Final Fantasy VII Remake – Episode Intermission Review

Game: Final Fantasy VII Remake – Episode Intermission
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Available on: PlayStation 5

When it released last year, Final Fantasy VII Remake blew away the expectations of many people who played it. The game took an industry and genre-defining classic, and wonderfully reimagined it for a new era of gaming with some bold changes, that while alienating for some fans of the original, were largely met with praise and excitement. One year later, alongside the PlayStation 5 release of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, Square Enix has delivered Episode Intermission, a short but sweet DLC episode that builds on the base game in some pretty great ways.

Set between Chapters Eight and Thirteen from the base game, Episode Intermission shifts the focus from Cloud and friends, to the energetic and steadfast ninja Yuffie Kisaragi. Hailing from the nation of Wutai, she’s come to Midgar on a mission to steal a powerful Materia from the evil corporation Shinra. She’s not alone on her mission, getting help from fellow Wutaian, Sonon Kusakabe, and members of the resistance group Avalanche. Taking about five hours to complete and lasting only two chapters, the story is brief and to the point. Wisely, it wastes no time thrusting you into the action by introducing the characters and getting you up to speed with what’s going on in a pretty short time.

It’s a good story that reveals some more secrets about Shinra and provides a new perspective on characters and events that we didn’t get to see before. Anyone who’s a fan of the PS2 game Dirge of Cerberus (originally released as part of the Final Fantasy VII compilation) will be happy to see that elements from that game have been brought into the main story as well. The story’s conclusion also leads directly into the start of the next game (and raises more questions about the twist from the main game’s ending). It all continues to solidify that Remake will be doing some brand new things going forward in regards to the story, and I’m fascinated to see what this means for the future of the project.

In between story missions during the first chapter, there are some side tasks that you can tackle, with the most interesting being the Fort Condor mini-game. Back in the original Final Fantasy VII, Fort Condor was a place you could go to which had its own optional quest line where you essentially did a tower defense battle against Shinra forces. Frankly, it wasn’t very much fun. While the location and story behind it could still exist in Final Fantasy VII Remake, Fort Condor has been reintroduced as a tabletop game that people play in Episode Intermission, and yes, it’s actually fun this time. It’s still a tower defense game, but the goal is to try and eliminate the opponent’s towers before time runs out.

The premise is still simple, but there’s some depth to it. Your units follow a rock-paper-scissors type of model with each of the unit categories having an advantage over one, but a disadvantage to another. There are also different boards you can collect that offer different benefits such as allowing increased unit capacity, more AP slots for summoning units, and different Materia that can be used for both offense and defense. I only did three matches of the game for the side quest, so I didn’t spend too much time with it, but it is a fun distraction from the events of the main story.

Just like in the base game, Episode Intermission does a really fantastic job of getting you to care about each of the characters, even if they only have a small amount of screen time. The new members of Avalanche that we meet are instantly likable and have a different philosophy than the one that Barret’s splinter group does. They believe that the fight against Shinra should be focused solely on the company and not involve the rest of the city that end up being casualties of their actions. It’s a perspective that’s understandable and one that I wouldn’t be surprised if some players agreed with.

Sonon is another new addition to the Final Fantasy VII Remake story and he proves to be a great one. Voiced by Aleks Le, Sonon is a calm, cool, and collected presence who brings a more serious perspective to things than Yuffie, though he’s not a boy scout. He’s a great foil for Yuffie and helps keep her focused on the task at hand when she starts to get a bit carried away. The two of them have a fun dynamic that I became easily invested in, making me wish we got more time with the two of them.

Of course, the star of the show is Yuffie and she’s an absolute delight. Voiced by Suzie Yeung, Yuffie is playful, funny, and excitable, and I genuinely loved her character. She brings a level of light-heartedness and just pure fun that the main game was missing, all without it feeling out of place or annoying. This extends to the tone of the game as well, with the first chapter matching her personality. Affairs have a bit more of a joyous air to them, such as a chase that takes you through a factory in the slums or a running joke involving beans from Wutai. This all made me more endeared to her, especially as she develops over the course of Episode Intermission. In fact, I found myself caring about her more in these short five hours than I did in the entirety of the original Final Fantasy VII. Making her a more central player in things is bound to be a great decision, and I’m really looking forward to when she joins Cloud’s party in the future, as her presence is sure to shake up their dynamic (and the game’s) in some really fun ways.

Final Fantasy VII Remake had a stellar combat system that worked incredibly well with each of the different characters, and that’s no different for Yuffie. Just like her personality, fighting as Yuffie is a fast-paced, high-energy affair that works for different play styles. Armed with her shuriken, Yuffie is adept in close-combat with lightning fast strikes that have her bouncing around the enemy. She’s also great for ranged combat as she can throw her shuriken at enemies and perform different elemental ninjutsu abilities to lay down the pain. Once she’s thrown it, the shuriken stays attached to whatever enemy you targeted for a short period of time, unless you choose to retrieve it with a quick dash that closes the gap and brings her back into close-quarters engagements.

Yuffie’s speed and flexibility in combat makes her such a fun character to play as since it gives you the best of multiple different worlds. Even though she’s a very capable fighter, she can’t do things alone. This is where Sonon comes into play as your AI-controlled party member. Yes, you only play as Yuffie in Episode Intermission, but Sonon is able to handle himself and contribute in battles on his own, as well as with the commands that you can give him. The more noteworthy feature that the two of them share is the ability to synergize during combat. This has the two attacking in sync with one another at high speed, making your different moves stronger and more effective. It further emphasizes the bond that the two of them have and how well they complement one another.

All of the skills that you have at your disposal are certainly put to the test during the three major boss fights, especially the final one. They’re not too difficult, but they aren’t pushovers either and require you to be smart about your abilities and how you make use of them. My one gripe with the DLC is that it doesn’t do a good job of refreshing those who haven’t played the game in a while on how combat works. It assumes you’re coming fresh off the main game and already know everything, so it only teaches you how Yuffie plays (which it does well). With that in mind, I highly recommend jumping back into the base game and toying around with the battle system for a bit as a refresher so you aren’t playing as if you have two left hands. I did this for about half an hour and it helped some, so practice as much as you need.

I also want to briefly highlight the game’s technical aspects. Thanks to being part of the PS5 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake, you can play in either 30 FPS at 4K resolution, or 60 FPS at a slightly lower resolution. I’m sure many will opt for the fluidity of 60 FPS, but I wanted to see the game in full 4K and it looks amazing. And just like the original game, the frame rate never falters from 30 FPS. Final Fantasy VII Remake also had an incredible soundtrack and Episode Intermission is no different, with a fantastic score that’s just as powerful and memorable as the ones in the base game.

Final Thoughts:

Episode Intermission is the cherry on top of the delicious cake that is Final Fantasy VII Remake. This brief return to Midgar builds on everything that made the base game so well-received and is more than worth the $20 asking price. I’m excited to see where things go in the next game and can’t wait to spend more time with Yuffie when we see her next.