During Sony’s State of Play livestream today, Square Enix announced several new updates to the Final Fantasy VII Remake universe. Not only will the critically acclaimed game come to the PlayStation 5 on June 10, 2021, but the version being released on PS5 will be the enhanced and expanded Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade.
Not only does Intergrade come with various hardware optimizations and graphical improvements, it also comes with updates to the gameplay. Namely, the introduction of everyone’s favorite hyperactive ninja, Yuffie Kisaragi.
The full list of updates for the PS5 edition include:
- Immerse graphics with improved textures, lighting, and background environments.
- Players can switch between two game modes:
- “Graphics Mode” prioritizes 4K high-resolution graphics
- “Performance Mode” prioritizes smooth action at 60 frames per second
- A fully customizable “Photo Mode” so you can share your favorite moments on social media with even better shots.
- Haptic feedback integration for the DualSense controller, as well as dynamic bike racing with its adaptive triggers.
- New difficulty settings for ‘Classic Mode’ provide new ways to play
- Optimized loading times
For those who already own a copy of FF7R, Square Enix is providing players with a free PS5 enhancement update that will include all next gen enhancements as detailed above, at no extra cost.
As for Yuffie, Intergrade includes a brand new episode which features the ninja infiltrating the Shinra Corporation headquarters to steal a powerful form of materia. The new episode features several new characters along with expanded gameplay features with new combat and gameplay additions.
Players, who purchased Final Fantasy VII Remake on PS4 and upgrade to PS5 can purchase the new episode featuring Yuffie as a standalone dpc on the PlayStation Store. Owners of the disc version of FF7R on PS4 will require a PS5 console with a disc drive in order to take advantage of the free digital upgrade.
Intergrade will be available as a physical and digital Standard Edition, and as a Digital Deluxe Edition from the PlayStation Store. The Digital Deluxe Edition comes with a digital mini soundtrack featuring songs, such as “Descendant of Shinobi,” and a digital artbook which includes concept art and character sheets. Customers who pre-order the digital Standard Edition or Digital Deluxe Edition will receive the pre-order bonus Cacstar weapon for Yuffie.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, in all its forms, will be available for the PS5 worldwide on June 10, 2021.
In addition, Square Enix announced two new mobile games set in the world of Final Fantasy VII. Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier is a battle royal action game set in Midgar before the events of FF7. As a SOLDIER candidate, the player will make full use of their abilities in a battle for their survival, which should sound familiar since this is a Final Fantasy version of Fortnite and PUBG.
Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is a chapter-structured single player experience which will cover the whole of the FFVII timeline, including the events of the original game along with all the FFVII tie-in games, in addition to some new story. The mobile game was penned by Final Fantasy VII Remake story and scenario writer Kazushige Nojima. The story focused on the origins of the SOLDIER program.
More information on the two mobile games will be announced at a later date. However, The First Soldier is expected to release in 2021 while Ever Crisis is currently slated for a 2022 launch.
Finally, the FFVII REMAKE Original Soundtrack will be available on Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music Unlimited starting tomorrow, February 26, 2021. The soundtrack includes all 156 songs that brought life to Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Additionally, Game Director Tetsuya Nomura recently sat down with Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu to discuss the state of the Remake and its newly announced tie-in mobile games. However, it appears that Nomura will be stepping back from the game. According to twitter user Aitaikimochi‘s translations, the next installment of the Final Fantasy VII Remake will be directed by Naoki Hamaguchi while Nomura continues on as the Creative Director on the project instead.
Nomura’s interview with Famitsu also indicated that the new Yuffie focused chapter in Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade includes a boss battle against Weiss from Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus, though he exists as something of a secret boss. Nomura also offered some additional information on Yuffie’s presence in Midgar as she appears in the new chapter.
Nomura also teased some information on the updated battle system required for the DLC, which was teased during the initial announcement information released by Square Enix.
