If you haven’t heard, one of the top summer game releases is Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. No, no – this isn’t the original remake that was released last year. This is the version for the PlayStation 5 that will include a lot of additional bonuses, including Yuffie.
Anyone that has been hanging on to their PlayStation Gift Cards and wants to add to their collection of games won’t want to miss out on Intergrade.
Don’t have any gift cards? Click here to purchase PlayStation gift cards at rock bottom prices.
What is Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade?
Purchased the Final Fantasy VII Remake and then realized that the PS5 is here? A lot of people felt the same way. And many people thought that the remake would be the last game that they would purchase for the PS4.
Then comes Remake Intergrade.
What is Intergrade?
It’s PS4’s remake on steroids, with:
- Enhanced graphics that couldn’t run on the PS4
- Major performance upgrades that couldn’t run on PS4
Intergrade, available on June 10th, also comes with two key modes:
- Performance Optimization Mode: Want to enjoy the remake at 60FPS? This is the mode for you. Your graphics will be tuned down, but the action is smooth. That said, you’re still going to be playing on PS5 with superb graphics either way.
- Graphics Optimization Mode: Want the best of the best graphics and aren’t concerned about maintaining 60 FPS the entire time? This is the mode for you. Graphics in this mode are all 4K – so they’ll blow you away. But the higher graphics will cause your performance to take a hit.
So, you have choices on how you want to play when you fire up the remake. Keep in mind that you will need a 4K compatible display if you want to play on the graphic optimization mode.
On top of this, you’ll be able to use a new photo mode, which allows you to capture in-game moments like never before. The mode allows you to become an in-game photographer to capture every bit of the action.
If you were blown away by the PS4 version, you’ll love how the PS5 enhances:
- Textures. All of the game’s textures can go up to 4K, which allows you to see Cloud’s face like never before.
- Environments. See Midgar like never before, with significant environmental enhancements.
And all of these enhancements are improved even further by the PlayStation 5’s advanced lighting system. You’ll have more realistic shadows than ever before.
That’s not all.
FF7 was, in many people’s opinions, one of the best games ever made. People have been talking about the game for 20 years, but there’s more to the story with the addition of Episode INTERmission.
What’s this new episode all about? Yuffie Kisaragi, who you’ll be able to play.
We’ll be covering a lot more about this character and what she brings to the story in just a few moments.
Final Fantasy Ups Its Game with PS4 to PS5 Upgrade
Do you regret buying FF7 Remake on your PS4? Don’t be. You’ll be able to receive a free upgrade to the PS5 version, which is a really nice perk from Square. As a company that has long valued its player base, they continue to do so with the free upgrade.
And all of your saved data and progress will sync automatically between your PS4 and PS5, making the transition seamless for you.
What’s the catch?
- Final Fantasy VII Yuffie’sDLC is not included in the upgrade and will cost $19.99.
- If you received the game for free, you won’t be eligible to upgrade.
If you want to play through the Yuffie storyline, you’ll need to purchase the DLC. Since this is all new content and a lot of development time was spent on the DLC, it should come as no surprise that it’s not free.
Yuffie is going to bring a lot of excitement to the game and is going to be worth every penny that you spend on the DLC.
Will the DLC Leverage All of PS5’s Power?
No. We know that some of the haptic feedback functions of the controller will not be used to its fullest extent. But that doesn’t mean that you’ll never see the hardware’s maximum capabilities in FF7.
In fact, Tetsuya Nomura, co-director of the game, states that while there’s only partial support, the team is working on full support for the Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2. The team will be able to start from scratch when making Part 2, so it will be an even bigger advancement than what you’ll see in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade.
Final Fantasy VII Yuffie DLC
Yuffie is the main character of the new episode, and she is slotted in during Chapter 8 inside of Midgar. A ninja who is highly skilled and ready for combat, Yuffie will infiltrate Midgar with Avalanche HQ to steal from the one and only Shinra Electric Power Company.
Don’t remember Shinra?
They’re the company at the core of FF7. You see, they are responsible for the industrial aspect of the entire game because they refine Mako to produce electricity in the cities that you journey through.
President Shinra has always wanted to build a world that he envisioned as the promised land.
While the company definitely supplies power to Midgar, they were once a weapons company and have the goal of world domination. The company is a lot like the major corporations of today and have:
- Hired secret police
- Fill the world with propaganda
But the Power Company also has its own super-soldier programs.
Yuffie’s DLC really ties together the two parts of the story in a seamless manner that really gives players new insights into the game.
A few of the main additions that are brought to players in the Yuffie expansion are:
- New characters will be introduced into the game, including Billy Bob, Zhijie, Polk, and Nayo. Zhijie is a very important character because they’re your contact between Avalanche HQ and the Wutaian government. All of the other main characters listed are new members of Avalanche HQ.
- Want a new battle summon? Ramuh is here. Little details are available on the summon.
- A lot of new story content is added to the game, but there is also optional content that you can play. The key piece of optional content that everyone will want to try at least once is the optional boss fight with Weiss from Dirge of Cerberus. Weiss is the ruler of the Deepground, which is one of Shinra’s research centers.
- Yuffie’s partner is added to the game and is named Sonon Kusakabe. You’ll be able to leverage a new team attack mechanic with Sonon. If you don’t remember Sonon, it’s because Sonon wasn’t present in the original version of the game.
Another difference that you’ll notice is that Fort Condor is now a minigame rather than an actual event. The game seems to be a board game, but we don’t know all of the full details just yet.
Yuffie and her team will attempt to steal the ultimate materia from Shinra.
The addition of Yuffie to Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is a lot of fun and ties together parts of the game perfectly. If you want to see what’s happening around the FF7 world outside of Cloud, this is a great opportunity.
Don’t want to purchase the DLC? Don’t worry – it’s optional.
Square isn’t forcing you to purchase the DLC. You can play through the entire remake without ever buying the expansion and still experience the magic of Final Fantasy 7.
Who is Yuffie Kisaragi?
Yuffie is already inside of Final Fantasy 7 as an optional playable character. She’s a member of the Wutai elite corps ninjas, and she’s a lot of fun to play. A ninja and thief, her main weapon of choice is a large shuriken.
Long-range ninjutsu allows you to attack enemies from afar with your massive throwing knives. Her skills on the battlefield allow her to be one of the world’s best materia hunters.
If you haven’t encountered her in FF7, you’ll want to go out into the world’s various forests where she tends to pop up. She’s definitely cunning and mischievous, so she’ll be a lot of fun to play.
You can recruit her and fight against her in the original game, and she’s the game’s only playable character that you can fight against. In the original game, her stats are below that of other characters, which makes her easy to overlook.
But then when you unleash the Conformer, her ultimate weapon, you’ll find that it’s the game’s most reliable because it does damage based on the level of the enemy.
If you do recruit Yuffie in the game, be sure to visit Wutai because you’ll unlock a two-part quest, which can give you some insight into her character.
Her main goal is to restore the Wutai lands to the glory it had before the Shinra Electric Power Company came to power. A lot of people view her character as:
- Optimistic
- Willing to help
- Annoying and obnoxious
But when you meet Yuffie in the FF7 expansion, she’ll be a lot more tolerable and have more power than she does in the original. A few of the neat fighting mechanics that she brings to the expansion that you’ll want to explore are:
- Long-ranged abilities that allow you to attack from afar and keep your distance from enemies.
- Ninjutsu abilities that can change between the elements, which include fire, ice, wind, or lightning.
- Banishment is Yuffie’s powerful attack that is based on the ATB that you use. This powerful attack is one of the best in her arsenal.
- Windstorm is another great ability of Yuffie’s that creates a powerful, damaging gust of wind that hurls her enemies into each other to cause damage.
Yuffie will bring the storyline together in ways that fans have only hoped would be possible. But remember, this isn’t Part 2, which is coming out at a later date. If you purchase the Remake Intergrade, you’ll also want to keep your eye out for information on Part 2.
What We Know So Far About Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade Part 2
Part 2 is very interesting because everything is just speculation at this point. Yuffie is just one of the two characters that players wanted to learn more about. Who is the other character? None other than Vincent Valentine.
We still need more information on this character that had such a strong desire to get vengeance against Dr. Hojo.
The major question is whether Vincent will always just be an optional character that people can play or if he’ll have a major role in Part 2. Who knows – he may even be the main character in Part 2.
We don’t yet know how far Part 2 will bring players into the storyline, so it’s possible that we may never see Vincent, although there’s a lot of speculation that we will. There’s also the possibility that Part 2 isn’t the only additional Part we see.
There may be a Part 3, 4, 5, or higher that covers Vincent or one of the many other characters that we come across in the game.
Diving Into the Past
Have you played Final Fantasy 15? If so, you’re sure to remember that there were episodes added to the game that included key characters, such as Ignis and Gladio. The episodes kept being developed, but the DLC was cancelled, so there’s a chance that all of the possibilities of FF7 additional episodes may follow the same fate.
There is also some concern that too much focus will be put on these additional episodes that very little will be dedicated to DLCs, upsetting players in the process.
If you haven’t had the chance to play the Final Fantasy VII remake yet, be sure to watch Twitch or YouTube for updates and playthroughs.
And be sure to watch the Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Gets PS5 Announcement Trailer.
