Final Fantasy 7 launched on the PS4 this weekend. No, not the sweet looking remake that fans seem to be completely divided about, but rather the PC port of Final Fantasy 7 that launched on Steam in 2013. I was unsure whether I'd want to dive back into such a huge time-sink. After all, FF7 was not designed with today's gamer in mind. The pacing was slow and random encounters were too frequent. The story was fantastic though, which I had always thought would overshadow its archaic design.
That wasn't the case though, as I tried beating it when it released as a PSOne classic on PS3, then later on my PSP, then once again on my Vita. At that point, I never really gave the PC version a chance. The PS4 version, however, comes with some really great "cheats" that actually make the game a lot more enjoyable, at least by today's standards. I mean, listen, if I had the free time I once had as a young adult year's ago, I probably wouldn't mind giving this game another chance in its original state, but with two kids, a full-time job (one that requires me to play a bunch of different games no less) I simply don't have the time anymore.
With a press of a button, or two at once, you can now change the game's speed to 3x, disable random encounters or heal your entire party and fill up your Limit Break gauge. While the last one is a little bit game breaking, the first two are absolutely perfect for players who just mainly want to experience, or re-experience the story.
The 3x speed modifier speeds up the gameplay, however, it doesn't touch the game's sound and music thankfully. That means everything still sounds right. You're just moving at super speed making traversal or exploration a lot quicker. Likewise, turning off random encounters in certain situations is also smart. I wouldn't recommend turning them off outright, as you'll only be fighting bosses at that point, but use it at your convenience. If you feel like you've leveled up enough, turn them off so you can freely explore without the annoyance of being dragged into battle every 5 seconds. On the flipside, if you want to grind a bit, turn random encounters back on with 3x speed. Viola! Grinding made easy.
Granted, the PC version also had cheats of its own, such as the ability to max out your characters and give them every single spell and ability, but there is something relatively harmless about the ones on PS4. Well, maybe with the exception of the healing/Limit Break cheat.
If you're like me, someone who doesn't have a whole lot of hours in the day to play something you really want to, but you want to give FF7 a chance again after so many years, then the PS4 version is without a doubt, the definitive version of the game. And hey, this is the last time you'll get to experience the game in its original state before the Remake comes out. Not to mention, the game is just over $10 until December 10, and comes with a sweet theme.
