Final Fantasy 7 Remake was an amazing game and since it was released we have been clamoring for when the next part will come to see how they tackle the later stages of the original games story. As you wait, how about a DLC pack with Yuffie? Bring on Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade – Episode: INTERmission.
Too many words, too little time
So if you haven’t wrapped your head around it yet, Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade – Episode: INTERmission is a whole lot of words for a DLC package, well it isn’t merely a DLC package.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade is the updated version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake for PS5. Poking around with it a bit it is a much prettier and smoother version. The game was already pretty and smooth, but now has added haptic feedback.
Basically in short it is the same game but better, so if you haven’t played it yet, this is the way to play if you can. If you already own the game, you get this upgrade for free. What you don’t get for free is Episode: INTERmission the new DLC package which comes with PS5 copies of the game, or as a DLC package you can buy if you own the game already.
Episode: INTERmission
So on to the star of the new release, the DLC and the lead Yuffie. Yuffie was a quirky character in the original game but with this DLC they have taken that and enhanced it. What you wind up with is a super optimistic ninja who is smart and capable, but will also fall on her ass at times. She is a delight throughout the entire story.
The story takes place during the main events of Final Fantasy 7 Remake as Yuffie ventures into the slums then Midgar to steal some materia. What this does is tell a short story that is totally unrelated to the main game, but also feels intrinsically linked.
In Sector 7 you will meet a bunch of side characters you met in the first game and jam a new mini game. Fort Condor is a little tower defense game from the original Final Fantasy 7. It has been rebuilt as a good looking tower defence game where you bring your earned pieces and battle your way through the residents. I found it surprisingly addictive but much more and it could have become boring.
The intermission of the intergrade of the remake
One of the most interesting things about the remake was the use of the battle system. You run around performing attacks, then use the ATB gauge to use spells and abilities. This is developed further thanks to Yuffie and her massive shuriken. You can fling it to continuously attack enemies as you use spells, or go in for some frenzied action.
The weirdest thing is the game can feel like such an action game at times, I felt myself pressing X to make Yuffie jump before realising it was FF7R and there is no jumping. Instead I kept bringing up the action menu. I would like to say I learned but even in the final boss fight I was doing it.
An episode worth playing.
I have to say, I enjoyed Episode: INTERmission a lot more than I expected. Yuffie has gone from one of my least favourite to one of my favourite characters. Relative to the base game it isn’t long, but at over four hours it is still a decent length. Most importantly it has given us time to engage and appreciate Yuffie so she can jump in feet first with whatever Final Fantasy 7 Remake 2 winds up being.