Earlier this month, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade made its way to PCs as an Epic Games Store exclusive. After having spent some time with it, I will be sharing my impressions of the PC port here. However, it will not be a full review as we already have one of the PS4 version. I’d recommend checking it out for more in-depth details about the game since they are the same game; at least the base game is.

The main difference is that the PC version comes with the Intergrade bundle. The latter includes the base Final Fantasy VII Remake (FF7R) game and the FF7R INTERmission expansion. This features new story content with Yuffie as she teams up with Avalanche to steal Shinra’s most powerful materia.

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While it’s a welcome addition, other features you’d expect out of a PC port are surprisingly missing. You won’t find options for motion blur, anti-aliasing, VSync and such that should be the bare minimum for AAA games like FF7R to include in a PC version. It almost feels like Square Enix half-heartedly did this port.

Hammering in this feeling are the multiple reports of performance issues on PC, even with high-end rigs. While some could have been addressed by tweaking the graphics settings, they are alas mostly absent in FF7R on PC.

That said, I played the game on a handheld PC equipped with an AMD 4800U chip and did not encounter major stuttering. For the most part, it plays smoothly (for a handheld) with the graphical options set to low. In more crowded areas like Sector 7 Slums performance dips a bit, with around 25 fps but in less busy segments, the framerate bumps to 30. But most players might not want to limit themselves to 30fps on a handheld and I totally understand the frustration of not being able to play the game fluidly (as it should) on higher-end desktops.

But while playing FF7R on a handheld, I was mostly satisfied, especially considering it was a PS4 game. Having played the original FF7, I am positively impressed by what Square Enix delivered with a remake that feels more of an interpretation than an exact replica with enhanced visuals. Midgar feels more immersive and lively; while members of Avalanche are more fleshed out. Even if FF7R covers a fraction of the original plot and is set to be episodic, I had a blast strolling across the Slums and taking on side quests and re-encounter iconic characters and scenes from a fresh angle and a new lens.

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However, for the “next-gen” price of $70/£70 despite its reported performance issues, it’s hard to recommend immersing oneself in the FF7R’s Midgar on PC straight away. Moreover, given that it is an Epic Games Store exclusive that somehow requires an online connection to play might not be a welcome choice by all those who have been patiently waiting for this PC port. And unfortunately, they might need to wait a bit more to prevent further disappointment with its current state. You might want to jump in after new patches have gone live and with more PC-worthy settings are unlocked. But if you don’t mind taking the risk, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade will deliver on an engaging and original take on a remake of a classic game.

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Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4) Official GBAtemp Review

 

[AlexMCS]

So, get it for the PS5 if you can. Got it.

 

[Reploid]

I have zero issues with it, don't know what bothers other people. It could include more options, but oh well

 

[Cris1997XX]

I don't understand what the fuck is up with Epic. They basically pay the games for us, and they're oh so desperate for timed exclusivity deals to annoy every other launcher's users. But they know it won't work for long

 

[RedoLane]

Important Note: For those who suffer from stuttering around in-game cutscenes and gameplay itself, apparently forcing DirectX11 through a startup parameter fixed most of the stutters on my end. (You also need to force max framerate and vsync on the NVIDIA Control Panel, if you have a NVIDIA-based GPU.)
Pre-rendered cutscenes and crowded areas still have some stutter, but not really a big deal.
However, it also breaks HDR support, so pick your poison.

 

[Searinox]

There are mods available that unblur the terrible image on PC by disabling TAA, abd nearlyt fix all stuttering issues via DX11, DXVK, and unreal engine variables for texture streaming. Unfortunately that doesn't fix the shit keyboard controls - the most convoluted control setup I've seen in a long time. Yet another lazy PC release job.

 

[1NOOB]

lol

 

[godreborn]

I bought the remake intergrade for the ps5 from gamestop. I don't know if price is an issue for some, but it's on sale right now for $35 iirc, the ps5 version new.

 

[pustal]

I don't understand what the fuck is up with Epic. They basically pay the games for us, and they're oh so desperate for timed exclusivity deals to annoy every other launcher's users. But they know it won't work for long

Sony owns part of Epic. This shouldn't be a timed exclusive but a permanent one. Same for Kingdom Hearts, Uncharted or any Sony game released after their Epic share acquiremement. Even if any of these games ar timed for some reason, of course they'll prioritize their own platform.

And why wouldn't it work for long? If you want to play games they have exclusive distribution, you have to use their platform. They are getting tons of clients like this. It sucks for us but works for them.

 

[The Catboy]

Still on Epic, so still a no from me

 

[the_randomizer]

SE can't port UE4 games worth shit.

 

[NyaakoXD]

It's really that bad. Having to use a variety of mods ranging from Kaldaien's Special K and the FFVIIRHook to enable loose Engine.ini modifications. And even then, the stutters and hitches are still so prominent It's extremely annoying to me since I tend to notice these things more on PC gaming.

Honestly, it's better to get the PS4 version (a used copy) since not only is it a lot cheaper, but you can get the free PS5 upgrade and the Yuffie INTERmission DLC for a lot less than $70 and it would run a whole lot smoother and more stable than the current PC port.

 

[Kamiyama]

It was 79,99€ on Epic when I did check it.

It's yarrr time, I say.

You know what's funny? There's already Steamworks folder with steam_api64.dll in game's installation path, waiting for Steam release.

Let's see that price one more time after one year in 3rd party key site for Steam version if the price is right even then.

 

[Bladexdsl]

i knew it was going to be bad have been saying this since day one. hit the nail on the head once again. not even worth pirating (and you can)

 

[Xzi]

No surprise, this type of exclusivity encourages shit-tier PC ports. Why put in any effort when you know the check is gonna be cashed before release day regardless? Gives the dev team a year off before they have to start fixing it for a more discerning audience.

 

[Cris1997XX]

Sony owns part of Epic. This shouldn't be a timed exclusive but a permanent one. Same for Kingdom Hearts, Uncharted or any Sony game released after their Epic share acquiremement. Even if any of these games ar timed for some reason, of course they'll prioritize their own platform.

And why wouldn't it work for long? If you want to play games they have exclusive distribution, you have to use their platform. They are getting tons of clients like this. It sucks for us but works for them.

"Achtually!1!!11" Uncharted: Legacy Of Thieves Collection will come out on EGS AND Steam in 2022 lol

 

[xdarkx]

I don't understand what the fuck is up with Epic. They basically pay the games for us, and they're oh so desperate for timed exclusivity deals to annoy every other launcher's users. But they know it won't work for long

Guess Epic is too committed with their exclusives to back down. If this is like the other past exclusives deals they got, they would need to eat the extra costs using their Fortnite money. Reason is, from what we learned in their lawsuit with Apple, there wasn't enough people buying those exclusive games to make up for the exclusivity deal Epic has with the publishers/developers.

Sony owns part of Epic. This shouldn't be a timed exclusive but a permanent one. Same for Kingdom Hearts, Uncharted or any Sony game released after their Epic share acquiremement. Even if any of these games ar timed for some reason, of course they'll prioritize their own platform.

And why wouldn't it work for long? If you want to play games they have exclusive distribution, you have to use their platform. They are getting tons of clients like this. It sucks for us but works for them.

Ya... all 1.4% of Epic. What does Sony have anything to do with this?? This is a Square Enix game, and last I check Sony doesn't own them. And even though Sony have bought Square Enix stocks, this doesn't mean they own them. Not to mention, Sony has put some of their actual PlayStation exclusive games on Steam.

Also, Steam has a larger user base than EGS and Square Enix already have a lot of their games on Steam so why wouldn't they put this game in Steam after their (possibly 1 year) exclusivity deal ends?

 

[Cris1997XX]

Guess Epic is too committed with their exclusives to back down. If this is like the other past exclusives deals they got, they would need to eat the extra costs using their Fortnite money. Reason is, from what we learned in their lawsuit with Apple, there wasn't enough people buying those exclusive games to make up for the exclusivity deal Epic has with the publishers/developers.


Ya... all 1.4% of Epic. What does Sony have anything to do with this?? This is a Square Enix game, and last I check Sony doesn't own them. And even though Sony have bought Square Enix stocks, this doesn't mean they own them. Not to mention, Sony has put some of their actual PlayStation exclusive games on Steam.

Also, Steam has a larger user base than EGS and Square Enix already have a lot of their games on Steam so why wouldn't they put this game in Steam after their (possibly 1 year) exclusivity deal ends?

I assume the easy Fortnite cash will run out eventually, because the game is bound to be overshadowed by a new and fresh product made by someone else. I'm also still pissed by the fact that Epic abandoned Unreal Tournament, one of the best FPSs, years ago

 

[Marc_LFD]

I don't understand what the fuck is up with Epic. They basically pay the games for us, and they're oh so desperate for timed exclusivity deals to annoy every other launcher's users. But they know it won't work for long

I love the free EGS games, but their store is still too incomplete and when there are too many users claiming the same game what happens? The website breaks.

They need to make it more polished and durable.

 

[Cris1997XX]

I love the free EGS games, but their store is still too incomplete and when there are too many users claiming the same game what happens? The website breaks.

They need to make it more polished and durable.

They can't make the store any better, otherwise they'd need to raise publishing fees. And indie developers would hate that LOL