For years, video game fans clamored for a remake of the beloved 1997 game Final Fantasy VII. After all, we are in an era of sequels, reboots and remakes, with three different live-action versions of Spider-Man in theaters in the last 20 years. Why not do the same with one of the most acclaimed games of all time?
The original Final Fantasy VII broke new ground for the franchise, as this Times video shows. It was the series’s first leap into 3-D graphics. It ditched Final Fantasy’s typical swords-and-magic setting for a more futuristic, science-fictional one. It simplified some of the gameplay to attract newcomers. And it told a story about eco-terrorism and corporate greed destroying the planet — themes that resonated with gamers and nongamers alike.
Fans wanted to see how Square Enix, the company that makes Final Fantasy games, would revisit and update all of that with today’s technology.
Square Enix listened. It announced that it would remake the game. It is coming in three parts: The first installment, Final Fantasy VII Remake, came out in 2020. The second, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, is coming out this week. (Read The Times’s review.) The final part is expected in the next few years.
But the company did something weird. While it improved the graphics and gameplay to match modern standards, as expected, it also made changes to the story. And they are big changes.
In the original game, for example, the player does not fight the main villain, Sephiroth, until the very end. In the remake, you fight him in the first installment.
And the changes go even further. The remakes hint that Sephiroth is aware of what happened in the original Final Fantasy VII. In other words, he might know that he lost in the 1997 version, and be trying to change things to make sure he wins this time around. The game itself seems to be a metacommentary on fans’ expectations regarding remakes, and on developers’ desires to create something new.
This possibility of change has sparked a sense of wonder among players that is not typically associated with remakes. In the original game’s most shocking moment, Sephiroth killed a major character, Aerith. Now, fans are debating whether that moment will occur at all in the remakes: Could Aerith survive?
Gamers are largely embracing these changes. Remake, the first part, was a critical and financial success. And Rebirth is already one of the most anticipated games of the year.
NEWS
South Carolina Primary
FROM OPINION
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The anticorruption activist and opposition leader’s sudden death “represents the extinguishing of all hope for Russia’s turnaround,” Sasha Vasilyuk writes for CNN. But if Navalny taught activists anything, it’s to not be afraid: “The courage he demonstrated will be required in abundance to carry on the mission,” Bloomberg’s editorial board writes.
TALK | FROM THE TIMES MAGAZINE
I spoke with the author Patric Gagne, whose coming memoir, “Sociopath,” details her experiences living with sociopathy, which is a mental health condition associated with a disregard for right and wrong and a lack of empathy.
When I hear the word “sociopath,” I think of an antisocial, uncaring person who is interested only in satisfying his or her own desires. What’s a clearer or fuller picture?
Sociopathy is a perilous mental disorder; the traits associated with sociopathy aren’t great. But that only tells part of the story. The part that’s missing is you can be a sociopath and have a healthy relationship. That’s a very uncomfortable reality for some people. People want to believe that all sociopaths are monsters and that all monsters are easy to spot.
Are you able to describe how you’ve built a sense of morality?
Just because I don’t care about someone else’s pain, so to speak, doesn’t mean I want to cause more of it. I enjoy living in this society. I understand that there are rules. I choose to follow those rules because I understand the benefits of this world. That is different from people who follow the rules because they have to, they should, they want to be a good person.
Do you see your sociopathy as beneficial to you?
I think my sociopathy is entirely beneficial to me. I see my friends struggling with guilt. On an almost daily basis I think, I’m glad I don’t have that. The psychological characteristics of sociopathy are not inherently bad. Lack of remorse and shame and guilt has been misappropriated to mean this horrible thing, but again, just because I don’t care about you doesn’t mean I want to cause you more pain. I like that I don’t have guilt because I’m making my decisions based on logic, based on truth, as opposed to ought or should.
Adaptation: “Poor Things,” starring Emma Stone and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, is a weird movie. It was a weird book first.
A love song to his roots: “Remembering Peasants” presents a stirring elegy for a vanishing culture that bound us, relentlessly, to our agrarian origins.
Our editors’ picks: “Cocktails with George and Martha,” about the making of the movie “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” and eight other books.
Times best sellers: Marissa Meyer’s “With a Little Luck” finds good fortune on the young adult hardcover best-seller list.
THE MORNING RECOMMENDS …
Listen to these podcasts if you’re a foodie.
Sleep bundled up in an adult swaddle.
Wake up with the help of a calming sunrise alarm clock.
THE WEEK AHEAD
What to Watch For
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Belarusian parliamentary elections are today, the first since Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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Michigan primaries are Tuesday.
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Thursday is Leap Day.
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The deadline for Congress to avert a partial government shutdown is Friday.
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Iranian parliamentary elections are Friday.
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Idaho, Missouri and Michigan are holding Republican caucuses Saturday.
