As of this posting, Cyberpunk 2077 and Final Fantasy VII Remake are tied on Metacritic at an 87. Cyberpunk 2077 was higher at 91 for a high on PC but it has since been dropped. The console versions, on the other hand, are looking a lot worse. Scores aside, these two games share a lot in aesthetics.
Final Fantasy VII Remake may not look traditionally like a cyberpunk game with tons of neon and cyborgs running around. However, it indeed fits the genre build when one really thinks about it even with all of the magic. So, let’s compare the two to see which RPG is better just for fun. Both games are great though.
12 Characters: Final Fantasy VII Remake
Cyberpunk 2077 has some interesting characters let’s say but they all come and go out of V’s life sporadically. Everyone in Final Fantasy VII’s main cast is there to stay. This makes it feel like a real party. Johnny Silverhand is really the only other character always around for V and even that isn’t true.
11 Evil Corporations: Cyberpunk 2077
There are a lot of fun comparisons one could make about the corporations in Cyberpunk 2077 and Shinra from the Final Fantasy remake. Both are soul crushing to the weak and are draining the planet in one way or another. That said Shinra is just evil whereas the corporations in Cyberpunk 2077 are at least fun. Some more than others of course.
10 Mini Games: Final Fantasy VII Remake
Cyberpunk 2077 really doesn’t have what one would call mini games. This category then was won by default for Final Fantasy. That said, the remake does not have as many memorable ones as the original on PS1, but a victory is a victory. Cyberpunk 2077 really should have had some mini games to liven things up.
9 Vehicles: Cyberpunk 2077
One of the best mini games from the original Final Fantasy VII release and the new one are the motorcycle chases. That’s really the only time Cloud pilots a vehicle unless one wants to count a chocobo too.
This makes Midgar feel smaller than it should be but the vehicles in Cyberpunk 2077 help fill out the world. It too has bikes and they rock.
8 Music: Final Fantasy VII Remake
Final Fantasy VII already had some of the best music in the series and the remake’s updated soundtrack just makes it even better. Cyberpunk 2077 also has a great, distinct sound that actually ties in with the story quite nicely. It helps build the vibe of Night City but overall Final Fantasy VII Remake is still better.
7 Style: Cyberpunk 2077
Speaking of that vibe, Cyberpunk 2077 has the better aesthetic to make it fit in better with the cyberpunk genre. The style includes the graphics as well as the overall structure to Night City. It’s more fun to explore since it isn’t segmented off unlike Final Fantasy VII Remake. The colors are also not as vibrant in that game.
6 Story: Final Fantasy VII Remake
The story is one of the biggest surprises in the remake to Final Fantasy VII. It is certainly not what fans expected and actually explains the title of the game. Getting into it more would be a spoiler. Cyberpunk 2077 has some great writing as well but it sort of falls flat in some areas of the game which affects the pacing.
5 Photo Mode: Cyberpunk 2077
It’s been a long time since Final Fantasy VII Remake launched in April and it still doesn’t have a Photo Mode. That’s standard in AAA games so why wasn’t it included in at least an update by now? Cyberpunk 2077 wins by default then for this category. Even if it didn’t it would be hard to beat Cyberpunk 2077 thanks to its options.
4 Gameplay: Final Fantasy VII Remake
The shooting is decent in Cyberpunk 2077. This is good considering the developers were coming off of an action RPG with The Witcher 3. Coincidentally that’s what Final Fantasy VII Remake is. Anyway it is a better, more fun game to actually play. Everything about the remake’s mechanics feel tighter.
3 Side Quests: Cyberpunk 2077
Final Fantasy VII on PS1 has some legendary side quests like the Chocobo breeding that led to many different branching quests. The remake didn’t have a lot of good side quests to speak of. While there is a lot of filler in Cyberpunk 2077, overall the quest system has more intrigue including golden robots with boyfriend problems and security companies messing with memories.
2 Console Release: Final Fantasy VII Remake
As great as the graphics are for Cyberpunk 2077, let’s not forget that that is in regard to the PC version only. The console release is filled with bugs.
There really wasn’t any controversy with Final Fantasy VII Remake except that it was hard to get physically at launch because if the quarantine. Other than that it runs great on PS4 hardware.
1 Verdict: Final Fantasy VII Remake
As stated in the intro, both games are great cyberpunk RPGs in their own way. Cyberpunk 2077 might have actually won if not for the console releases. That alone really could cost CD Projekt Red in the long run even though reviews on PC were high. As for Final Fantasy, let’s hope the second part of the remake doesn’t take as long to get here.