If you ask someone what their favorite RPG was growing up, good chances are Final Fantasy VII will come up on their list. Loved for its story and game play, fans have been asking Square Enix a remake. They finally got their answer back in 2015 during E3:

It has been over three years since the official announcement and over twenty years since the original was released. Fans have been teased left and right with tidbits about the game. Square Enix has kept much of the remake under wraps. That hasn’t stopped excited fans (including us) from picking up as much information as they can find. Here’s what we know so far:

Story:

There isn’t much information known about the story. While we assume the story will be similar to the original, there is some inkling that some aspects may get changed. In Weekly Famitsu, translated by Gematsu, FFVII director Tetsuya Nomura stated, “While preserving the atmosphere of the original, the scenario will dig deeper into the characters, including members of Avalanche.” This particular quote may be alluding to the most unexpected surprise about the remake.

Installments:

The most peculiar announcement was that the remake will be released in three installments. This was first interpreted that the game would be three episodic parts. In actuality, the remake will be broken up into three full-sized games.

Square Enix released a statement in response to Kotaku that, “instead of concluding in one entry, multiple entries are being considered in development. Each entry will have its own unique story. As a gaming experience, each entry will have the volume content equal to a full-sized game.”

This could mean that not only will we be seeing iconic scenes, like the one pictured above, but we may see different character development or play different aspects of certain story lines.

Gameplay:

Early Final Fantasy games were turned-based. This includes the original FFVII. Over time, the series has slowly transformed into live action fighting. This era of interactive combat style is also being applied to the remake.

It doesn’t appear to be exclusively hack and slash combat but does allow some semblance of “turn-based” play. In a separate interview from Famitsu translated by Gematsu, Nomura states the fighting isn’t completley structured and you can switch between the characters. “For example, when there’s an enemy in a position that can’t be reached by Cloud’s sword, it’s more effective to switch to Barret.”

Release Date:

Excited to play the remake? So are we! Unfortunately, there isn’t much information out on when the remake will be released. The project has most likely been stalled due to Final Fantasy XV and the upcoming release of Kingdom Hearts III. Once the latter is released, fans are hoping that more information will be released.

It took almost six years from when Kingdom Hearts III was teased for the game to finally get released. There’s a potential that the wait could be just as long for the FFVII remake. In an interview with Multiplayer, Nomura states, “I am aware of the fact that we announced it very soon,” and cites the announcement was made prematurely to prevent leaks.

What are you most excited to see in the remake?