| Final Fantasy VII Remake inLittleBigPlanet | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Jamie Colliver |
| Series | Final Fantasy (unofficial) |
| Release | July 2024 |
| Genre | Role-playing |
| Mode | Single-player |
Final Fantasy VII Remake is an unlicensed remake ofSquareSoft's role-playing video gameFinal Fantasy VII in theLittleBigPlanet 2 engine by Jamie Colliver.[1] Colliver's adaptation reimagines the original game as a platformer, with all scenes, locations, dialogue, and songs from the game's original soundtrack recreated. It takes approximately 25 hours to complete.[2][3][4] Due to the unavailability of theLittleBigPlanet servers, a playthrough is accessible on Colliver's YouTube channel through a 141-video playlist titled "Final Fantasy VII Remake inLittleBigPlanet Walkthrough".[5][6]
InFinal Fantasy VII the game begins in the Lifestream, whereCloud Strife relives and witnesses his memories of the original game's story and side missions. The player controls Mini-Cloud, a reflection of Cloud's mental state in the Lifestream, through a variety of platforming levels covering his memories of the original game.
LittleBigPlanet's platforming mechanics introduce gameplay elements not present in the originalFinal Fantasy VII, such as a grappling hook to reach the next location and scuba gear to fight underwater enemies. The game employs a side-scrolling platformer format with a pseudo-3D aesthetic, creating a compact and visually distinct interpretation of the original world.
During boss encounters, players can switch between up to three characters, using various abilities modeled after the original turn-based system. Enemies and bosses can be defeated by jumping on their exposed Creature Brain, a gameplay mechanic unique toLittleBigPlanet.[7]
Development of the project spanned over three and a half years across a ten-year period. It utilizes the officialFinal Fantasy VII costume kit released forLittleBigPlanet 2, featuring costumes for Cloud,Tifa Lockhart,Aerith Gainsborough,Vincent Valentine, andSephiroth, with modifications made by Colliver. Costumes for additional characters such asBarret Wallace andCait Sith were created independently.[8][9][10][11]
Certain areas posed more significant challenges during development. Wutai, the hometown ofYuffie Kisaragi, was particularly difficult to recreate due to its complex layout, hidden paths, and numerous cutscenes. Other large areas, such as the Great Glacier and Northern Crater, required considerable adaptation to fit within the limitations ofLittleBigPlanet's three-layer structure. Smaller areas like Kalm and Under Junon were comparatively easier to design. File size restrictions and storage limitations necessitated splitting the game into multiple levels.[12][13]
Colliver's remake has received positive attention from several media outlets, includingIGN andEurogamer.[14][15] Square Enix has acknowledged the remake favourably,[16] andPolygon described it as "shockingly good".[17]The Mary Sue called it a "an adorable, bizarre, perfect homage and an intense labor of love".[18]
Colliver's remake has also earned him twoGuinness World Records in 2014, for the first completeFinal Fantasy remake made in another video game and first role-playing game remade inLittleBigPlanet.[19][20]
Developed byMedia Molecule forSony Interactive Entertainment | |||||
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