While this one is a free upgrade for owners of the original game, know that this is the only version of the game you can currently purchase. The older version of the game is now listed as Final Fantasy 7 – 2013 Edition, and its saves aren’t compatible with the new one.

While that might be a bummer to some of you hoping to continue an old playthrough, you might be pleased to know that if you’re starting from scratch, you get to run the game at three times its normal speed for most of your travels and battles, along with specific events. That’s quite the time saver, and it’s going to work well with the ability to turn off random battles in the world as you explore it, and even activate constant HP and MP regen when you do get into a fight. That’s a quick way to enjoy a game that’s probably given you many fond memories.

Of course, if you’re playing it for the first time, you’ll want to ignore those new settings and experience it as intended. Either way, this one’s going to keep you occupied for a while.

We thought of quite a few titles that were developed since 2020, but ultimately decided that remakes of older titles would be a great way to showcase the manner in which modern graphics enhance the games that they aim to recreate. Without further ado, let’s dive right into our picks for games that demonstrate just how much graphics in video games have evolved over the years.

1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

Konami’s decision to give a modern makeover to Naked Snake’s original adventure was a decision we wholeheartedly supported after seeing the end result. While the original game did have its charms, its graphics did show their age after several replays over the years.

However, the remake did a great job of giving the experience a complete overhaul on the graphical front. Naked Snake and his fellow cast of memorable characters looked better than before with improved character models, while the world his adventure takes place in was blessed with a sheen of immersion that had us glued to our screens for every second of it.

This one was an excellent showcase of the point we’re trying to make, and a lovely way to enjoy a source of many fond memories over the years.

2. Resident Evil 2

This last-gen remake was an already solid take on the original adventure, its improvements pushing the title into a new era of relevance among gamers who may not have had the chance to try it out back in the day. But it was the current-gen updates that truly brought Leon and Claire’s efforts to escape Racoon City to life, with improved resolutions and ray-traced graphics that made every area in the game feel fresh yet familiar.

The nostalgia was well backed up by the graphical marvels that this one brought to us, making the entire experience hit harder as a result. This one certainly wasn’t afraid to punch up, and continues to be a beacon for modern-day graphics in gaming.

3. Silent Hill 2

The Bloober Team sure hit gold with this one. It was everything a remake of the original experience should have been, and the graphical overhaul it received made it surpass even the original experience.

The very air around James seemed to shimmer with malevolence as he made his way through the painstakingly crafted levels of the game, each of which is a lovely argument in favor of evolved graphics, lending a fresh layer of realism to a title that’s probably been played too many times to count among its loyal fans.

Silent Hill 2 is as good as they come on the graphical front, and is another great game made even better with a graphical overhaul.

4. Shadow of the Colossus

Allow us to level with you. We approached this 2018 PS4 remake with a fair bit of trepidation. It isn’t easy to forget the many hours of frustration that a game that’s designed to be as opaque as it can be gives you. Each of the mighty colossi we took on back in the day had us feeling despair and frustration, considering the fact that we were quite young when we tried it out.

But Bluepoint’s efforts to invigorate the experience with a graphical overhaul are nothing short of spectacular. We soon found ourselves in the thick of the action, our muscle memories prompting our intentions against the giants we were taking on. It wasn’t a coincidence that this one sold approximately 70% over its original release. Bluepoint probably used a lot of the lessons it learned with this one to make its take on Demon’s Souls be as awesome as it was.

5. Dead Space

Although EA wasn’t too happy with how this remake performed in 2023, that doesn’t take away from the fact that rebuilding the game from the ground up while letting the Frostbite Engine show off its chops was a smart choice. Dynamic lighting and blazing fast loading times ensured that Isaac’s fight against the Necrormorphs and his own psychosis were given a new layer of immersion and engagement.

With levels seamlessly loading into each other and each one popping out with incredible detail and a level of polish that the original game could not achieve due to the limitations of the systems it was meant to run on. But all of that’s in the past, as Dead Space is now a beacon for current-gen focused remakes that make use of the tech to make an experience that feels brand new.

6. Final Fantasy 7

Both the remake and intergrade really did a number on the original experience, making Midgar feel like a new world entirely. Cloud Strife’s adventure was made even better thanks to a more streamlined story and an improved combat system that benefited from buttery smooth framerates on current-gen consoles while also bringing all the bells and whistles of modern hardware to the table.

As a game that aims to recapture the magic of the original, this one did quite well to be more than just a fresh coat of paint, a feat made possible by the improvements that modern gaming hardware is able to enable.

7. Mafia: Definitive Edition

The Mafia franchise is already famous for its cinematic quality and presentation, but the first entry in the franchise was limited by what the PS2 could achieve at the time. But two generations of consoles later, Tommy Angelo’s rise to prominence within the ranks of the Salieri crime family is now an adventure that looks good and plays so well it’s hard to remember what the original game felt like.

Hangar 13’s effort to rebuild things from the ground up paid off, and the first Mafia title is now a great introduction to the franchise, given a new lease of life by graphical improvements that were facilitated by upgraded tech.

8. System Shock 1

We can’t help but wonder if the folks over at Nightdive Studios saw something we didn’t that prompted the idea to remake a 1994 classic that might have slipped under the radar of the modern gamer, considering the many years that had passed since its release.

However, your character’s attempts to stop the malevolent AI program SHODAN in its tracks were made all the better by a remake that feels oddly relevant today. That makes System Shock a game that was ahead of its time, made even better by its modernization and graphical overhaul. The seven years it took to develop this one were definitely worth it.

9. Yakuza Kiwami 2

This one certainly earned the Kiwami in its title. A Japanese word meaning “ultimate”, the last and current-gen versions of this game are a great display of how video game graphics have evolved.

There’s a reason this one won the awards it did, bringing a revival of the original experience that brought a lot of graphical improvement while also elevating the experience through them, Kazuma Kiryu’s adventure becoming all the more immersive alongside a very welcome additional chapter focused on Goro Majima.

10. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

Colorful, charming, and confident. Those are the sentiments that were foremost during our time with the original games. But the N. Sane Trilogy took things up a notch with a visual overhaul of a largely faithful recreation of all three games that made this one truly stand out amongst a sea of remakes.

Hi-res textures, dynamic lighting, improved draw distances, and reworked animations did a very good job at giving the OG trilogy a new lease of life. Besides, Coco Banidicot being a playable character was just the icing on the cake. We’d go so far as to say that the improvements on this one were “N.Sane” enough to make us sit up and take notice of the painstaking effort that went into it.

And that’s a wrap on games that had a graphical leap that showcased just how far the gaming world has come, and the manner in which the experiences it brings to us year after year have now been elevated, thanks to how realistic the worlds they take us to have become.

As for Dragon Quest, it’s crossed 85 million in global shipments and digital sales since the first title launched on the NES in 1986. Meanwhile, Kingdom Hearts has shipped over 36 million units worldwide since the first game released in 2002 for PlayStation 2.

The future looks bright for all three franchises, with Final Fantasy 16, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion all coming within the next 12 to 14 months. Kingdom Hearts 4 is also in development, though no release window has been announced. The next mainline entry in the Dragon Quest series, Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate, is also in development, but there’s also Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake and Dragon Quest Treasures (which launches in December for Nintendo Switch).

In a recent statement, Square Enix said, “Despite all our efforts to bring you regular updates with fresh and exciting content, we haven’t been able to deliver the experience that we were hoping and that you all deserve. So we have made the extremely tough decision to end service for Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier.” Non-English languages see support ending on October 31st, 7 PM PT, after which only English text will be available.

Shinra Credits are no longer available to purchase in-game, but players can use any remaining Credits till the game shuts down. Updates will continue to roll out over the next few months, so existing players can expect new things to do.

Released on November 17th, 2021, for mobile devices, Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier is a prequel to the mainline series. Though essentially a third-person battle royale shooter, it also featured several Final Fantasy elements like Jobs (called Styles in-game), magic, Summons, and even monsters on the battlefield. It’s seen numerous updates and seasonal content since its launch, with Season 4 currently ongoing.

The package includes Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is the first part of the Remake trilogy. It covers the entire story up to the escape from Midgar while adding new content, story elements, and more. Compared to the PS4 version, there are improved textures, atmospherics and Photo Mode in this version.

Intergrade also includes Episode INTERmission which stars Yuffie Kisaragi. Along with a unique story parallel to the main game, it offers new gameplay mechanics (like team-up attacks), enemies, bosses and more. PC players also get bonuses like the Cacstar weapon (available only in the DLC); armor like the Midgar Bangle, Shinra Bangle, Corneo Armlet, Superstar Belt, Mako Crystal, and Seraphic Earrings; and Summon Materia like the Carbuncle, Chocobo Chick and Cactuar.

For more details on the game, check out our review here. Meanwhile, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the next chapter in the saga, releases in Winter 2023 for PS5. Development on the third and final part has also already begun.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is an enhanced version of the acclaimed 2020 RPG, offering improved visuals, 60 FPS support, Photo Mode, new quality of life improvements, and much more (including an extension to that ending). It also includes Episode INTERmission, a DLC side story focused on Yuffie as she ventures to Midgar and infiltrates Shinra to retrieve some Materia.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available for PS4 while Intergrade is exclusive to PS5 and PC. For more details on the latter, you can check out our review here. Stay tuned for more announcements from the 25th anniversary celebration stream.

The Snitch, who accurately leaked announcements like the Persona series on Xbox and The Last of Us Part 1’s release date, recently tweeted an image from Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade. It features Zack with Cloud on his left shoulder while Aerith is behind his right shoulder. The red, green, blue and black squares could hint at the platforms (namely Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation and PC).

It may seem like a stretch to assume this is Crisis Core-related but The Snitch then liked a tweet from another user that said it could be. After all, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is already available on PC and PlayStation. It doesn’t make sense to hint at those.

As always, stay tuned for more details from the celebration stream. We may even see Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis, the mobile remaster of the entire saga, receiving new details.

https://twitter.com/insider_wtf/status/1537172223160725504

https://twitter.com/ChrisRighteous/status/1537193902142328833

The stream will be roughly 10 minutes long, and Tetsuya Nomura – co-director of 2020’s Final Fantasy 7 Remake and producer on its sequel – says that it’ll be “short and “sweet” but packed with “lots of information”- along with an “unveiling”.

The hope, of course, is that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 (or whatever it ends up being called) will be unveiled here. Earlier this year, co-director of the first game Yoshinori Kitase said that the plan was to announce the next game this year to celebrate the original Final Fantasy 7’s 2th anniversary. We’ll find out soon enough if that’s still the plan.

Interestingly, Square Enix’s senior influencer relations manager recently took to Twitter to urge people to catch the stream, saying, “DO. NOT. MISS. THIS.”

Meanwhile, Final Fantasy fans have plenty else to look forward to as well, with Final Fantasy 16 set to launch exclusively for PS5 in Summer 2023.

Join us next week for around 10 minutes to celebrate 25 years of @FinalFantasy VII: https://t.co/y074ldZMhg

Co-stream the broadcast and share your reactions with #FFVII25th. Please be excited. pic.twitter.com/DskOd2CxQj

— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) June 10, 2022

“We will be streaming “FINAL FANTASY VII 25th Anniversary Celebration”. At only around 10 minutes long, it will be short and sweet, but we have packed in lots of information, so I hope everyone can look forward to the unveiling” – Tetsuya Nomura #FFVII25th #FF7R #FF7FS

— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) June 10, 2022

Akuma – Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo

Did you think that M. Bison from Street Fighter 2, one of the toughest bosses in any game ever up till that point, was a wuss? Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo’s Akuma is the fight for you. Accessible only by reaching the last stage quickly without any continues in Arcade Mode, Akuma will appear and waylay Bison, then replace him as the final boss. In terms of abilities, he possesses the Zankuu Hadoken (which fires two Hadoken in mid-air), a teleport for quickly closing the distance, and very quick combos that take off chunks of health. Hilariously enough, his playable version isn’t as powerful but was still considered broken enough to warrant banning from tournaments.

Final Fantasy 7 anniversary streams are held every years, but this one could be significant for a number of reasons. Chief among them is the fact that earlier this year, Yoshinori Kitase – producer on Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 (or whatever it ends up being called) – said that news regarding the second instalment in the remake saga would likely arrive this year to celebrate the original Final Fantasy 7’s 25th anniversary.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s sequel has been in development for over a couple of years at this point, but details on the game have remained scant. It’s been previously confirmed that Naoki Hamaguchi, co-director of the original game, is serving as the sole director of its sequel.

Tetsuya Nomura has said that the sequel will have a different atmosphere from its predecessor, while Kitase previously mentioned that it will continue to surprise fans with its story. Meanwhile, director Hamaguchi has suggested that players will be able to explore the world map in the sequel, while new gameplay mechanics introduced in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade are also expected to be utilized.

The other big upcoming Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy 16, has also been in the news of late, with producer Naoki Yoshida recently having said that the game is close to completing development and will have a trailer shown off soon.