News
Final Fantasy VII Remake Game Runs Record 7-Minute TV 'Commercial'
posted on by Egan Loo
Square Enix aired a seven-minute television "commercial" for its Final Fantasy VII Remake game on Sunday shortly after midnight. According to the company, it is the longest commercial to broadcast on Japanese over-the-air television ever.
The commercial features actor Masataka Kubota (live-action Tokyo Ghoul film, live-action Death Note television) as an office worker who has never played the original Final Fantasy VII game, while actress Misato Morita (live-action One Week Friends, The Naked Director) plays his girlfriend who watched her big brother play the game when she was little. Finally, Tetsuji Tamayama (live-action Lupin III, NANA) plays a diehard fan of the original game. Kubota's character initially brushes off his boss and girlfriend's excited chatter over the game, but gradually becomes more intrigued by it.
In the game, every character can equip a Summon materia, an orb that gives them the ability to call a creature into battle. If a Summon materia is equipped, a special gauge will fill up gradually over time. Once full, the player can summon the creature to fight alongside the character for a limited time. The summoned creature battles independently but the player can also command it to perform special abilities. Once the timer drops to zero, the summon unleashes its ultimate attack. In the video, the summoned Ifrit uses Hellfire.
The game will feature an alternative "Classic Mode" that switches the combat from its default real-time action RPG style to a menu-based combat system similar to the original game and older Final Fantasy titles.
While players can still move characters, an ATB (active-time battle) gauge fills up over time. When filled, players can use the menu to select an action, and the character will automatically perform the action, making any necessary movements as they do so. In addition, using the game's command menu will bring the game to a near halt, allowing players time to select commands.
The game will launch worldwide on PlayStation 4 on March 3, 2020.
The game will have Deluxe, Digital Deluxe, and 1st Class Editions. The Deluxe Edition contains an art book, a mini-soundtrack CD, and a DLC Materia for Cactuar. The Digital Deluxe Edition contains a digital art book, a digital mini-soundtrack CD, and a DLC Materia for Carbuncle and Cactuar. The 1st Class Edition includes all the content from the Deluxe Edition, a DLC Materia for Carbuncle, as well as a Play Arts Kai figure named "Cloud Strife and Hardy Daytona." People who pre-order the game will receive a DLC Materia for Chocobo Chick. Digital pre-orders will also include a theme for the PS4 menu.
Tetsuya Nomura confirmed in an interview last November that the remake was the next PR priority for Square Enix after the release of Kingdom Hearts III this past January. Nomura is returning to the remake game as its director after serving as the character designer for the original game, and Kazushige Nojima is also returning to write the scenario.
Square Enix stated in a Japanese news post for the game in May, "production is underway on the work as multiple parts."
Square Enix announced the Final Fantasy VII remake in 2015. Square's original Final Fantasy VII game debuted for PlayStation in 1997.
Sources: Final Fantasy franchise's YouTube channel, Game Watch via Hachima Kikō
Update: Square Enix is also streaming a 13-minute "Special Edit" of the commercial:
