This is the box art, released this morning, for the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Remake, which is out March 3, 2020. It’s killer art. But if you saw it on a store shelf, you would have absolutely no idea that it’s actually just part one of the remake.
The game that publisher Square Enix is calling “Final Fantasy VII Remake” is actually an expanded and enhanced version of the Midgar section of the original Final Fantasy VII, which comprises roughly the first four hours of the game. The remake looks (and feels) great so far, but we don’t know when the whole project will actually be finished—director Yoshinori Kitase told me at E3 that they hadn’t even figured out how many parts it will be.
Based on what we’ve seen so far, it’s safe to say that this PS4 game will feel drastically different and be a lot bigger than the original Final Fantasy VII’s Midgar. The story is expanded, the gameplay is completely overhauled, and there are a ton of changes both big and small. But it’s still just a fraction of Final Fantasy VII’s complete story. So why is there no indication anywhere on this box that this is just part one? (Square Enix didn’t immediately respond to our questions about this.)
In press releases, Square Enix describes this game as such:
FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE is a reimagining of the iconic original game that re-defined the RPG genre, diving deeper into the world and its characters than ever before. The first game in the project will be set in the eclectic city of Midgar and presents a fully standalone gaming experience that provides a great starting point to the series.
You have to wonder: how many people will see this box at GameStop or Target and think, ‘Wow, a remake of that game I loved in the 90s’ only to find that they’ve actually just gotten 1/10 of the story of that game they loved in the 90s?