Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intermission DLC review for PS5.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake, along with the original, is one of my favorite games of all time. It got a perfect score from me when it was released last year, and it looks and runs better with the Intergrade PS5 upgrade. This updated version was recently launched on PS5 and brought a DLC that features the first significant revision to a character’s story.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intermission stars Yuffie and introduces a smattering of characters and concepts that give us a deeper look at the world of Final Fantasy 7. In the original, aside from one location, there wasn’t much for Yuffie to do. She just seemed to tag along for the adventure due to her dislike of Shinra and love of materia. Fortunately, Intermission gives her the same consideration as Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and Aerith got in the base game, and her backstory has been fleshed out significantly.
Midgar interlude
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intermission takes place in the middle of the base game’s plot. While Cloud and co. are assaulting Mako Reactor 5, Yuffie is entering Midgar on a secret mission for the Wutai government to steal Shinra’s “Ultimate Materia.” She meets up with the “real” Avalanche. With her fellow Wutaian (and new character), Sonon Kusakabe, she begins planning to infiltrate Shinra HQ.
In addition to giving Yuffie some much-needed backstory, Intermission shows what was happening in Sector 7 while Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa were in Sector 5 and Wall Market. The first of two chapters center on Yuffie acquiring the ID cards needed to head up to the plate and into Shinra HQ and takes place mostly in Sector 7 and the surrounding area. While there is some asset reuse (the Sector 7 slums in particular), there are also quite a few new locations in the DLC.
The 6-7 hours the DLC is a pleasant return to Midgar. Most importantly, it sets up events to make Yuffie’s meeting with the rest of the party have more punch and give her a solid motivation to join them in their fight against Shinra. While she’s still the same goofy, childish ninja, there’s a plucky cheerfulness that was largely missing in her original incarnation. She’s likable, and by the end of the DLC, she felt more like a regular party member than the optional one she used to be.
It was also interesting to see just how different the two Sector 7 cells of Avalanche are from one another. The faction that Yuffie meets up with is more interested in earning rights for the inhabitants of the slums, while Barret’s group is in it for vengeance. It seems to be setting the stage where the different groups of Avalanche may come to blows over their disparate interpretations of the best way to fight Shinra in future games.
Ninjitsu
Yuffie’s combat style is a combo of Cloud, Tifa, and Barret’s. She’s an incredibly versatile fighter, which is great because she’s the only character you can control in the DLC. Sonon will follow orders and use the new Synchronize mechanic to combo attacks with Yuffie, but the spotlight is on her during a fight.
Because Yuffie is so versatile, the enemies in Intermission are essentially pushovers. The one new summon introduced, Ramuh, is acquired through Chudley’s simulator, and he’s the one foe that gave me trouble, at least until Sonon joined the party. After receiving my second party member, I blitzed through the DLC fairly easily.
Side Hussle
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intermission isn’t just all story. While the plot alone made it worth it for me, there are a smattering of side quests that have some great callbacks to the original game. The Fort Condor minigame is a tabletop take on the original that is unusually complex (and could be a mobile game on its own). Yuffie can also seek out a series of Turtle’s Paradise flyers throughout Sector 7, emulating a similar (worldspanning) quest from the original.
It was great to see more spins on content from the original Final Fantasy 7. It’s obvious that Square Enix is putting a ton of love and care into each moment of this game. The DLC narrows focus a bit in the second capture, but fans will see more callbacks and minor opportunities for optional quests even in the Shinra HQ lower levels.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intermission DLC Review: The final verdict
Square Enix continues to deliver an excellent experience for old and new players alike. Yuffie was in serious need of having her story and motivations expanded, and the Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intermission DLC delivered. By extension, content that was optional (and just okay) in the original game will be that much more exciting because Yuffie’s role and history are more extensive.
In the original game, I visited Wutai more because I was a completionist than anything. But with the events of the base game and the Intermission DLC, I’m pumped to see Yuffie’s homeland, what’s going on with Avalanche there, what Shinra’s doing, and possibly the resolution with Don Coreno. When Final Fantasy 7 Remake was first announced, I was hoping for a game that was pretty much 1:1 with the original. However, Square Enix’s direction with FF7 Remake has impressed me with how the extra worldbuilding and tweaks to the plot have enhanced a game I already cherished. I can’t wait to play the second part, and this DLC was a great morsel to tide me over until then.
Game Revolution reviewed Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intermission on PS5. Code provided by the publisher.
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An excellent reboot of Yuffie's story.
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Gives insight into events of the base game.
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Great side quests.
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Will have (good) major effects on the second part.
