Cloudy with a chance of DRM

When last I posted, I discussed the upcoming re-release of Final Fantasy VII for PC. After a false start and some terrible PR, Square finally opened sales on Tuesday morning without a whisper of fanfare.

So, what do fans get for their $10 this time around?

On the positive side, the new release supports high resolution displays and gives players to option to fix the aspect ratio in software if they choose. At higher resolutions, previously obscured details on the 3D characters are visible, for good or for ill. The FMV sequences have also been cleaned up significantly (though I cannot even guess how this was accomplished), and look surprisingly sharp on high resolution displays. However, because the backgrounds are 2D mattes, there is no enhancement to the environments, which often seem pixelated and blurry compared to the characters. Controls are fully customizable from the game launcher, with decent support for both keyboard and gamepad configurations. Small, but appreciated improvements, to be sure.

Less exciting is the draconian DRM Square has forced upon us. Bafflingly, not only does this title require online activation, but Square has opted for the most hated of DRM techniques: limited installations. Each purchase of the game is tied to a key which may be activated only three times. Further activations require the player to contact Square support by telephone. Also, despite boasting recoded and improved sound configuration, Square has included the lowest fidelity music we have ever seen in this game. The music seems to be similar to the horrific midi tracks from the 1998 release, but now is also missing most of the bass "instruments" from those midi files. Fortunately, the community has already come to the rescue, releasing instructions for replacing the music files with the more appealing PSX originals (and hopefully soon some orchestral versions!)

The bizarre features announced a month ago are here as well. While cloud saves may be useful to some small percentage of the community who either switch platforms (an eventuality severely limited by the activation restrictions) or who simply experience hard disk crashes (not a frequent enough experience to worry about), the achievements seem pointless, especially considering that they exist only within the game and are awarded for mundane tasks.

With all these flaws, you might think twice before dropping the money on this game, especially if you have purchased it before. My advise would be that if you have the game on your PS3, or if you have a still-functioning PSX disc version and a system that will play it, you can just move right along. But if you have been wrestling with the 1998 PC release, or simply do not have a working version of the game, this is the your best bet. All the fluff and graphical nonsense aside, Final Fantasy VII has remained an iconic game for good reason. I think I'm starting to get a better handle on why exactly that is, and I'll have more to say on the subject tomorrow.