the most critical of everyone and that even little things can destroy a game for those. (Not for all but some )

The only way I can see where you got your third concern is in my first post where I wrote that some liked the 8/16 Bit version of the XIII´s trailer and not the real game and how it will be the other way around. If this is were you got that then I can assure you that I definitely did not mean it that way. It was just strange for me how people suddenly would have liked the game if it was in that old version and not the real one. That´s were I thought how these people would react to the older games if they were remade. This does not mean that they won´t enjoy it or that they won´t play future titles but more over thinking things of possible "what ifs". If it´s not that sentence then please quote my sentence were I claimed that they don´t belong to the community or that they can´t be potential customer because I can´t see where I wrote that

I also do think that they have the ability to remake the game but I do wonder how they´ll do it. Not in the way of character models, graphic,.. but more in the way of "Do we have to change some things and if we do how do we change them". I gave the example of the battle system. If this remake would be on a handheld then maybe it could still look good to use the old battle system but I´m not sure if this would look good on a PS4. Maybe many people would still enjoy that fighting style but I´m not sure if this is something for someone who is used to a action playstyle. You wrote that it´s one of the most recognizable games of the series and I agree with you (even if I never played it) but the problem is that it has a fighting style that is just not really common in games. (At least now) You can probably see that this is my main problem. We did not see much gameplay of XV but I think it´s looking even more like a action RPG than Lightning returns. Since other games like Kindgom Hearts also use a action fighting style I do wonder if this is the path that Square Enix wants to take? And if it´s that way will they really release a remake with the old fighting style or would they change it?

I do not have sources about the financial situation of Square Enix, I only read on different sites that Final Fantasy 14 was a financial disaster for them and some say that this is also the reason why they produced the sequels of XIII (Like I said I only read it somewhere ). I just that I wonder why they did not remake a VII since fans asks them for that for years but instead they produced sequels and other smaller games. And the only reasons I can think about are that it was to expensive (at least around that time) or that they kinda feared to start this project. (Or they really thought that Versus was near release or something.) I dunno I just can´t really see other reasons why they did not just do one if they had the money and resources. Or why they can´t at least give a direct answer if they even plan to do one or not. The writer of the site you linked was kinda skeptic if this rumor is really true and I´m too. I do know that some said that they´ll make a remake if XV sells better than VII but why would they connect these two things? It´s not like XV is the same like VII?

@Squirrel Emperor: Ah okay so if they managed to do some right and the other not then that´s really bad