FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE

The Materia system is what earns Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade its place here rather than a slot in the honorable mentions. Slotting your equipment, combining elemental Materia with support options, and tuning each party member for a different combat role gives the game real RPG structure beneath the action combat surface. Production values are exceptional, even on older hardware this looks and sounds like it cost a great deal of money to make. Worth noting: Rebirth, the sequel, is not currently available on PS Plus. This is the version you can play through the service, and it is a complete story arc in itself. Start here and decide whether you want to continue.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is a genuinely lavish production that sits in an interesting position now that XVI is also on the service. The action combat is flashy and satisfying, the character work is strong, and the INTERmission episode adds a proper extra chapter with Yuffie. What held it back from the main list is that it covers only the first section of the original game, and knowing the story continues in a separate purchase affects how complete it feels. As a standalone PS5 showcase it still justifies a download. I went in with low expectations and found a game that takes its spectacle seriously. Good entry point for anyone curious about the series.