Square Enix ended up angering a lot of fans during the PlayStation Experience conference held in December of last year. Instead of announcing a full remake of Final Fantasy VII, the company instead revealed that the PC version of the videogame is being ported over to the PlayStation 4.
Final Fantasy VII on PS4 is currently slated to come out this spring. However, Square Enix has remained quiet about the port so far aside from the initial unveiling. Below are five steps that we suggest the company to take in order to get fans excited to play Final Fantasy 7 on the PlayStation 4.
Fixing the English Translation
The original Final Fantasy VII had a pretty rough English translation when it came out for the PS1 in North America. While the initial PC port fixed some of the grammatical errors and typos (including the infamous “this guy are sick” line), there were still plenty of issues with the translated text that plagued the otherwise excellent JPRG.
Hopefully, Square Enix will be making even more changes to the translation with the upcoming PlayStation 4 release. In fact, the development team should redo the entire script if possible. Doing so will make the English version more faithful to the original source and should bring back a lot of fans who played the previous versions.
Addition of Trophies
Square Enix confirmed previously that Final Fantasy VII will be getting system-level exclusive features on the PlayStation 4. One of the extras could be the addition of trophies. The enhanced PC version of the game that was re-released on the PC in 2013 comes with achievements to unlock for defeating bosses, earning the last limit breaks, reaching the maximum level, recruiting the optional party members and more. Since all PlayStation 4 games come with trophy support so far, it would be really surprising if Final Fantasy 7 doesn’t.
Cross Save
Being able to use the cross save feature in the PS4 version of FF7 should also be a nice selling point. Square Enix can do this by giving players the ability to transfer the saves between the PlayStation 4 port with the PSOne Classic re-release that is available on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita.
Alternatively, they can also port the enhanced version of the JRPG to the Vita and enable the cross save feature between the handheld and PS4 releases. The company is already doing a similar thing with Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD Remaster.
Remastered and Switchable Soundtrack
Speaking of Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD Remaster, Square Enix decided to use a remixed soundtrack when the company ported the two games to the PlayStation 3 and Vita. Some fans did not liked some of the changes to the background music, however. As a result, Square Enix decided to add an exclusive option, where you can switch between the original and new soundtracks, for the upcoming PS4 release of Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD Remaster.
The development team should do something similar with the PlayStation 4 version of Final Fantasy VII. On one hand, they can give old fans something new to experience with a remixed soundtrack. The company should also let players switch between the new and old soundtracks for purists.
Physical Release and Collector’s Edition
If Square Enix really want to drive up the interests on the PS4 version of Final Fantasy 7, then they should consider doing a physical release. Although the JRPG is available for download on Steam and the Sony Entertainment Store, the disc version of the original PS1 version is still selling at high prices in second hand markets. This shows that there is still plenty of demand for a physical release for the product.
Of course, Square Enix should also consider releasing a collector’s edition of the theoretical disc copy as well. The company could include extras such as an art book, official soundtrack and even the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete Blu-ray. The millions of fans will easily snatch up every copy of Final Fantasy VII Collector’s Edition if the company is smart enough to announce one.
Hopefully, when Square Enix decide to share more on the PS4 port of Final Fantasy 7, they will reveal some of the things we mentioned above, which should make fans more excited for the game.