Final Fantasy VII remake to ditch original battle system, will be more action oriented

Final Fantasy VII Remake director Tetsuya Nomura has confirmed in a recent interview tha,t despite fan backlash, the game will do away with the classic Active Time Battle (ATB) system. As expected, the game will control and feel far more similar to Final Fantasy XV or the Kingdom Hearts games.

Speaking with Dengeki Online, and translated by KH13, Nomura expresses regret that he can’t share any information on the game’s 20th anniversary. However, he plans to do so in the near future.

The battles in [FFVII] have greatly changed from the original, since they’re something with more action in them. The next time I release information about [FFVII REMAKE], I think that I’ll definitely have to explain the specifics of what the battle system has become to the players. I think right now that nobody is really able to imagine a concrete battle, so I’m in the middle of coming up with steps that I can show and explain to people, “It’s this kind of battle.”

We’ve heard a lot of [FFVII] fans also say that they want to play the game with the original ATB style, but for the remake we’re proceeding toward an action-heavy style. Of course, we’ve added systems that future fans will be able to enjoy, so people who are bad at action-style battles, please don’t worry. For those who excel at action-style battles, we’re working to make this a system that’s different than what you’ve used before and can still enjoy. Recently, we checked the Guard Scorpion at the beginning of the game, and I think you’ll be satisfied with the realism you’ll feel there.

In the interview, Nomura also talks in depth about the upcoming Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 release as well.

Why it Matters

Final Fantasy fans have been clamoring for a Final Fantasy VII remake for a very long time, more so than any other game in the series. With the announcement and first footage, many were shocked to find that Square Enix is going back and actually remaking the game as opposed to simply giving it a simple facelift. Some agree with the direction, others don’t.

I fall into the earlier category and think that the game should be re-imagined into a different experience, one that lets the two games stand on an even keel . Otherwise, Final Fantasy VII Remake would exist simply to be a replacement for the original, and I see only two possible outcomes there. It either falls hard when living up to expectations, or it shatters an important part of gaming history, rendering such a towering classic obsolete for future generations.