Final Fantasy VII Remake: Combat Details, First Look at Tifa and Sephiroth

Square Enix held its E3 conference yesterday and treated fans to an in-depth look at the long-awaited Final Fantasy VII Remake. In addition to the extensive combat that was shown off and Cloud’s classic attacks, fans also got a first look at two iconic Final Fantasy characters: Tifa Lockhart and Sephiroth.

Until yesterday, Tifa and Sephiroth have been noticeably absent from the discussions and the trailers surrounding Final Fantasy VII Remake. Being staples of the franchise, we knew they were in the game, of course, but the satisfaction of finally seeing both of them in action, along with their current-gen designs had the crowd losing it.

The gameplay system for Final Fantasy VII Remake has been completely overhauled from twenty-two years ago. The remake features a dynamic, fast-paced battle system that merges real-time action with strategic, command-based combat that will have players- both longtime fans and new ones- thinking on their feet.

During the gameplay demonstration, we saw that Cloud has two Active Time Battle (ATB) bars in the bottom right-hand corner, which fill up overtime, but will fill a lot faster as players land his standard attacks.

Once the ATB is fully charged, Cloud will enter Tactical Mode, which slows down time and players can choose a variety of commands from the menu, including Cloud’s well-known Braver attack. Using items during battle will deplete the ATB charge, and if Cloud has the right materia and MP equipped, players can use ATB to cast spells.

Barret was also featured in the gameplay presentation and, like Tifa, will be a playable character in your party. Similar to Cloud, Barret’s standard attacks will also build up an ATB charge, but he has his own set of unique commands once that charge is full.

Final Fantasy VII Remake will release on March 3, 2020 for PlayStation 4.