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[IbizaPocholo]

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Video Restores Classic Fixed Camera

Thanks to the PC release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, one fan shows off a video that uses photo mode to replicate the classic fixed camera.

gamerant.com

The Photo Mode introduced in this version lets fans take some amazing screenshots of the game's locations, characters, and enemies. Some fans have even managed to use Final Fantasy 7 Remake's Photo Mode to restore color to certain flashback scenes, enhancing the experience. Thanks to the remake now being ported to the PC, fans are able to mod certain aspects of the game, including the Photo Mode. This allowed one fan to show off how Photo Mode can be used to make the remake more accurate to the original.

In a video by YouTuber Final FanTV, Final Fantasy 7 Remake's opening six minutes are altered to utilize the fixed camera from the PS1 original. The video follows Cloud and AVALANCHE during the game's iconic bombing mission, with the camera angles recreated in the remake. The player even mimics the same camera pans and side angles during battle, with Cloud attacking the Shinra Soldiers with combat that is purposefully made to look like the original.

As the video continues, the high and wide angles of the original camera are seen being implemented into Final Fantasy 7 Remake, showing off the vast depth and scale the remake has in regards to its set pieces - especially the Shinra reactor. The video includes a side-by-side comparison to the original game, where fans can see the differences in the areas despite their similar layouts.

All of these fixed camera angles use modding tools that were developed for the game's photo mode by Otis_Inf. According to Final FanTV, however, this video is more meant to be a "proof-of-concept" that could inspire future mods of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Some suggestions he listed for a potential full-on mod of this kind would be to stick with the game's normal battle camera, as it could interfere with the actual gameplay. He also suggests to leave the cutscene camera as is, where the classic cam mod would suit exploration the best. With the game now on PC, maybe a quality-of-life mod overhaul like this could be developed in time.

This is a proof of concept hopefully to inspire the modding community to make FF7R fully playable with classic PS1 FF7 Cameras. Note: I cut out the cutscenes (The mod should just go to the cutscene camera because alot of lighting and placement swaps happen when the camera is away) Also, battles should also just return to Remake camera style. Just exploration with classic cams would be so cool!

 

[SenjutsuSage]

Okay, this looks badass...

 

[unintelligent orange]

fucking A

 

[Pejo]

Man, I would love it if the mod community goes nuts for this game. It's promising seeing this camera mod so soon, I guess maybe a turn-based battle mode isn't totally out of the question after all given some time.

 

[BusierDonkey]

I really got my hopes before the original announcement for Final Fantasy 7 remake that we were getting FF7 remade with new visuals but the original game intact.

The video kind of shows what I hoped for with FF7R though in some areas the new game is actually much more bland in it's art direction like the elevator being a white walled standard-fare box vs the very mechanical elevator in the original with all sorts of gauges and lights. The factory is much more real-word looking with proper staircases and railings while the original game had you using the piping to get around which was a more charming approach to getting around the reactor.

Unfortunately all the mods in the world aren't enough to make the original on PC look all that nice. The pre-rendered backgrounds were just too low-resolution so unless Squeenix decides to release the original backdrops and FMV in HD it will never look as good as it can. Judging by the blurry mess that the PC releases were I'm guessing even Squeenix doesn't have better versions of them anymore. The other option is for a complete rebuild of all the backdrops, but the time and effort that would require would mean a vaporware mod that would see lawsuit if the mod author tried to monetize it.

 

[TheContact]

Looks awesome. Wish this was how the actual ff7 remake was.

 

[rodrigolfp]

Glorious.

 

[alabtrosMyster]

I really got my hopes before the original announcement for Final Fantasy 7 remake that we were getting FF7 remade with new visuals but the original game intact.

Yup, graphics like in part one of the remake, but with the original storyline etc. intact would have been what I was hoping for (with all the side contents... no BS side quests for sale).

Tooo many people seem to like it as it is for some reason.

 

[Larxia]

I really don't understand why anyone would prefer this over a free camera, outside of "nostalgia".

I never liked fixed camera, but I guess they made sense back then so they could use CGI visuals. But now, with real time 3D looking this good, what's the point of having fixed cameras? I really fail to see what it adds outside of the nostalgia factor.
Playing with a fixed camera immediatly kills the sense of scale and immersion for me, it makes the game feels like a small / cheap game.

I see ton of people claiming this is how the remake should have been, and many others now want a turn based mod too, so people are going to mod this until it plays and look like the original?

Do you guys really prefer not being able to move the camera to look around? Why?
Being able to finally see these areas by ourselves from different angles, with modern graphics is what is really great about remakes like this in my opinion. If it's just identical to the original, I find it less interesting.

 

[kalecsan]

I really don't understand why anyone would prefer this over a free camera, outside of "nostalgia".

I never liked fixed camera, but I guess they made sense back then so they could use CGI visuals. But now, with real time 3D looking this good, what's the point of having fixed cameras? I really fail to see what it adds outside of the nostalgia factor.
Playing with a fixed camera immediatly kills the sense of scale and immersion for me, it makes the game feels like a small / cheap game.

I see ton of people claiming this is how the remake should have been, and many others now want a turn based mod too, so people are going to mod this until it plays and look like the original?

Do you guys really prefer not being able to move the camera to look around? Why?
Being able to finally see these areas by ourselves from different angles, with modern graphics is what is really great about remakes like this in my opinion. If it's just identical to the original, I find it less interesting.

The reason why some people prefer fixed camera to a free one, is for two little buddies that you maaay heard of, called cinematography and composition.

 

[Ryu Kaiba]

You people are nuts. neat trick but not gonna pretend I would actually prefer to play it like that.

 

[BennyBlanco]

turn based mod is absolutely gonna happen

 

[Kaachan]

Just imagine the turn-based in addition to that

 

[Kilau]

Folks need to get over Remake not being the same game as classic FF7. Square should have called it FF7: Reimagined.

 

[NahaNago]

I really got my hopes before the original announcement for Final Fantasy 7 remake that we were getting FF7 remade with new visuals but the original game intact.

The video kind of shows what I hoped for with FF7R though in some areas the new game is actually much more bland in it's art direction like the elevator being a white walled standard-fare box vs the very mechanical elevator in the original with all sorts of gauges and lights. The factory is much more real-word looking with proper staircases and railings while the original game had you using the piping to get around which was a more charming approach to getting around the reactor.

The old ff7 style was very steampunk like with a dash of cyberpunk in midgar versus the modern-day style that the remake has. FF7R was just too clean, modern, and bland even the ghetto town was boring looking. You hit the nail on the head with the word charming. I feel like the latest final fantasy games lack a lot of the charm for the most part of the older games.

 

[Shane89]

FFS, I do not need these BS, just give me Tifa nude mod

 

[Altares13th]

Fan-Fucking-tastic!

I would have bought a DLC doing exactly this Square, you morons!

 

[Boneless]

Can I get a mod to remove all the kingdom heart-esque bullshit from the remake, thanks.

 

[Aion002]

I really don't understand why anyone would prefer this over a free camera, outside of "nostalgia".

I never liked fixed camera, but I guess they made sense back then so they could use CGI visuals. But now, with real time 3D looking this good, what's the point of having fixed cameras? I really fail to see what it adds outside of the nostalgia factor.
Playing with a fixed camera immediatly kills the sense of scale and immersion for me, it makes the game feels like a small / cheap game.

I see ton of people claiming this is how the remake should have been, and many others now want a turn based mod too, so people are going to mod this until it plays and look like the original?

Do you guys really prefer not being able to move the camera to look around? Why?
Being able to finally see these areas by ourselves from different angles, with modern graphics is what is really great about remakes like this in my opinion. If it's just identical to the original, I find it less interesting.

"I really don't understand why anyone would prefer this over a free camera, outside of "nostalgia"."

"I never liked fixed camera"

Guess what?

Isometric games are still made, games like Diablo and Divinity, many people enjoy those games and for many reasons. I personally enjoy the point of view.


Anyway, cool stuff. I would definitely enjoy this mod.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

It looks cool and is some nice thinking outside of the box, but this would quickly fall apart once you get to the areas that are new/exclusive to VIIR. The best you could do would be an approximation of what the devs might have done with the locations were they in the original, and I think, as a player, without the point of reference the original provides, it would make navigating these places kind of nightmarish.

Still super cool to see, but I wouldn't play an entire game like this, especially if a good quarter of it is guess work.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

I really don't understand why anyone would prefer this over a free camera, outside of "nostalgia".

I never liked fixed camera, but I guess they made sense back then so they could use CGI visuals. But now, with real time 3D looking this good, what's the point of having fixed cameras? I really fail to see what it adds outside of the nostalgia factor.
Playing with a fixed camera immediatly kills the sense of scale and immersion for me, it makes the game feels like a small / cheap game.

I see ton of people claiming this is how the remake should have been, and many others now want a turn based mod too, so people are going to mod this until it plays and look like the original?

Do you guys really prefer not being able to move the camera to look around? Why?
Being able to finally see these areas by ourselves from different angles, with modern graphics is what is really great about remakes like this in my opinion. If it's just identical to the original, I find it less interesting.

I love the old fixed camera. Every scene was like a little work of art with its own composition. It made it really enjoyable to take in all the details.

I greatly prefer a fixed perspective over a “behind the ass” camera where Cloud takes up a large portion of the screen. You’re constantly moving the camera trying to get a view of your surroundings so you never really take in all the details unless you stop and make time for it. And I end up looking at the map more than the actual game world.

 

[Calling 911 Melts Beams]

you guys ever google 'red xiii x aerith knotting' before?

 

[EverydayBeast]

Final fantasy 7 remake benefits from having a normal camera.

 

[Notabueno]

The perfect opportunity to really show how bland most of the remake is in terms of environnement and lightning. This is my biggest beef with the remake.

 

[Danjin44]

The perfect opportunity to really show how bland most of the remake is in terms of environnement and lightning. This is my biggest beef with the remake.

I dont have that much issue with its environments but I have big issue with NPCs.....My god, some of them are Bethesda level of bad. I get NPCs usually are less detailed than main characters but in Tales of Arise the NPC are also less detailed but they are not so damn ugly like FFVIIR's NPC are.

 

[Notabueno]

I dont have that much issue with its environments but I have big issue with NPCs.....My god, some of them are Bethesda level of bad. I get NPCs usually are less detailed than main characters but in Tales of Arise the NPC are also less detailed but they are not so damn ugly like FFVIIR's NPC are.

Yes the NPCs too, they look like they're from a firm that scans real office people to be used into mock-up of architectural projects...

 

[MastaKiiLA]

This is how it was meant to be played. Fixed cam and turn-based combat. Big whiff by S-E for not including a classic mode like this. This is what I was hoping their remasters would look like.

 

[Spaceman292]

I really don't understand why anyone would prefer this over a free camera, outside of "nostalgia".

I never liked fixed camera, but I guess they made sense back then so they could use CGI visuals. But now, with real time 3D looking this good, what's the point of having fixed cameras? I really fail to see what it adds outside of the nostalgia factor.
Playing with a fixed camera immediatly kills the sense of scale and immersion for me, it makes the game feels like a small / cheap game.

I see ton of people claiming this is how the remake should have been, and many others now want a turn based mod too, so people are going to mod this until it plays and look like the original?

Do you guys really prefer not being able to move the camera to look around? Why?
Being able to finally see these areas by ourselves from different angles, with modern graphics is what is really great about remakes like this in my opinion. If it's just identical to the original, I find it less interesting.

Old thing good, new thing bad. That's all the thought that goes into it really. Free camera is better in every way. Fixed camera was only used because they had no other choice.

 

[skit_data]

Wow, this is actually a really neat idea.

 

[Beechos]

Thats how far out this game is lol. Anyone expecting a release before 2024 with squares track record.

 

[German Hops]

The mod community outshining Square Enix, as usual.