It only seems like yesterday that Square Enix was refusing to even entertain the idea of a Final Fantasy VII remake. After all, the original was and continues to be perfectly playable on modern devices. But here we are today, around a month away from that remake finally happening on April 10, 2020. The road to release has been odd to say the least, and even then the release strategy is far from over. But the game has been making strides at public events, with lines building up just for a small, playable taste. Now that taste has been served to anyone with a PlayStation 4 and internet access.
Practically overnight and with little warning, right at the tail end of PAX East 2020, Square Enix dropped the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo on the PlayStation Store. There is no pre-order necessary and it has no weird time limit gimmicks. It is just the same demo everyone who has been attending events was able to play in fancy booths.
And there’s even an added bonus! Anyone who plays the demo will receive a PS4 theme featuring the recently-released ensemble key art once Final Fantasy VII Remake launches. That’s two freebie themes, with the other being part of that goofy candy bar promotion.
The demo gives the full opening and first chapter of Final Fantasy VII Remake in its entirety (albeit with a disclaimer noting content could change in the final release). It’s the same slice of the game we’ve seen at events since E3, starting with the full opening and ending after the first boss at the Mako Reactor. You get the opportunity to play as both Cloud and Barrett, along with all the initially available combat systems.
Source: PS Store