Final Fantasy 7 Is Being Turned Into A Side-Scrolling Action Game

Square Enix aren't the only ones remaking Final Fantasy 7. A group of fans are now building Final Fantasy 7: Re-imagined, a 2D action game for PC based on the classic RPG.

Final Fantasy 7: Re-imagined's developers says that their game was inspired by retro side-scrollers like Dragons and Dungeons: Chronicles of Mystara and Streets of Rage. They combined 2D action with core features from FF7 like Materia and Guardian Forces.

The one-level demo lets players become Tifa or Cloud. You can also invite a friend for local co-op if you've got a controller. The recharging blue bar allows you to summon Barret for momentary assistance.

As you hurt enemies, you'll also charge up a green gem. When full, you can summon a Guardian Force. Cloud can use Ifrit in the demo while Tifa has Shiva. The full version of the game will allow players to earn and equip other Guardian Forces.

Players' attacks will be enhanced by the Materia they've equipped. Again, they'll be able to earn additional options throughout the game:

Again for simplicity purposes, both Cloud and Tifa comes pre-equipped with Fire, Ice and Lightning. At the end of a 4 hit combo, the Materia will be effected. Ice will freeze the enemies for X seconds for players to continue hitting them. And when the freeze ends, an extra damage is dealt to the enemies. Certain enemies are immuned. Fire Materia creates a fire ball that moves slowly to hit enemies along its path. An explosion at the end deals extra damage.

Players can earn experience points through their adventures. As they level up, they'll get the option to upgrade different aspecrs of their character such as their material level or number of summon gems.

The demo mission seems to be based on the opening for Final Fantasy 7, in which AVALANCHE attacks a Shinra reactor. Presumably each level from the full game will be based on some moment from the RPG's campaign.

Re-Imagined looks surprisingly great for a fan game. I just hope that Square Enix lets them finish it. As the game's website notes, it's a non-profit project "done purely for fun." Hopefully that disclaimer's enough to keep lawyers from shutting the game down.

Square Enix plans to make some big changes to Final Fantasy 7 for their own remake. They say that they're going to dramatically change the combat of the original PSOne RPG and make the game more realistic.

Pete Haas

Staff Writer at CinemaBlend.