Inside Edge 429: The kind of magic that only videogames can provide
In 1994, when we encountered the opera scene in Final Fantasy VI (or rather Final Fantasy III as it was known to western audiences at the time), it felt like another landmark SNES gaming moment to add to a list of jaw-droppers that began with the shimmering Mode 7 tracks of F-Zero and included the rotating chamber of Super Castlevania IV alongside the eye-popping bosses of Axelay. Were we more easily impressed in those days? Of course. This was a time when the flat-shaded polygons of Star Fox, propelled around the screen at a heady rate of 15 to 20 frames per second, were enough to stop you in your tracks. But the limited processing power of the hardware of the day meant that any game managing to pull off something out of the ordinary felt like a bit of a miracle. Donkey Kong Country’s ‘Advanced Computer Modelling’ visuals were gimmickry, but that didn’t prevent minds being blown en masse at CES in June 1994.
The arrival of Sony’s PlayStation in December of that same year helped pave the way for the 1990s cementing their status as the greatest decade in videogame history if we’re categorising by innovation and influence. Following on from Nintendo’s 16bit console, Sony’s machine racked up a series of games that would outshine what was available on competing platforms, elevating it to market leadership. Ridge Racer and Tekken were instantly convincing at a time when arcades still set the pace, and then came games that delivered on more sophisticated levels, such as Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid and of course the mighty Final Fantasy VII.
Even with tremendously powerful hardware at their disposal, it is more difficult for videogame creators to make those kinds of impacts today, but famous formative works inspire them nevertheless. Clearly Square Enix is in a rarefied position with Final Fantasy VII Revelation by drawing a direct line between the past and present. In Edge 429, out now, we discuss the game with director Naoki Hamaguchi, and mark the occasion with special subscriber covers showcasing art from all three parts of the remake trilogy.
Inside issue 429:
End Game
Last is by no means least as the Final Fantasy VII remakes reach their conclusion with Revelation.
Kings Of The Hill
How Bloober Team faced horrors of its own before reaching the dark destination of its dreams.
Collected Works
Martin Edmondson talks us through his CV, beginning on a BBC Micro and then shifting through the gears.
The Making Of…
The evolution of The Outer Zone’s Death Howl, from food-based card game to Stone Age Soulslike.
Studio Profile
Why going where the action is has spelled success for Crow Country and Snipperclips developer SFB.
Time Extend
Back to the battlefield with an ageing Snake for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots.
Previews
Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis, Fable, The Duskbloods, Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, Showa American Story, and 1001 Threads Of Mizan.
Reviews
Control Resonant, The Blood Of Dawnwalker, Marvel’s Wolverine, Silent Hill: Townfall, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, Orbitals, Valheim, Star Wars: Zero Company, Toem 2, Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, Tiny Flock, and Wheelmates.
Plus:
With Steam Frame here, how does Valve’s hardware suite stack up?
Summer Eternal’s revolutionary approach to launching a game.
Discussing the sound, and survival, of RTS games with Frank Klepacki.
The art of Studio Reset’s The Eventide.
Steven Poole asks what GTAVI represents in a vibe-coded world.
Alex Spencer visits Arcade Arena to play life-sized Pac-Man.
The Long Game: Reliving ’90s PC FPS excess in Sin: Reloaded.
Buy Edge 429 here. To take advantage of our current subscription offer, you can also get your first three issues for just £5.
