Ever since seeing the intro to Final Fantasy VII remade in HD in that PS3 tech demo back in 2005, I’ve been silently, yet sceptically, hoping for an upgraded remake of the game. Well, it looks like the reality of such a remake may or may not hinge on Square Enix’s upcoming mobile game.
Final Fantasy VII G-Bike was announced at E3 this week as a smartphone game for iOS and Android platforms. The game is basically the biking minigame from the original Final Fantasy VII, but more in-depth. For development, Square Enix turned to developer Cyber Connect 2, apparently something that Tetsuya Nomura had long considered.
“Until now, whenever we talked with Nomura about a project that would require outsourcing, his first choice was always Cyber Connect 2” said Final Fantasy VII director, Yoshinori Kitase, in an interview with Weekly Famitsu. Kitase explained that while Square Enix generally focused on making RPGs, they were not as adept at making action games, whereas Cyber Connect 2 was quite seasoned in the making of action games as well as captivating production.
As can be gathered from the trailer, G-Bike will be a stand-alone adaptation of the biking minigame from Final Fantasy VII with added features like jumping, sliding, magic, limit breaks, and other Final Fantasy VII-esque elements. The game will be in a free-to-play format and will be the first of a series, with other games to follow.
Kitase will act as producer for G-Bike. Asked where the game stands Kitase stated, “Well, FFVII has many spin-off pieces and for the fans, its image has spread rather diversely, so I feel that G-Bike will set the standard of if we were to make new a VII related piece now. If more is to come, this is the starting point, so both myself and Nomura are closely observing its quality.”
Asked a follow-up on the possibility of a modern remake of Final Fantasy VII, Kitase laughed, “Who knows? Mr. Matsuyama [of Cyber Connect 2] is making the foundation, and after the path has been paved, we might think about making it… At least that’s what could happen. In terms of the quality level and consumer response, it may all depend on [G-Bike]. We’re looking forward to the results.”
It’s hard to tell how serious he is, but if true, we could be one step closer to a Final Fantasy VII remake.
Final Fantasy VII G-Bike is scheduled for release on iOS and Android platforms in late 2014.
【今週の週刊ファミ通】E3で発表の『Bloodborne（ブラッドボーン）』や『FFVII Gバイク』などのスクープ情報満載！ 『フリーダムウォーズ』の付録も！（2014年6月26日発売号） [ファミ通.com]
Comments
9 responses to “Final Fantasy VII Bike Game Could Pave The Path To A Full Remake”
Man, I dont even remember a biking minigame in FF7
It was actually in there twice.
One was part of the main game (you had to defend the truck in front of you which had the other team members in it), before getting to the end of the highway and fighting a boss.
The second was in the gold saucer as an arcade game.
Really? It was the second last thing you had to do to escape Midgar after you fight Rufus. Then you battle the big wheely boss and then you’re shown the world map. Also you can play the G-Bike minigame at the Golden Saucer…
…I played this game far too much.
Yeah I finished the game, but still none of that is ringing any bells. I played this game way too little?
Woah, surprised to read this as to me it was always one of the highpoints of the game!
Yeah I remember it so well cause…
a) the FMV of getting the bike was so wicked sick
b) the biking minigame was pretty fun
c) Escaping Midgar and seeing there was a WHOLE FREAKING WORLD MAP TO EXPLORE was super exciting. Up till that point I almost expected the entire game to take place in Midgar itself.
I think that’s getting your hopes up a little. It’s not like Square are oblivious to the idea of a Final Fantasy VII remake. Their reasons must run deeper than just not having anyone around who feels like making it. My money is on them seeing Final Fantasy VII as a brand being stronger without a remake. If Final Fantasy VII gets remade it won’t live up to the expectations (nobody who loved it is still in school with infinite free time) which could hurt the brand overall.
If you want to read into it this way pretty much everything spun-off Final Fantasy VII looks like the starting point of a remake.
Still ignorant as hell to the internet. ‘We’re going to base whether people want a remake of one of the most popular games in history on a crappy mini-game that features for 2 minutes out of a 50+ hour game’. LOGIC’D
Stop trying to recreate the wheel!!
I don’t get the mindset of loving a game so much you want to play a different game. It’s a classic tht deserves its place in gaming without having to satisfy a vocal minority who can’t appreciate it in its true form.
If a mobile game is the basis of a remake they are already starting off on the wrong foot.
As long as they understand that an HD resolution update is not good enough for a remake. We can already get the original game on playstation and PC. And no goddamn mobile release. That is a sure-fire way to waste the opportunity. What I want is a full graphical overhaul. Keep the gameplay the same, redo the graphics completely.
But obviously that has massive logistical issues because the game was built with fixed perspectives and pre-rendered backgrounds, and a lot of the hidden items and materia in the game took advantage of that controlled occlusion. Not sure how they’d even be able to pull it off to be honest…
I would prefer if squeenix would leave it alone, Everything they touch in recent years gets diseased and dies.