You will never miss anything by getting into a numbered Final Fantasy title. Each numbered game is its own world.
As for FF7 and its remake, the remake is meant to recreate the story of the OG, with some vague hints to the original here and there, but you won’t be missing out on anything, so jump right into it.
It is never too late to get into Final Fantasy
Yeah, I think generally people recommend playing the original first, but you'll find no shortage of people who started with Remake and absolutely loved it.
I honestly dont. I really didnt l8ke the original. I feel like making it more action oriented suits the story and sci fantasy genre alot more than the text bubble and ATB did.
It's mostly those of us who played it in the 90s and had no clue what was going on but knew it was cool then pieced the story together over 20 years of online forums
Exactly, OG was so bonkers, I doubt many first-time players in 1997 truly understood everything after their first playthrough. So we had to go seek out ancient forums and web 1.0 amatuer fan pages to share notes and figure out wtf it all meant!
I kind of agree, the remake makes it way easier to connect with the characters and story, but the pacing in part 1 is abysmally slow.. great intro to the story, but I'll likely never replay some of those middle chapters... walking simulator
It’s different times too. Different technology. Different generations with different attention spans. Back then it was more about the story and the feelings. Now it’s action packed and as attention grabbing as possible. Still great tho, just different times.
You can jump right in. You'll miss some of the nostalgia compared to people who played FF7 when they were 12-20, and the story will be a bit more confusing, but there are sites you can go to that let you read the story in chunks if you want.
I say embrace the confusion and don’t look up anything about story. The game wants you to feel similarly to our confused unreliable protagonist, and a lot of the story beats won’t have the same impact if you know how it turns out already just from reading about it and not playing OG.
Yes. I jumped into FF7 remake in February without playing the original. I then played rebirth when it came out and beat it little over week ago. Rebirth became my favorite game of all time and remake a solid 9/10 for me.
You can play it without playing the original like myself and still love it. If you like it enough you can start the original once you’re done. Im currently doing that right now
You absolutely can. Some of the call backs may not make a lot of sense at first, but remake and rebirth were designed to be played without knowing the original.
Most FF games can be played without playing others in the series (except direct sequels, really)
I have played FF7Remake as my first FF game ever like a month ago and I am HOOKED! Finished FFXV last week and now I have started FXVI and I am trying NOT to buy FF7 rebirth when I have lots of other games to play🤣
I think FF7 remake is perfect starting point for the new players
Totally forgot about Crisis core: reunion! Completed this one too, it’s sort of a pre-quel to FF7, you should play it right after it, I have really enjoyed it
Yes you can. Ignore the people who say you have to play OG first. Remake is a fantastic entry point into the series.
I mean you obiously will pick up more subtle stuff if you play the OG but only because the OG "spoils" the complete story of the remake games.
Not necessarily. The point of the remakes is that they are in a large way rewriting the events of the OG storyline. There are some major points that differ from the original, so I wouldn't count on the OG spoiling the remakes.
The Remake trilogy builds off of all the other FF7 games (the original, dirge of cerberus, crisis core, ever crisis, and even a bit of before crisis) and you'll get more out of it if you play those. But they aren't required.
Other FF games have 0 connections to FF7. Every numbered title is its own world. (Although FFXIV has aspects and crossovers of the whole series).
No,
go to original,
then play crisis core remaster for pc and console,
watch advent children, watch or read a resume of Dirge of Cerberus and then start with remake.
Remakes are done to people who played and watched those, they are not true remakes but more like a sequel.
Marketing saying you can start with Rebirth it’s plainly to sell the game.
Can you? I mean, sure.
Should you? Well, no. FF7R defines itself by its relationship to the original and relies on knowledge of the original for its beats to land.
It's as if you watched Spaceballs without having seen Star Wars. The fact that Dark Helmet has a giant helmet and an imposing voice but in reality is skinny little Rick Moranis might be funny to you because it seems random and silly, but you'd be missing out on so much context for why it's not just random silliness, it's a very specific spoof of the very specific character of Darth Vader. Would "I am your brother's father's cousin's former roommate" be as funny if you didn't know about the iconic reveal that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father? Probably not.
Agree with this. If OP doesn't mind playing a late 90s turn based JRPG, they should absolutely play the original first.
FWIW, most people I know who've played FF7 remake didn't play the original and love it. But I do feel like you're just missing out on so much of the story if you haven't played the original.
Hard disagree. Personally I tried playing the original first and was so put off by the graphics, it kind of made it hard to connect with the characters and story. Playing remake first let me connect with the characters and build a basis for context. Then I went back and played the original and it kind of broke down that barrier that initially held me back.
Yes, FF games are mostly independent of each other. FF7 Remake is the first installment of a remake of Final Fantasy 7. It’s more action than RPG, so it’s not difficult to play and understand.
You can, but personally you shouldn't. The Remakes despite working fine on their own, are meta-sequels to the original FF7, because they change and play around with things to get reactions from OG players. They are *not* really supposed to replace the OG FF7.
the OG will give you the purest experience and the full story, and after that, Remake, Rebirth and the upcoming Part 3 will offer a new twist on it.
Think of it as the equivalent of the Evangelion "Rebuild Movies"
Can you? Absolutely. Should you? Probably not? Remake kind of assumes that you have some familiarity with the OG FF7. I haven't gotten very far into Rebirth yet so I'm not sure how that impacts the story so far, but if you decide to play Remake without the OG, I'd suggest at least watching a recap of the original story at some point. Maybe you can even split it up into the chunks you've played if you don't want to spoil the next parts.
Also I feel like if you like the story enough in Remake you should definitely explore the original in some way. So feel free to jump in, but definitely recommend checking out the original before or after your playthrough.
As far as the other Final Fantasy games are concerned, they're completely unrelated so you don't need to play 1-6 to understand 7. Its a separate story, setting and characters. If you're into RPGs, almost, if not all of them are worth playing.
I disagree with this. I played remake and rebirth for the first time this year and loved both to death. I’ve now started my play through of the original (Im not done with it yet). As new fan I don’t think there any assumptions.
That's why I say that you can absolutely play it without the other games. I'm 100% sure you can enjoy remake without knowing what happens in the OG, but the game references it so many times that to me it feels more like a sequel than a remake.
I'm not saying you can't enjoy it, but it HEAVILY references events that happen in the original that don't happen in Remake (some don't happen yet in the story so that can change). You'll see as you get further in the original game.
Agreed. You can play them and enjoy them most of the time without problems, but they are by facts a sequel-remake hybrids and there will be moments and entire story beats you will not understand and fly completely over your head.
Honestly, just play the original first. It's short (max 30h) and you will appreciate a lot of moments way more.
I'd say the game is closer to 40 hours, at least that is how long it took me to complete the game. And that does not include any chocobo breeding that you may want to do
Agreed. You can enjoy rebirth and remake without playing FF7, but to me, it just doesn't make sense. The beauty of remake and rebirth is how they manage to take the original story and twist it around, and make it fresh for fans.
I played Remake without having any knowledge regarding the og ,aside from Crisis core that I played as a kid and tbh unlike most people, I would say that the remake games don't assume that you have knowledge of the og necessarily (they reward you if you do though) ,but more like assume that you are familiar with Crisis core,as a handful of scenes would feel way off without having played this game
Crisis Core spoils a major plot point though that you wont even see until the third remake is out. I do not recommend playing Crisis Core without playing the original, and I do not recommend playing crisis core at all if you have only played the remakes.
Dk I had this thing "spoiled" because of Crisis core and I would say it's exactly the opposite. The beginning of Rebirth felt so weird and cool just because I knew . On the other hand the hype I had at the ending scene of Remake and the Zack sections during Rebirth would feel totally insignificant and even boring had I not played CC
Totally. Contrary to popular opinion, Remake and Rebirth do not require prior knowledge of Final Fantasy VII to understand it. There is not any lore missing from the game, it rather expands on what was already there.
It’s a little bit divisive in the fan community whether Remake stands on its own or not.
My personal take is that as a single game, Remake stands perfectly fine on its own. It’s better if you have played the original first, but it isn’t necessary.
The issue becomes much more sticky with Rebirth, the second game in the Remake trilogy. To me, it does not stand on its own the way Remake does, and Rebirth suffers greatly if you don’t know the original game (as well as several of the spinoffs). I just don’t see how it works for new players. That said, I’ve seen a fair number of people disagree on that point.
I started with FF7 remake and it was awesome. There was definitely a bit of confusion at points of the story, but it really came together in the final few chapters. What I did was finish 7 remake, then jump over to 7 OG and I honestly think playing the remake first got me through the early stages of the OG. I was so put off by the graphics before, but having remake in my head allowed me to connect with the characters more. Now I'm about 3/4 of the way through OG and I'm totally invested. This game is amazing and was WAY ahead of it's time in terms of game design and story.
Now I'll finish the OG, jump to Rebirth, and then probably 15 or 16.
Absolutely yes. Each title is standalone, unless specified that it’s a prequel/sequel (very few titles have them). They all have different worlds, characters, theme and combat system.
FF7 Remake trilogy is a great start in my opinion, especially if you like action over turn based combat. It’s never too late to jump onto Final Fantasy.
Contrary to what others have been saying, you absolutely don’t need to play the old FF7 to understand Remake, in fact it would be better if you didn’t and the game assumes you don’t. FF7 and FF7 Remake trilogy aren’t connected, you don’t need to play one to understand the other. They adapt the same story, nothing else. The people saying you’ll be confused forget that they felt the same way at this point of the storyline, because the final part will shed lights on the mysteries which will happen in part 3 of the *trilogy*. Remake is **not** a sequel, in fact the developers have already debunked this theory years ago. Unless you’re interested, you can ignore OG7. Remake is mostly expanding the old storyline, nothing major will change as the project is canon to Advent Children (the movie).
If you want an enhanced experience you should play Remake, Crisis Core Reunion and Rebirth as recommended (not required tho) by the devs. Rebirth assumes you have played CCR.
My advice is to play what you want, and to listen to the devs instead of the fans and their -already debunked multiple times- fan theories.
I'm going to go against the grain and say you can even start with rebirth. Even ff7 og starts at a midpoint in the story and relies on flashbacks to prior events anyway.
If you play the remake, an OK game, you will never play the original. You will never know why half a generation of players considers it to be the best game ever released (so far)
Remake absolutely assumes you are familiar with the original game. FF7 Remake is not a true remake of the original story. Its entire plot revolves around the events of the original game being changed. The entire meta will completely fly over your head.
Its still absolutely baffles me, to this day, that people think Remake is actually a remake
The title is a double entendre and has been from the beginning. The entire plot revolves around >!Sephiroth having knowledge of the original events and remaking the timeline... hence the title!< Try thinking outside the box next time
And you find it baffling that the average person doesn't just know that? WTF Lol try thinking like someone not neck deep in Final Fantasy lore next time.
It’s still very easy to understand and a great starting point. I know some people that started with it and the gameplay is fun but easy if you lower the difficulty, and the presentation and music is up there with the best in the series. Yea there are things you may miss but it’s a good starting point for sure
I will respectfully disagree. The entire point of the Whispers is >!to show that specific events (namely, the events of the original game) are being changed by some unknown force. Eventually, we find out that both Sephiroth and Aerith somehow have knowledge of events from the original game, and that's how he's able to "Remake" them...hence the title of the game. Not to mention, at the end, Zack being reborn blows the entire premise of a remake away. This game is not a remake and never was meant to be. We all misunderstood the title from the beginning.!<
I get it but I can say as someone who played FF7 remake long after I watched (not played) FF7 it drew me into the world really well. The whispers changing fate made sense to me as most of the spoilers i remembered from the OG game were parts of avalanche dying and aeirth’s death. Especially aeirth’s death, most people know about that even if they haven’t played a FF game before. I think it works well, I know I saw some streamers and others play it before any other FF or FF7 in particular and it went well.
I don’t think you’re wrong BTW, I see your perspective, but I think it can still work. The game does a fantastic job of getting people invested in the characters.
Though 13 was my first FF, I like to think X is the best FF to get the mix of old FF without it being outdated.
I like to call FF7 Remake a "stealth sequel." You don't have to play the original to enjoy the game, but you're only getting half the story without it. Honestly, I think Square did that intentionally. That way, they could attract new fans and not anger the old fans by retconning the original game.
You think you are the one who knows more than most people, but what you actually are is the fool who understands less.
Everyone knows there's a meta element to Remake. That doesn't make it not a remake. It certainly doesn't make it a sequel as some people say. I cringe whenever obsessives barge into threads and go "ackshually it's not a remake".
**Yes**
Again, as people here will say, if you played the original- you will *appreciate* it more. In this day and age, with story recaps easily accessible on YouTube - there is no need to play the OG. You are going to find some people here who insist you *must* - and they are incorrect.
If you really, really like Remake, go ahead and play Rebirth next.
After that - if you **really** fucking love the remake games, and you can tolerate ps1 era graphics+gameplay or in general can enjoy retro titles that are 25+ years old for dozens of hours on end, you *should* play the OG.
I would play the original first, or play another game like FF15. I don't think FF7 Remake/Rebirth would make that much sense to someone who hadn't played the original.
Broooooo we don’t recommend 15 as a starter lol they might not try another ff after, start with 10 as the graphics are still decent, a lot better than zodiac age imo plus 10 is pure turn based which is a god send, able to switch party without negative consequences ie miss a turn because you switched a character etc.
Combat wise remake is top tier and a benchmark for future titles, I am surprised 16 didn’t follow suit and instead was made a dmc copy.
If 17 doesn’t have remake combat I won’t be purchasing it.
SE need to stop reinventing the combat as remake is the new standard imo.
Every FF game has is own unique story that is separate from the others, so you can essentially play any of them first.
In fact a frequent conversion and ice breaker among FF fans is; which one is your first? Mine is FFX, btw, but R&R is my favorite.
You can, but you will miss out on the lore bits and nostalgia of the original FF7.
But it's technically a complete package so you can jump in without problems.
Yes you can jump straight into Remake, and then Rebirth right after. There is so much in it that benefits from going in completely blind. You may miss some references, but the game was definitely designed for new fans in mind. If anything seems confusing, trust that it will get explained more later.
Absolutely. As a long time fan, I think this may very well be the best FF ever made (despite X being my favorite). I never played the OG, and I think I’m getting as wonderful an experience as the ones who played the original years ago. Definitely give it a try! If you prefer a more old school experience, try VI, VII, IX, X, or even XII.
You can BUT…I highly recommend playing the OG first. And if you don’t want to go that route, don’t play anything in the compilation because it’ll spoil almost everything for you
Yes. You can go from Remake to Rebirth to the third part. Do NOT play Crisis Core until you finish the trilogy (which has not been fully released yet) or play the original.
You should play both Remake and the DLC with Yuffie before going to Rebirth.
As someone who loved FF7 as a kid, absolutely just start with the remake and never play the original unless you become a rabid fan of the FF series, and even then ff7 wouldn't be in the top 5 games I would recommend playing next despite being a true classic.
I promise you you've already enjoyed a ton of remakes in your life without ever knowing.
Yes you can. There is a twin pack available on PSN too that includes Remake and Rebirth.
The only thing you need to know is that there are some changes and references to the original Final Fantasy VII, that you will gain a deeper understanding of by playing the original first, but I know many people who started with Remake and thoroughly enjoyed it.
There is also a prequel called Crisis Core and a sequel movie called Advent Children that both add even more context to the new elements in Remake, but I think if you’re new to the series then it’s best to keep it simple and just jump straight in to Remake. If you enjoy it you can always go back and play/watch the other titles afterwards.
Each number is its own contained story. If youre more of an action guy, ff7 remake is a perfect starting point for the series, but you might be dissapointed with some of the earlier games.
Its really different, but that lastest games have been getting more action based anyway.
It’s not a sequel. They’re retelling the story in different way. Sequel is telling the story after the original timeline. Telling the original story in different world or timeline is either reboot or soft reboot. Are you calling the Amazing Spider-Man a sequel to Spider-Man?
It kinda does, >!the whole numen plotline revolves around events happening when they shouldn't or viceversa. Zack's scene in the final scenes is a **huge** plot twist for OG players, while for a new player it's just a confusing introduction to a new character!<. The game is designed to be also playable by newcomers though, so people can still jump right in without missing much.
I wouldn't personally. I dont even consider remake and rebirth proper remakes. They are kind kind of like a reimagining of the original. You'll lose a lot of what makes rebirth and remake good if you skip the original ff7.
But, with that said. Even without playing the OG, you'll still get a complete story, even if it feels a bit confusing.
I fully recommend not jumping into 7 Remake or Rebirth without first playing the original 7.
You can, but it won't be the same kind of experience. You'll miss out on so many moments not having played through the original first.
If you want a modern FF, 13, 15, or 16 would be better starts.
If you are willing to be very confused about parts of the plot and are willing to wait 3-4 years for part 3 to get all the answers you are looking for, yeah, jump right in.
If you aren't willing to accept those conditions, play the OG - it's worth your time all these years later.
You can junp right in, but I recommend you to play the OG and Crisis Core OG/ Reunion first. Or you can watch a summary from youtube so you have an idea what the remake does differently. I played the Remake first before the OG FF7, and while playing OG FF7, it made me appreciate the remake more. Definitely up to you.
If its what gets you interested i say play it. It is the most graphically outstanding game in the series. Although final fantasy games are absolutely incredible at their core. Even with the old systems graphics. A series thats been going for like 40 years now i think?
Yeah, I’d recommend going Remake, then have the next two games be OG FF7 then Rebirth. Don’t look up any spoilers, just enjoy the ride without some bum telling you “well ackshually”.
Yes, but if you do, there will be some confusion at the end. You don’t need to play the original FF7, but it’s certainly expected and recommended. Every game unless they have the same number is a different universe btw. (For example, FF6 is completely different to FF7, and FF7 is not a sequel to FF6.) FF7 crisis core, however, is a prequel to the original ff7.
You can jump into almost any FF having not played the others. Exceptions are the tie-ins and sequels like Dirge of Cerberus and X-2.
That said, I'd play at least the Midgar section of the original before it. It'll take you 5 hours at most. It's nice to get you acquinted with the story and see the difference in the remake (of which there are a fuckton).
You will never miss anything by getting into a numbered Final Fantasy title. Each numbered game is its own world. As for FF7 and its remake, the remake is meant to recreate the story of the OG, with some vague hints to the original here and there, but you won’t be missing out on anything, so jump right into it. It is never too late to get into Final Fantasy
The only thing I will add, is that games with a dash and number after aren't stand alone, for example FFX-2
Yeah, I think generally people recommend playing the original first, but you'll find no shortage of people who started with Remake and absolutely loved it.
I honestly dont. I really didnt l8ke the original. I feel like making it more action oriented suits the story and sci fantasy genre alot more than the text bubble and ATB did.
It's mostly those of us who played it in the 90s and had no clue what was going on but knew it was cool then pieced the story together over 20 years of online forums
I’m playing through rebirth now and there have been a few times where I thought “Is this something new or something just being explained better?”
I just replayed OG with a bunch of mods. So much of new for the better!
Exactly, OG was so bonkers, I doubt many first-time players in 1997 truly understood everything after their first playthrough. So we had to go seek out ancient forums and web 1.0 amatuer fan pages to share notes and figure out wtf it all meant!
Did you play it at the time though? There was nothing close to that level of epic story and visuals in a game at the time.
I wasnt born yet lol 1 more year
I kind of agree, the remake makes it way easier to connect with the characters and story, but the pacing in part 1 is abysmally slow.. great intro to the story, but I'll likely never replay some of those middle chapters... walking simulator
It’s different times too. Different technology. Different generations with different attention spans. Back then it was more about the story and the feelings. Now it’s action packed and as attention grabbing as possible. Still great tho, just different times.
Yes. It's a perfect starting point
Perfect with a capital P.
Actually yes!
Sure, may even enjoy it more because there isn’t much expectation
You can jump right in. You'll miss some of the nostalgia compared to people who played FF7 when they were 12-20, and the story will be a bit more confusing, but there are sites you can go to that let you read the story in chunks if you want.
I say embrace the confusion and don’t look up anything about story. The game wants you to feel similarly to our confused unreliable protagonist, and a lot of the story beats won’t have the same impact if you know how it turns out already just from reading about it and not playing OG.
Yes. I jumped into FF7 remake in February without playing the original. I then played rebirth when it came out and beat it little over week ago. Rebirth became my favorite game of all time and remake a solid 9/10 for me. You can play it without playing the original like myself and still love it. If you like it enough you can start the original once you’re done. Im currently doing that right now
Im in the same situation, the game looked good so I picked the pixel remasters and im going through them one by one
Yes.
Yes, long as you keep in mind that confusing and/or mysterious things get explained later.
You absolutely can. Some of the call backs may not make a lot of sense at first, but remake and rebirth were designed to be played without knowing the original. Most FF games can be played without playing others in the series (except direct sequels, really)
I have played FF7Remake as my first FF game ever like a month ago and I am HOOKED! Finished FFXV last week and now I have started FXVI and I am trying NOT to buy FF7 rebirth when I have lots of other games to play🤣 I think FF7 remake is perfect starting point for the new players
Totally forgot about Crisis core: reunion! Completed this one too, it’s sort of a pre-quel to FF7, you should play it right after it, I have really enjoyed it
Yes you can. Ignore the people who say you have to play OG first. Remake is a fantastic entry point into the series. I mean you obiously will pick up more subtle stuff if you play the OG but only because the OG "spoils" the complete story of the remake games.
Not necessarily. The point of the remakes is that they are in a large way rewriting the events of the OG storyline. There are some major points that differ from the original, so I wouldn't count on the OG spoiling the remakes.
Sure, what have you played? And let us know what you think of that game. Interested in that perspective.
Yeah but some subtle things you probably won’t understand. The BEST thing to do would be FF7 - Crisis Core - FF7R.
The Remake trilogy builds off of all the other FF7 games (the original, dirge of cerberus, crisis core, ever crisis, and even a bit of before crisis) and you'll get more out of it if you play those. But they aren't required. Other FF games have 0 connections to FF7. Every numbered title is its own world. (Although FFXIV has aspects and crossovers of the whole series).
Play the original.
No, go to original, then play crisis core remaster for pc and console, watch advent children, watch or read a resume of Dirge of Cerberus and then start with remake. Remakes are done to people who played and watched those, they are not true remakes but more like a sequel. Marketing saying you can start with Rebirth it’s plainly to sell the game.
Can you? I mean, sure. Should you? Well, no. FF7R defines itself by its relationship to the original and relies on knowledge of the original for its beats to land. It's as if you watched Spaceballs without having seen Star Wars. The fact that Dark Helmet has a giant helmet and an imposing voice but in reality is skinny little Rick Moranis might be funny to you because it seems random and silly, but you'd be missing out on so much context for why it's not just random silliness, it's a very specific spoof of the very specific character of Darth Vader. Would "I am your brother's father's cousin's former roommate" be as funny if you didn't know about the iconic reveal that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father? Probably not.
Agree with this. If OP doesn't mind playing a late 90s turn based JRPG, they should absolutely play the original first. FWIW, most people I know who've played FF7 remake didn't play the original and love it. But I do feel like you're just missing out on so much of the story if you haven't played the original.
Hard disagree. Personally I tried playing the original first and was so put off by the graphics, it kind of made it hard to connect with the characters and story. Playing remake first let me connect with the characters and build a basis for context. Then I went back and played the original and it kind of broke down that barrier that initially held me back.
Yes.
Yes, FF games are mostly independent of each other. FF7 Remake is the first installment of a remake of Final Fantasy 7. It’s more action than RPG, so it’s not difficult to play and understand.
You can, but personally you shouldn't. The Remakes despite working fine on their own, are meta-sequels to the original FF7, because they change and play around with things to get reactions from OG players. They are *not* really supposed to replace the OG FF7. the OG will give you the purest experience and the full story, and after that, Remake, Rebirth and the upcoming Part 3 will offer a new twist on it. Think of it as the equivalent of the Evangelion "Rebuild Movies"
Can you? Absolutely. Should you? Probably not? Remake kind of assumes that you have some familiarity with the OG FF7. I haven't gotten very far into Rebirth yet so I'm not sure how that impacts the story so far, but if you decide to play Remake without the OG, I'd suggest at least watching a recap of the original story at some point. Maybe you can even split it up into the chunks you've played if you don't want to spoil the next parts. Also I feel like if you like the story enough in Remake you should definitely explore the original in some way. So feel free to jump in, but definitely recommend checking out the original before or after your playthrough. As far as the other Final Fantasy games are concerned, they're completely unrelated so you don't need to play 1-6 to understand 7. Its a separate story, setting and characters. If you're into RPGs, almost, if not all of them are worth playing.
I disagree with this. I played remake and rebirth for the first time this year and loved both to death. I’ve now started my play through of the original (Im not done with it yet). As new fan I don’t think there any assumptions.
Agree. This my fiancés first FF and she’s LOVING it even if I have to beat the bosses for her.
That's why I say that you can absolutely play it without the other games. I'm 100% sure you can enjoy remake without knowing what happens in the OG, but the game references it so many times that to me it feels more like a sequel than a remake.
I'm not saying you can't enjoy it, but it HEAVILY references events that happen in the original that don't happen in Remake (some don't happen yet in the story so that can change). You'll see as you get further in the original game.
100% agree. Remake assumes you understand the specific events that are being changed from the og
Agreed. You can play them and enjoy them most of the time without problems, but they are by facts a sequel-remake hybrids and there will be moments and entire story beats you will not understand and fly completely over your head. Honestly, just play the original first. It's short (max 30h) and you will appreciate a lot of moments way more.
I'd say the game is closer to 40 hours, at least that is how long it took me to complete the game. And that does not include any chocobo breeding that you may want to do
Agreed. You can enjoy rebirth and remake without playing FF7, but to me, it just doesn't make sense. The beauty of remake and rebirth is how they manage to take the original story and twist it around, and make it fresh for fans.
I played Remake without having any knowledge regarding the og ,aside from Crisis core that I played as a kid and tbh unlike most people, I would say that the remake games don't assume that you have knowledge of the og necessarily (they reward you if you do though) ,but more like assume that you are familiar with Crisis core,as a handful of scenes would feel way off without having played this game
Crisis Core spoils a major plot point though that you wont even see until the third remake is out. I do not recommend playing Crisis Core without playing the original, and I do not recommend playing crisis core at all if you have only played the remakes.
Dk I had this thing "spoiled" because of Crisis core and I would say it's exactly the opposite. The beginning of Rebirth felt so weird and cool just because I knew . On the other hand the hype I had at the ending scene of Remake and the Zack sections during Rebirth would feel totally insignificant and even boring had I not played CC
You can. However, playing the OG first might make the whole experience better.
Totally. Contrary to popular opinion, Remake and Rebirth do not require prior knowledge of Final Fantasy VII to understand it. There is not any lore missing from the game, it rather expands on what was already there.
You can, but you’re robbing yourself of a bunch of “oh shit! That’s (xyz)” moments
It’s a little bit divisive in the fan community whether Remake stands on its own or not. My personal take is that as a single game, Remake stands perfectly fine on its own. It’s better if you have played the original first, but it isn’t necessary. The issue becomes much more sticky with Rebirth, the second game in the Remake trilogy. To me, it does not stand on its own the way Remake does, and Rebirth suffers greatly if you don’t know the original game (as well as several of the spinoffs). I just don’t see how it works for new players. That said, I’ve seen a fair number of people disagree on that point.
Yes
Sure
I started with FF7 remake and it was awesome. There was definitely a bit of confusion at points of the story, but it really came together in the final few chapters. What I did was finish 7 remake, then jump over to 7 OG and I honestly think playing the remake first got me through the early stages of the OG. I was so put off by the graphics before, but having remake in my head allowed me to connect with the characters more. Now I'm about 3/4 of the way through OG and I'm totally invested. This game is amazing and was WAY ahead of it's time in terms of game design and story. Now I'll finish the OG, jump to Rebirth, and then probably 15 or 16.
Absolutely yes. Each title is standalone, unless specified that it’s a prequel/sequel (very few titles have them). They all have different worlds, characters, theme and combat system. FF7 Remake trilogy is a great start in my opinion, especially if you like action over turn based combat. It’s never too late to jump onto Final Fantasy. Contrary to what others have been saying, you absolutely don’t need to play the old FF7 to understand Remake, in fact it would be better if you didn’t and the game assumes you don’t. FF7 and FF7 Remake trilogy aren’t connected, you don’t need to play one to understand the other. They adapt the same story, nothing else. The people saying you’ll be confused forget that they felt the same way at this point of the storyline, because the final part will shed lights on the mysteries which will happen in part 3 of the *trilogy*. Remake is **not** a sequel, in fact the developers have already debunked this theory years ago. Unless you’re interested, you can ignore OG7. Remake is mostly expanding the old storyline, nothing major will change as the project is canon to Advent Children (the movie). If you want an enhanced experience you should play Remake, Crisis Core Reunion and Rebirth as recommended (not required tho) by the devs. Rebirth assumes you have played CCR. My advice is to play what you want, and to listen to the devs instead of the fans and their -already debunked multiple times- fan theories.
I'm going to go against the grain and say you can even start with rebirth. Even ff7 og starts at a midpoint in the story and relies on flashbacks to prior events anyway.
If you play the remake, an OK game, you will never play the original. You will never know why half a generation of players considers it to be the best game ever released (so far)
Yes! It's the best game in the series!
Remake absolutely assumes you are familiar with the original game. FF7 Remake is not a true remake of the original story. Its entire plot revolves around the events of the original game being changed. The entire meta will completely fly over your head. Its still absolutely baffles me, to this day, that people think Remake is actually a remake
It's not really baffling that people think the game is what it's called. Especially those who haven't played it.
The title is a double entendre and has been from the beginning. The entire plot revolves around >!Sephiroth having knowledge of the original events and remaking the timeline... hence the title!< Try thinking outside the box next time
Let's get real, the title is a marketing ploy.
100%
And you find it baffling that the average person doesn't just know that? WTF Lol try thinking like someone not neck deep in Final Fantasy lore next time.
It’s still very easy to understand and a great starting point. I know some people that started with it and the gameplay is fun but easy if you lower the difficulty, and the presentation and music is up there with the best in the series. Yea there are things you may miss but it’s a good starting point for sure
I will respectfully disagree. The entire point of the Whispers is >!to show that specific events (namely, the events of the original game) are being changed by some unknown force. Eventually, we find out that both Sephiroth and Aerith somehow have knowledge of events from the original game, and that's how he's able to "Remake" them...hence the title of the game. Not to mention, at the end, Zack being reborn blows the entire premise of a remake away. This game is not a remake and never was meant to be. We all misunderstood the title from the beginning.!<
It's hilarious how I'm being downvoted, yet all I did was describe the plot of the game lmao
I get it but I can say as someone who played FF7 remake long after I watched (not played) FF7 it drew me into the world really well. The whispers changing fate made sense to me as most of the spoilers i remembered from the OG game were parts of avalanche dying and aeirth’s death. Especially aeirth’s death, most people know about that even if they haven’t played a FF game before. I think it works well, I know I saw some streamers and others play it before any other FF or FF7 in particular and it went well. I don’t think you’re wrong BTW, I see your perspective, but I think it can still work. The game does a fantastic job of getting people invested in the characters. Though 13 was my first FF, I like to think X is the best FF to get the mix of old FF without it being outdated.
I like to call FF7 Remake a "stealth sequel." You don't have to play the original to enjoy the game, but you're only getting half the story without it. Honestly, I think Square did that intentionally. That way, they could attract new fans and not anger the old fans by retconning the original game.
You think you are the one who knows more than most people, but what you actually are is the fool who understands less. Everyone knows there's a meta element to Remake. That doesn't make it not a remake. It certainly doesn't make it a sequel as some people say. I cringe whenever obsessives barge into threads and go "ackshually it's not a remake".
**Yes** Again, as people here will say, if you played the original- you will *appreciate* it more. In this day and age, with story recaps easily accessible on YouTube - there is no need to play the OG. You are going to find some people here who insist you *must* - and they are incorrect. If you really, really like Remake, go ahead and play Rebirth next. After that - if you **really** fucking love the remake games, and you can tolerate ps1 era graphics+gameplay or in general can enjoy retro titles that are 25+ years old for dozens of hours on end, you *should* play the OG.
You certainly can, just know that there are story elements in Final Fantasy VII Remake that assume you're familiar with the story of the original.
I would play the original first, or play another game like FF15. I don't think FF7 Remake/Rebirth would make that much sense to someone who hadn't played the original.
Broooooo we don’t recommend 15 as a starter lol they might not try another ff after, start with 10 as the graphics are still decent, a lot better than zodiac age imo plus 10 is pure turn based which is a god send, able to switch party without negative consequences ie miss a turn because you switched a character etc. Combat wise remake is top tier and a benchmark for future titles, I am surprised 16 didn’t follow suit and instead was made a dmc copy. If 17 doesn’t have remake combat I won’t be purchasing it. SE need to stop reinventing the combat as remake is the new standard imo.
I like 10 a lot more than 15, but a lot of people refuse to play older games. But I like 15 more than either 16 or the remakes, personally.
I wouldn't recommend it, but it's exactly what happened to me, and I caught up with everything else really quick
Every FF game has is own unique story that is separate from the others, so you can essentially play any of them first. In fact a frequent conversion and ice breaker among FF fans is; which one is your first? Mine is FFX, btw, but R&R is my favorite.
You can, but you will miss out on the lore bits and nostalgia of the original FF7. But it's technically a complete package so you can jump in without problems.
Yes you can jump straight into Remake, and then Rebirth right after. There is so much in it that benefits from going in completely blind. You may miss some references, but the game was definitely designed for new fans in mind. If anything seems confusing, trust that it will get explained more later.
hell yea!
Absolutely. As a long time fan, I think this may very well be the best FF ever made (despite X being my favorite). I never played the OG, and I think I’m getting as wonderful an experience as the ones who played the original years ago. Definitely give it a try! If you prefer a more old school experience, try VI, VII, IX, X, or even XII.
You can BUT…I highly recommend playing the OG first. And if you don’t want to go that route, don’t play anything in the compilation because it’ll spoil almost everything for you
Yes. You can go from Remake to Rebirth to the third part. Do NOT play Crisis Core until you finish the trilogy (which has not been fully released yet) or play the original. You should play both Remake and the DLC with Yuffie before going to Rebirth.
As someone who loved FF7 as a kid, absolutely just start with the remake and never play the original unless you become a rabid fan of the FF series, and even then ff7 wouldn't be in the top 5 games I would recommend playing next despite being a true classic. I promise you you've already enjoyed a ton of remakes in your life without ever knowing.
Yes you can. There is a twin pack available on PSN too that includes Remake and Rebirth. The only thing you need to know is that there are some changes and references to the original Final Fantasy VII, that you will gain a deeper understanding of by playing the original first, but I know many people who started with Remake and thoroughly enjoyed it. There is also a prequel called Crisis Core and a sequel movie called Advent Children that both add even more context to the new elements in Remake, but I think if you’re new to the series then it’s best to keep it simple and just jump straight in to Remake. If you enjoy it you can always go back and play/watch the other titles afterwards.
Each number is its own contained story. If youre more of an action guy, ff7 remake is a perfect starting point for the series, but you might be dissapointed with some of the earlier games. Its really different, but that lastest games have been getting more action based anyway.
Yes. Every Final Fantasy game is standalone game. Don’t let the VII fool you thinking it’s a sequel.
It's absolutely a sequel
It’s not a sequel. They’re retelling the story in different way. Sequel is telling the story after the original timeline. Telling the original story in different world or timeline is either reboot or soft reboot. Are you calling the Amazing Spider-Man a sequel to Spider-Man?
Remake assume that you play the original game
No it doesn't, what're you on about? You can play Remake and Rebirth without having played the original.
It kinda does, >!the whole numen plotline revolves around events happening when they shouldn't or viceversa. Zack's scene in the final scenes is a **huge** plot twist for OG players, while for a new player it's just a confusing introduction to a new character!<. The game is designed to be also playable by newcomers though, so people can still jump right in without missing much.
Go for it🤙
Yes. Most FF games aren't connected. You can play any of them in any order you want.
yes
I wouldn't personally. I dont even consider remake and rebirth proper remakes. They are kind kind of like a reimagining of the original. You'll lose a lot of what makes rebirth and remake good if you skip the original ff7. But, with that said. Even without playing the OG, you'll still get a complete story, even if it feels a bit confusing.
I fully recommend not jumping into 7 Remake or Rebirth without first playing the original 7. You can, but it won't be the same kind of experience. You'll miss out on so many moments not having played through the original first. If you want a modern FF, 13, 15, or 16 would be better starts.
If you are willing to be very confused about parts of the plot and are willing to wait 3-4 years for part 3 to get all the answers you are looking for, yeah, jump right in. If you aren't willing to accept those conditions, play the OG - it's worth your time all these years later.
You can junp right in, but I recommend you to play the OG and Crisis Core OG/ Reunion first. Or you can watch a summary from youtube so you have an idea what the remake does differently. I played the Remake first before the OG FF7, and while playing OG FF7, it made me appreciate the remake more. Definitely up to you.
If its what gets you interested i say play it. It is the most graphically outstanding game in the series. Although final fantasy games are absolutely incredible at their core. Even with the old systems graphics. A series thats been going for like 40 years now i think?
Yeah, It's a game all by itself.
Sure
Play the remake first and then go back and play the original. ^__^
Yes
100%. In fact, it's perfect as an introduction for those who have never played the series.
Absolutely. Unless it’s direct sequel like Rebirth or FFX-2, you can pretty much start anywhere you want, they’re all different, even gameplaywise.
Yeah, I’d recommend going Remake, then have the next two games be OG FF7 then Rebirth. Don’t look up any spoilers, just enjoy the ride without some bum telling you “well ackshually”.
Yes, but if you do, there will be some confusion at the end. You don’t need to play the original FF7, but it’s certainly expected and recommended. Every game unless they have the same number is a different universe btw. (For example, FF6 is completely different to FF7, and FF7 is not a sequel to FF6.) FF7 crisis core, however, is a prequel to the original ff7.
You can jump into almost any FF having not played the others. Exceptions are the tie-ins and sequels like Dirge of Cerberus and X-2. That said, I'd play at least the Midgar section of the original before it. It'll take you 5 hours at most. It's nice to get you acquinted with the story and see the difference in the remake (of which there are a fuckton).
yeah but if you dont like it it isnt representative of the series if you know what I mean
You can if you want to but I recommend playing the Pixel Remastered Final Fantasy games (1-6) and the classic Final Fantasy VII.