Final Fantasy 7 Remake: watch the gorgeous new opening movie

We’ve seen plenty of trailers for the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Remake already, but the latest shows something particularly exciting: the very first moments of the game. Today, Square Enix released a five-minute “opening movie,” which is a blend of new elements and powerful nostalgia. The clip opens with a detailed look at the revamped Midgar, FFVII’s dark, gritty metropolis. Here, it looks like a vibrant, living place, complete with construction workers going about their jobs and kids speeding across the streets on their bikes.

It gives a good sense of how much work went into rebuilding the PlayStation classic, which originally launched in 1997. From there, things get more familiar, with the flower girl Aerith on a busy street at night, before looking up at the stars in the sky. This is then followed by a train rushing toward an energy reactor with the familiar Nobuo Uematsu score playing in the background. That’s where the real action begins — and the opening sequence ends.

This is just the latest in a fairly large lineup of prerelease trailers, which cover everything from hero Cloud to summon monsters to the famous cross-dressing scene. Originally slated to launch next month, FFVII Remake is coming to the PS4 on April 10th. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.

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