The new version of Final Fantasy VII for PC is now available on Steam and GOG, letting players revisit the seminal RPG with new features.
The new version is an upgraded version of the 2013 Steam release of Final Fantasy VII, adding the following:
- 3× speed mode: Play through the game at up to three times the speed! This feature can only be used in battle, travel, and select events.
- Ability to turn battle encounters off: Activate this option to turn off random encounters. Story event battle still must be completed to advance the story.
- Battle enhancement mode: Activate this mode to recover HP/MP during battles and max out the Limit gauge.
- Autosave feature
This version replaces the 2013 release, which is no longer available for purchase. However, those who already own the previous release will keep it in their library, renamed to “Final Fantasy VII – 2013 Edition“, and can continue to download and play it. Existing owners of the 2013 edition also get the new version for free, automatically added to your Steam library.
There’s a catch, though: at the time of writing, the new version has a “Mostly Negative” rating on Steam based on over 100 user reviews. Folks are citing issues with the animation speed during battles, a blurry smoothing effect for 2D assets that can’t be turned off, and the use of a dedicated launcher instead of just launching directly into the game from Steam. The issue with battle speed is being investigated by the development team and will be resolved as quickly as possible.
