Cloud Strife and his iconic mop of spiked blonde hair emerge through the rising steam of an overcrowded city.

The main character of Final Fantasy 7 has his distinctive buster sword strapped to his back.

This time, however, he’s not a pixelated image as seen in the 1997 PlayStation original – he’s been fully rendered in life-like modern graphics.

It’s been five years since gamers got a first glimpse of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, when the first trailer dropped.

The remake, which is out now, is a completely rebuilt version of a role-playing game that has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.

And fans of the original are excited to make a return to Midgar, the fantasy city where the remake takes place.

“This is not just for the players of the original,” the remake’s director, Naoki Hamaguchi, tells Newsbeat.

“It’s got the same really well-loved core elements to it, but shown with more style, which will really help the game resonate with players today.”

To do that the team have added story details that were not explored in the original and designed an entirely new way for battles to take place.

Yoshinori and Naoki agree it was important to get the balance right between innovating and staying true to the original.

Early reviews are positive but it’s too early to tell how the game has landed with new players – although Elz is pleased with what she’s played.

“There are always going to be high expectations that the remake is going to be held against,” she says.

“I can only speak for myself and I’m really enjoying with how the gameplay has developed.”