Final Fantasy 7 Remake Fan Video Adds Original Fixed Camera
A recent fan-made video for Final Fantasy VII Remake recreates the fixed camera of the 1997 original with surprisingly impressive results. 2020’s highly successful Final Fantasy VII Remake changed many things about the classic game that took the world by storm almost 25 years ago, such as replacing the traditional turn-based RPG combat with a real-time system similar to Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy XV. It also tweaked and expanded upon certain aspects of the original Final Fantasy VII’s plot, including a shocking twist ending that carries major ramifications for the series going forward.
One of the most noteworthy of these changes is one that fans will notice right as they start up Final Fantasy VII Remake for the first time. Instead of featuring the fixed camera and separate battle screens of the original Final Fantasy VII, last year’s Remake has a more dynamic camera that follows the player as they travel the cyberpunk city of Midgar. This camera can also be rotated by the player at will, as par for the course in modern action games like God Of War (2018). Additionally, battles trigger instantaneously after a player encounters an enemy, owing to the more advanced technology powering Final Fantasy VII Remake.
As reported by GamesRadar, a YouTube channel by the handle of Final FanTV recently posted a gameplay video of Final Fantasy VII Remake with the camera positioned to resemble the fixed view of the original Final Fantasy VII – with footage of the old FFVII playing for a side-by-side comparison. This brief clip covers the game’s opening chapter, with Cloud and the members of Team AVALANCHE infiltrating a ShinRa Mako Reactor. As Cloud journeys across the facility, the camera remains fixed in an overhead view, switches angles whenever the hero enters a new room, and the scene even transitions to a surprise battle scene just as it did in the old Final Fantasy VII. The fight even plays out the same way battles did back in 1997, with Cloud remaining on the left side of the screen and charging at enemies to attack them in a simulation of the turn-based JRPG combat of old.
See the original video on YouTube here.
While this isn’t a true mod - rather a video put together with the use of Photo Mode modding tools - Final FanTV hopes that it will inspire modders to create an alternate game mode that allows players to experience the entirety of Final Fantasy VII in a classic fixed-camera view. Final Fantasy VII Remake recently came to PC by way of the Epic Games Store last month, and this has opened the door for fan modders altering the game in several creative ways. One particularly humorous example is a Final Fantasy VII Remake mod that allows Aerith to wield a steel chair in battle - just like she did when rescuing Tifa from the vile Don Corneo at the Honey Bee Inn.
While Final Fantasy VII Remake’s more dynamic camera impressed players when the game launched to rave reviews back in 2020, some fans still miss the more nostalgic view from the original Final Fantasy VII. Luckily for them, the updated visuals of Final Fantasy VII Remake translate to the 1997-era fixed camera surprisingly well, meaning that integrating this view into the whole game might be an interesting venture for anyone looking to mod Final Fantasy VII Remake on a massive scale.
Source: Final FanTV/YouTube (via GamesRadar)