Final Fantasy 7 fans will be getting a treat this December as the remake will be getting its own artbook filled with all sorts of details about the game.
The 336-page hardcover book will arrive just in time for the holiday season. It will have a collection of production and CG art assets that will cover the character models and illustrations by director/designer Tetsuya Nomura and his team, locations and backgrounds, accessories, weapons, enemies, and more. There's also staff commentary attached to the art, along with costume references, cutscene storyboards, and Q&A interviews with the Japanese voice actors. This content is now available in Japan, but it will be localized in English for this release.
Surprisingly, this Final Fantasy 7 Remake book is affordable at $39.99 and will be available to preorder at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, the Square Enix Store (North America and Europe), Books-A-Million, and Indigo. The digital version is $25.99. It's already the #1 best seller in the Science Fiction & Fantasy Art category on Amazon and is out of stock. Hopefully, you'll have more luck on the other retail websites; at the time of writing, Barnes & Noble has the book in stock.
The art is deserving to be featured in its own book. Last year, it was nominated for Best Art Direction and was beat out by the stunning Ghost of Tsushima. However, the striking city of Midgar and its charismatic citizens stands as a testament of the outstanding art design.
The Final Fantasy 7 hype won't just be contained in a book in 2021, however. An upgraded version of the game called Intergrade is scheduled to release on June 10, 2021. It will give us 4K visuals (or 60 frames per second), a new photo mode, and more lighting effects on the PS5 exclusively. It will be a free upgrade for those who own the PS4 version.
Furthermore, two new chapters will be added that will debut everyone's favorite ninja in the Final Fantasy franchise, Yuffie. New battle mechanics will be added, and it will boast visuals that are only possible on the PS5; sorry, PS4 fans. If you don't buy the full version for PS5 at $69.99, Yuffie's chapters will be available to purchase to those who use the free upgrade.
While you wait, you should listen to the game's soundtrack on Spotify and other streaming platforms right now.