Square Enix released a new version of the original Final Fantasy VII on Steam and GOG on February 24, 2026, featuring quality-of-life improvements like a 3x speed mode and autosaves. However, the release has been met with mostly negative reviews due to technical issues including blurry visuals and launch crashes. Owners of the 2013 edition retain access to it, now retitled as Final Fantasy VII - 2013 Edition, though saves are not transferable.
The original Final Fantasy VII, first launched on PlayStation in January 1997, received a new PC re-release on Steam and GOG on February 24, 2026. This version includes enhancements such as a 3x speed mode, the option to disable random battle encounters, autosaves, controller support, and Steam cloud save files. It is free for owners of the previous 2013 Steam port, which has been delisted for new purchases and retitled Final Fantasy VII - 2013 Edition. Save files from the 2013 version are retained but cannot be transferred to the new release.
Despite these additions, the new version has encountered significant backlash. Steam reviews stand at 36 percent positive out of 308, classified as 'Overwhelmingly Negative' by some reports and 'mostly negative' by others, contrasting sharply with the 2013 edition's 92 percent 'Overwhelmingly Positive' score. Common complaints include blurry backgrounds and full-motion videos (FMVs) from upscaling, stuttering sound effects, a mandatory launcher that interferes with fullscreen inputs, and buggy resolution settings limited to the original 4:3 format without optional filters like those in the 2013 edition.
Technical glitches marred the launch, such as the game depot initially being 0 kilobytes, requiring a patch, and battles running at double speed due to an FPS increase from 15 to 30 without adjusted animations. A quick patch addressed the speed issue and other bugs, as first reported by IGN. Some players report crashes on launch, while their 2013 version functions normally.
One Steam reviewer noted, 'The FPS limit has been increased from 15 to 30, doubling the speed of fights and actions but without adapting the animations, so the actions desyncs with the audio.' Another with over 1400 hours in the original added, 'The filtering for the background looks god awful.' A further complaint stated, 'All backgrounds and FMVs are blurry from whatever upscaling they did... Any SFX that should play rapidly or cut itself off... These need to be fixed for it to be possible to recommend this version.'
The game's induction into the Video Game Hall of Fame in 2018 underscores its enduring legacy, amid ongoing releases in the remake trilogy, including Final Fantasy VII Remake in 2020 and Rebirth in 2024.
