Final Fantasy 7 Remake: 'This is not just for the players of the original'

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.

One of those eagerly awaiting the release is Youtuber Elz the Witch, who says she felt "really emotional" when she first played the remake.

"When the title screen came up with the theme music, it looked exactly how I imagined it looking 23 years ago, but with a hundred times better graphics," she tells BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat.

"I didn't expect to be emotional but it's just that nostalgia of something that you've wanted for so long - and you've grown up with - to see come to fruition is really remarkable."

'It helped me understand my sexuality'
For civil servant Rob Bowman, it helped him understand his sexuality.

"Cloud is the protagonist and I related to him a lot," he says.

"In the game, he's trying to figure out who he is, and I was doing the same when I was playing it, although for different reasons.

"For me, it was figuring out my sexuality. Within the game Cloud found out who he was, and it made him stronger as a result.

"To this day, I feel it was the same for me. The game helped me open my eyes."