Final Fantasy 7 remake celebrates the anniversary of the original release by recreating an iconic piece of artwork

To mark the 22nd anniversary of Final Fantasy 7's release in North America, Square Enix have recreated one of the most iconic pieces of artwork with the updated look from the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

The classic image shows Cloud with his trusty Buster sword at his back as he looks up at the Shinra building, and it's one of the most recognisable key art pieces from the original release. Many will also recognise it since it served as the box art on the original PS1 cases in North America.

On September 7, 1997, we released the original FINAL FANTASY VII in North America.To celebrate the anniversary we've remade one of the most iconic pieces of artwork from the original game, and now there are just under 6 months until the launch of #FinalFantasy VII Remake! #FF7R pic.twitter.com/OLjw4g6kOQSeptember 7, 2019

Square Enix revealed the image on the Final Fantasy 7 Remake's official Twitter account, and it firmly plants us back on the hype train for its upcoming release, which is due to launch exclusively on PS4 on March 3, 2020. One of the biggest concerns amongst fans is how closely the remake will resemble the original.

After more trailers were revealed, lots of folks have been busy comparing the updated take on the character's designs and iconic locations with the classic 1997 release. Seeing such a classic image reimagined is a great way to add to the excitement of reliving the magic of Final Fantasy 7 in all its modern glory, especially since it's practically a mirror image of the one we know so well from the PS1 version.

The Final Fantasy 7 remake is due to be released in an episodic format, with the first one set to cover Midgar. Back in June during E3 2019, we finally got to see more of the remake, including our first glimpse of Tifa and a good look at the combat system.

Some of the earliest artwork for the remake showed Cloud near the Shinra building, but it wasn't quite the same. If nothing else, the recreated image took me on a very welcome nostalgia trip, and it gets me even more excited to reunite with Cloud and the gang all over again next year.

For more, check out the best Nintendo Switch games to play right now, or watch the video below for a guide to everything else out this week.

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Heather Wald is the Evergreen Editor, Games at GamesRadar+. Her writing career began on a student-led magazine at Bath Spa University, where she earned a BA (Hons) in English literature. Heather landed her first role writing about tech and games for Stuff Magazine shortly after graduating with an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University. Now with almost seven years of experience working with GamesRadar+ on the features team, Heather helps to develop, maintain, and expand the evergreen features that exist on the site for games, as well as spearhead the Indie Spotlight series. You'll also see her contribute op-eds, interview-led features, and more. In her spare time, you'll likely find Heather tucking into RPGs and indie games, reading romance novels, and drinking lots of tea.