It’s safe to say that Final Fantasy VII Remake was going to be a successful game. The anticipation for this title rarely dropped off, and when it did finally release in April it was critically acclaimed by gamers and reviewers alike. The NPD Group, which collects statistics on numerous topics throughout the world, released their list of top selling games for the month of April. With no big surprise, Final Fantasy VII Remake took the top spot. The NPD Group then tweeted that in addition to topping that list, Final Fantasy VII Remake set launch sales records for the entire franchise, is currently the best selling PlayStation 4 game of the year, and is now the third best selling title for 2020. All of this in less than a month since it launched.
US NPD SW – Apr 2020 Top 20 Sellers – Final Fantasy VII: Remake debuts as the best-selling game of April. pic.twitter.com/He7cKtbS79
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) May 22, 2020
To put this in perspective, the two other titles that are currently ahead of Final Fantasy VII Remake on the list of best selling games in 2020 are Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and the unstoppable juggernaut that is Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Since both titles have a plethora of content being added at a near constant basis, it’s easy to see why they’re holding onto the number 1 and 2 spots respectively. For Final Fantasy VII Remake to even make this list with less than a month of being available is an impressive feat in an of itself, let alone reaching the top 3.
The other titles in the list of best selling games for the month of April from fourth to tenth were NBA 2K20, Grand Theft Auto V, Resident Evil 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Remastered, MLB: The Show 20, Madden NFL 20, and Red Dead Redemption II. Due to the world wide effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic, a lot of retailers/studio’s have been struggling to get physical product to gamers in a timely manner. With that in mind, it’s important to note that this list does not include digital sales numbers which makes it even more impressive.
The game also set new benchmarks in terms of franchise launch sales, making it one of the highest selling games in the entire series. This officially dethrones the previous record holder, Final Fantasy XV, which launched in December 2016. Since it’s still only May, and with The Last of Us: Part II releasing next month, it’s possible that we’ll see the game drop off a bit for the remainder of the year. Despite that, Final Fantasy VII Remake has clearly made its mark in the gaming community, as well as the entire franchise. Square Enix’s second outing into Midgar was without a doubt a resounding success.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is available now for the PlayStation 4. You can check out our review for the game here.