Here's How It Feels To Play Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake At The Same Time

Final Fantasy 7 was always on that list of games I said I’d eventually get to, but we all know how that goes. Backlogs grow faster than they shrink, and ‘someday’ quickly turns into ‘never’. But with the upcoming release of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the third entry in the grand remake or something like that of FF7, I couldn’t help but start to feel this overwhelming sense that I was about to miss my opportunity to be part of something incredible.

After watching Summer Games Fest 2026 and seeing the buzz among the FF7 community as they prepare for the conclusion they’ve been waiting years for, I knew that if I was ever going to jump into FF7, the time was now. I didn’t want to watch the reaction to FF7 Revelation as an outsider. I wanted to be part of it.

The Road To Revelation Starts Here

With just over six months to get caught up, I faced the dilemma all new FF7 players seem to face: do I play the original 1997 release or jump straight into the remakes? Naturally, rather than deciding for myself, I looked to strangers on the internet for an answer. Some fans argued that the original was necessary to appreciate the remakes, while others warned that the dated original might turn new players away entirely.

With some of my favorite games being from the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, I wasn’t scared off by the idea of features that showed their age. However, I also thought that playing the remakes first would help me develop a deeper appreciation for the original, and not the other way around. ​

In the end, I settled on a chaotic compromise. I would play both. Simultaneously.

Trust me, I’m aware this isn't what anyone would recommend. But seeing moments unfold side by side has made for a fascinating real-time comparison between the two versions of this story. Of course, once I reach the end of Rebirth, I fully intend to finish the rest of the original before Revelation’s release.

What Almost 30 Years Of Hype Does To A First Playthrough

When most of you sat down to play FF7 for the first time, you probably didn’t know much about it beyond what you’d seen in a trailer or heard through word of mouth. In 2026, however, even if you aren’t actively seeking out information about something, spoilers have a way of finding you.

Memes spread across social media, character deaths are plastered on every YouTube thumbnail, and in this case, the characters appear in games outside their franchise. While I managed to avoid learning the specifics of the story, I couldn’t escape every detail or the millions of people shouting about how special FF7 was from every corner of the internet.

Despite it being nearly impossible, I still tried to have the most authentic first playthrough I could, and I was pleasantly surprised to see how much was still a mystery to me. I knew Cloud was the protagonist, Tifa was a love interest, and Sephiroth was the villain. But I had no idea Cloud wasn't the white-knight hero-type I expected, that Tifa wasn’t the only love interest, and that Sephiroth was someone Cloud used to look up to.

For every detail I thought I knew about FF7, there were ten layers of mystery left to uncover. No, this wasn’t the same experience I might’ve had before the internet made everything common knowledge, and I don't think you can have a true first impression of this game anymore. But, if anything, having some of my expectations actively debunked made those moments stand out more.

Most of those ‘expectations’ being that if I’d never heard of the character, it’s probably because they died quickly and weren’t relevant. I can’t tell you how confident I was that Barret was a goner during those first few missions. The community needs to mention him more often!

So, while I don’t think it’s possible to have a truly untouched first playthrough of Final Fantasy 7 anymore, I can say that it’s still entirely possible to have a phenomenal first experience.

Final Fantasy 7, I’m Sorry I’m Late

After all these years, finally hopping into Final Fantasy 7 was strange, but in the best way. Rather than discovering something new, it was like I was finally filling in the gaps of a story that I’d only heard in passing.

From that first close-up on Cloud’s face in FF7 Remake, I had goosebumps. It was so obvious that this moment was intentionally crafted to give fans of the original the jaw-dropping re-introduction they’d been waiting decades for. And even without my own memories of Cloud, that feeling washed over me like a wave of borrowed nostalgia, and my excitement continued to build with every passing moment.

And then at some point during my playthrough, it clicked. I finally understood why Final Fantasy 7 had endured for nearly 30 years. Why Cloud, Tifa, and Sephiroth have become larger than the FF franchise itself. And most importantly, how a world I’d never experienced for myself still managed to feel like home.

Each character was unique and fully fleshed out, and I couldn’t wait to learn more about them. I desperately needed to know Cloud’s backstory and understand his connection to Sephiroth. I longed to get to know Barret, Marlene’s father, not just Barret, the vigilante.

What had been the start of Avalanche? What was Sephiroth’s ultimate goal, and how would they stop him? The questions never stopped, and the more I discovered, the more I wanted to know. No amount of time with these characters felt like enough, and I began to dread how quickly chapters seemed to fly by. The world continued to grow, and I never wanted to leave it.

I imagine that same feeling is why the community has worked together to keep it alive all these years. So, I may have arrived here 30 years late, carrying a bag full of spoilers, slightly off character knowledge, and plenty of secondhand gameplay advice, but Final Fantasy 7 still managed to surprise me in ways I never thought possible after all this time.

I’ve seen firsthand that it’s not just nostalgia that keeps this series alive. It’s the care and passion that several brilliant minds at Square Enix poured into every part of it. Now, with Final Fantasy 7 Revelation finally on the horizon, I can’t wait to share this conclusion with the rest of the community, whom I should’ve listened to a long time ago.

TheGamer Presents: Final Fantasy 7 Day