Final Fantasy 7 Remake: release date and features of the new game out now on PS4

Final Fantasy VII is often considered one of the best RPGs of all time, and its remake is one of the longest-awaited games in recent memory.

It's one of the most anticipated games of 2020, and one that's been in development for over half a decade.

Here's everything you need to know about it:

What is Final Fantasy VII Remake?

Final Fantasy VII Remake was first announced in 2015 after years of fan requests and rumours (a remake had first been in development in the early 2000s for the PlayStation 2, but was cancelled), and retells the story of the original.

Players control Cloud Strife, a former soldier who joins the AVALANCHE eco-terrorist group as a mercenary to fight the Shinra Corporation, who have been draining the planet's life energy.

Much like last year's remake of Resident Evil 2, the game is a full remake with full 3D graphics, as opposed to the pre-rendered environments the technology of the mid-90s afforded the original.

Key staff members from the original game have returned to work on the remake, including character designer Tetsuya Nomura as director and main character designer, director Yoshinori Kitase as producer and writer Kazushige Nojima.

What do you do in it?

The game follows an epic narrative typical of Japanese role-playing games, but among the story moments you'll be engaging in plenty of exploration and combat.

Unlike the original game, exploration and battle mechanics both take place in real-time (the original's combat system was turn-based); the game features the "Active Time Battle" (ATB) system from the original, albeit in a revamped form.

The ATB metre fills up slowly - or can fill faster with attacks - and once it is filled, the player can halt the action and use special abilities such as magic.

You'll also be able to switch between controlling the characters in your party at any time, with each having their own individual skills.

Producer Yoshinori Kitase stated that while the game has more real-time elements, there will still be strategic elements, such as selecting weapons and magic for each character to wield.

When can I play it?

Final Fantasy VII will be released in episodic installments; the first episode was released on 10 April.

The decision to release the game episodically is one that's caused some ire among gaming fans.

Many have complained that those not familiar with the release schedule may be 'duped' into stumping up full game prices for only part of the finished game.

Final Fantasy VII Remake's box-art doesn't do much to communicate that you're only getting part one of the game; players not familiar with the workings of the games industry may be disappointed to find they've essentially paid top dollar for only a slice of the action.

And then you have to consider the fact that it's taken over five years for part one of the remade game to hit shop shelves.

How long will be fans be waiting to play the rest of the game?