The world holds its breath for the next real chapter of the Final Fantasy VII Remake Saga. After the first game has somewhat upset the story, the wait seemed both eternal and unbearable. Although Intergrade really does not answer any of these hot issues, it is a brief and beautiful distraction of their constant presence.

There are two stories here. One is the same story, I know very well and that I am quite ready to repeat. Then there is the story of YUFFIE. It’s a quick quick getaway through Midgar with a tone slightly away from the usual Final Fantasy Intense Tariff. But only slightly! I really cried at the end, what I absolutely did not expect. It’s also difficult, something I forget about the Final Fantasy games every time I play there. But enter these visuals for a minute.

Quality mode and performance mode represent two distinct versions of this game. I had never noticed a difference as blatant before. Quality means exquisite and embarrassing details at a speed of 30 IPS. Performance means incredibly fluid animation in each scene, shaken by most characters who lose a bit of definition in the face region. The backgrounds and some objects also suffer a little. Between the two, I found the performance mode more tangible, more satisfactory. It’s a PS4 game in his heart, after all. There are few settings that you can do on original textures, while the increase in the frequency of images propel immediately intergrade in the next generation territory. There were some initial hesitation on my favorite mode, but I landed more or less immediately on performance.

Beyond substantial technical changes, the basic game is exactly as you remember. My only grievance is that super detailed character models bring out more simple textures. The cloud and the company are so net that a slightly low wall piece looks like a projector on a dark scene. There is simply nothing wrong, now. Performance mode softens these contrasts while attracting your attention to the animation. The concentration is also an essential element of the fight in the DLC.

My previous comment on the combat difficulty was incomplete. It’s not difficult as much as it is deliberately designed. At first, you use YUFFIE al1. It is only when Sonon joins everything gets in place. YUFFIE is designed to have a partner with her, do you see. It is a glass barrel with a concentration with a body to body. She needs someone there at any time, away from enemies. The entire intermission combat system requires two characters to work. You even pick up lots of equipment with the same objective in mind. Once the central vanity of the battles has proved, the fights have gone from frustrating to diabolically intelligent. Sonon is a great partner, with one exception: it does not use wake up objects. Instead, he gives you all his remaining PV and dies. Ten out of ten otherwise.

Ten out of ten too? The new version of the Fort Condor mini-game. I traveled this game for revision purposes, but Fort Condor requires much more attention. As the original, you deploy troops to win part of the disputed territory. Unlike the original, you deploy these troops in real time, via a modified version of the ATB system. You discover which games work and which do not work quickly, most games taking less than three minutes. The whole is terribly convincing. Finding new trays, buy new units, challenge new opponents and offer new strategies should really be his own game. You hear this Square Enix? I will absolutely buy a commercial version of Fort Condor.

So the story of intermission starts lightweight? And this ends with a terrible tragedy. It was also incredibly sudden. I understand that it is an adventure of the size of a DLC attached to a game that is itself a small piece of a broader story. The real resolution has never been on the table. But I still had the impression that we were at 60% of the way through the story before a major character dies, then that credits and several kinematics occur. In addition, there are two struggles of boss teased at the beginning. You arrive at one of them, while the other is thrown into Chapter 17 of the main game. As optional content. It was very rushed, that’s what I say. On the other hand! One of the cinematics clearly indicates that (you remember the spoiler tag?) Zack is super alive and participates in one way or another at the current story. While the end of remake had insane implications, this scene makes them feel like facts. First of all, it’s a fact that remake part 2 could go in any direction. They bring people from between the dead! Perhaps using the magic of the trip in time! Nothing is out of the table!

Should we play this game? It depends. If you have never played Final Fantasy 7 remake before that, you must do it absolutely. The PS5 version is the definitive way to do it. The framerate improved alone pleads in favor of Intergrade. Although if you already have the original, the upgrade is not new enough for a second part. I play it a second time, but you are not obligated at all. As for the Intermission DLC, it serves as an excellent aperitif pending the second part. By the time you have finished with Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, this expectation will seem eternal.