Can’t wait for Final Fantasy 7 Remake on PC? This mod AI upscales original to HD
PC version gets a neural network makeover with new update
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It’s heralded as one of the greatest, if not THE greatest JRPG of all time, and the recently releasedFinal Fantasy 7 Remakehas done justice to the spirit of the original.
But, as a timed exclusive for thePS4, PC gamers are out of luck (for the time being, at least) if they want to give the epic re-imagining a go. And while the spruced up rework is impressive, it is still quite a departure from the PS1 original. Where are the turn-based battles? The beautiful hand-drawn backgrounds? There’s a fear that some of the original’s charm will be lost in the conversion.
So, if you’re looking for something a little more faithful, and own the PC version of the original game, feast your eyes on the Remako HD mod, an AI-powered fan-made upgrade that’s just about to get a whole host of sparkling new features:
AI makeover
“Using state of the art AI neural networks, this upscaling tries to emulate the detail the original renders would have had,” writes the mod’s author.
“This helps the new visuals to come as close to a higher resolution re-rendering of the original as possible with current technology.”
Essentially, it’s a smart upscaling technique – the image is re-rendered at a far greater resolution than the original. Some detail is lost, but the original feel of the game is very much preserved.
TheFinal Fantasy7 Remako mod isdue a major upgrade itself, too. As well as introducing an easier installation process, it’ll fix up some existing textures, repair some bugs, add a HD user interface and include support for the popular Reunion Mod, which offers improved translations, character models, 60fps battles and high quality audio.
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It’s something that Nintendo has also been experimenting with, alongsideNvidia. In China, Nintendo’s games are available on theNvidia Shield, with the chip maker using its neural processing techniques to give the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess a bit of spit and polish.
Check out the mod here.
Gerald is Editor-in-Chief of iMore.com. Previously he was the Executive Editor for TechRadar, taking care of the site’s home cinema, gaming, smart home, entertainment and audio output. He loves gaming, but don’t expect him to play with you unless your console is hooked up to a 4K HDR screen and a 7.1 surround system. Before TechRadar, Gerald was Editor of Gizmodo UK. He is also the author of ‘Get Technology: Upgrade Your Future’, published by Aurum Press.
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