Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade arrived on PC in 2022, bringing Square Enix’s ambitious reimagining of one of gaming’s most beloved RPGs to a new audience. This isn’t a simple graphical upgrade of the 1997 original. It’s a ground-up reconstruction that expands the Midgar section of the story into a full-length game, adds a completely new real-time combat system, and takes narrative liberties that have sparked intense debate among fans. The Intergrade edition includes the Intermission DLC featuring Yuffie Kisaragi, adding several hours of additional content.
Player reception splits along predictable lines but skews heavily positive overall. Those who can accept that this is a reinterpretation rather than a faithful recreation tend to love it. Those who wanted a straight retelling with modern graphics tend to have more complicated feelings, particularly about the story’s later chapters. The combat system, however, draws praise from nearly everyone, and the character work has won over players who were skeptical about expanding a five-hour section of the original into a 40-hour game.
The Combat System Midgar Deserved
The hybrid combat system is the Remake’s crowning achievement. Blending real-time action with an ATB gauge that fills through attacking and allows you to pause and issue strategic commands, it finds a balance between action and strategy that neither pure action RPGs nor traditional turn-based systems achieve on their own. Switching between party members mid-combat feels seamless, and each character plays distinctly enough that the game essentially offers multiple combat styles within a single system. Cloud’s aggressive melee, Barret’s ranged pressure, Tifa’s combo-heavy martial arts, and Aerith’s magic-focused gameplay all feel complete.
Character development goes far beyond what the original could accomplish with its technical limitations. Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and Aerith are given room to breathe as characters, with dialogue, side stories, and quiet moments that flesh out relationships the 1997 game could only sketch. The voice performances are strong across the board, and the writing captures the personalities fans remember while adding layers that feel earned rather than forced. Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge receive particular attention, transforming from minor supporting characters into people you genuinely care about.
The visual presentation of Midgar is stunning. The slums, the reactors, the Shinra building, and Wall Market are realized with a level of detail that makes the city feel lived in. Environmental storytelling is everywhere, from the graffiti on walls to the conversations overheard in markets. The art direction balances the fantasy and sci-fi elements of the original’s aesthetic with a grounded quality that makes the world feel plausible.
The Yuffie DLC included in Intergrade adds a fast-paced, energetic chapter that showcases a different combat style and provides meaningful context for the larger story. Yuffie’s gameplay mechanics, built around throwing and retrieving her weapon to switch between ranged and melee combat, feel fresh and well-designed.
The Padding Problem and Port Concerns
Level design leans heavily on corridors and linear paths, and the game’s pacing suffers for it in certain chapters. Side quests in particular draw criticism for their simplistic design, often amounting to fetch quests or basic combat encounters that feel like they exist to extend playtime rather than to enrich the world. Several mid-game chapters drag noticeably, and the consensus is that the game could have been tighter at 30 hours than it is at 40.
The PC port launched with significant technical issues. Stuttering, frame rate problems, and a lack of graphical options frustrated players at release. Patches and community mods have addressed many of these issues over time, but the initial port quality fell below expectations for a premium release. Players who modded the game report a substantially better experience, but needing community fixes for basic performance isn’t ideal.
Narrative changes from the original story, particularly in the game’s final chapters, remain polarizing. Without spoiling specifics, the Remake introduces meta-narrative elements that shift the story in a direction some players find exciting and others find unnecessary. This isn’t a universal criticism. Many players love where the story goes. But it’s a significant departure that anyone expecting a faithful retelling should know about going in.
A Remake That Dares to Be Its Own Thing
The most important thing to understand about Final Fantasy VII Remake is that it isn’t trying to replace the original. It’s a conversation with it. The game assumes familiarity with the 1997 classic and uses that familiarity to create moments of surprise, subversion, and genuine emotional resonance. Whether that approach works for you depends entirely on whether you’re willing to let go of expectations and meet the game on its own terms.
Should You Play Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade?
If you have any affection for JRPGs, action RPGs, or the Final Fantasy series, this is essential playing. Newcomers to the franchise will find a compelling action RPG with excellent combat and memorable characters. Returning fans will find a reimagining that treats its source material with both reverence and creative ambition. Skip it if linear level design is a dealbreaker, or if you specifically want the original story retold without changes. The PC version is best experienced with patches applied and a controller in hand.
The Verdict on Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade succeeds where it matters most. The combat is outstanding, the characters are brought to life with care and skill, and Midgar has never looked or felt this real. The padding and the occasionally rough PC port hold it back from true greatness, and the story changes will never satisfy everyone. But as a reimagining of one of gaming’s most iconic openings, it’s ambitious, confident, and frequently brilliant.