Tetsuyo Nomura, the game director for the upcoming "Final Fantasy VII" remake for the PlayStation 4, confirmed that the game will feature a different combat system compared to the original title.
Despite this, the director assured fans that the remake will still bring the same familiar game play experience.
In an interview with the Official PlayStation Magazine via Games Radar, Nomura gave out new details regarding the PlayStation 4-exclusive remake. He said that a few changes have been made to the game but he noted that it will still resemble the original "Final Fantasy VII."
Specifically, Nomura revealed that the new edition of the game will utilize a different combat system.
"Of course, that being said, we want to clarify: We're not going to be changing it into a shooter or something like that," he said. "We are going to be bringing dramatic changes, but we want to make sure it's still recognizable."
Although unconfirmed yet, Nomura's statement might be referring to a deviation from the Active Time Battle system, which was first introduced in "Final Fantasy IV." This system features a gauge meter that keeps track of a character's actions. Once the meter is filled up, characters can execute various actions including special attacks.
It is not yet clear if Nomura and development studio Square Enix will introduce an entirely new fighting system for the "Final Fantasy VII" remake but the director said it will appear similar to the 2005 film "Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children."
According to Nomura, who also directed the film, he and the developers will use the movie as inspiration for the remake. However, he clarified that the upcoming game will not feature the same 3D modeling concepts from the film.
As to the other new elements that gamers can expect to see in the new "Final Fantasy VII," Nomura told Wired in June that certain plot points from the original will still remain.
However, he noted that the new version will feature certain themes from a modern perspective.
"I want to make it so it's relevant to the modern era, as well as having an element of surprise," he said to the tech news site. "It has to be something that riles up this sense of wonder and amazement."
"I don't want to change it so much that it's unrecognizable, but make sure that it's something fresh and new[but still] recognizable as 'Final Fantasy VII,'" Nomura continued. "That's what I'll be keeping in mind as I work on this."
The remake of the 1997 "Final Fantasy VII" was officially announced during the recent Electronic Entertainment Expo. Although Square Enix confirmed that the game will arrive for Sony's PlayStation 4 console, it still does not have an official release date.
