Final Fantasy 7 Remake delivered on all that it promised, providing an amazingly revamped yet still quite nostalgic experience. Even though the game just released last Friday, some hardcore gamers have already beaten the new Final Fantasy and are looking for an option for new game plus. But is there a new game plus?
The short answer is yes, Final Fantasy 7 Remake has a new game plus. The long answer is not in the traditional sense, as the new game plus in this game is split into two separate features, the hard mode and the chapter select. By using these features together, the player can emulate new game plus.
After beating the game on any difficulty, be it classic, easy, or normal, the player will unlock both hard mode and chapter select. Hard mode is exactly what it sounds like, a much more difficult version of the game, and chapter select allows players to replay any point in the story and make different choices while keeping everything they've acquired.
On its own, chapter select allows the player to return to previous points in the story in order to replay fun moments, grind experience and loot, finish up any side quests, and grab those easy to miss Materia. With this feature in the game, nothing can be missed in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which is certainly a nice touch. When paired together with Hard mode, however, it functions as the basis of Final Fantasy 7 Remake's new game plus. It is also worth noting that it is impossible to start a new game in hard mode, as the player must use their clear data and the chapter select to do so.
This implies that this was the intended use after all, and the difficulty scale of hard mode supports that assumption. Even after beating the game and with all the experience, materia, and gil that comes with that, hard mode will break the limits of players and force a much more strategic approach to problems. Items are completely disabled in hard mode, meaning the player cannot use potions to heal, ethers to restore MP, or Phoenix Downs to resurrect party members, and instead must rely entirely on spells.
To access chapter select, navigate to the system menu and it should be there so long as the player has beaten the game on any of the three base difficulties. Of course, hard mode's increased difficulty comes with increased rewards in the form of more experience, AP, and SP, even bringing new items and weapon manuscripts for the player to collect.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available now exclusively for PS4.
Source: PowerPyx
