It's time for the reunion.The calendar turned to April 10 in Japan a few hours ago, which means Final Fantasy VII Remake has officially released in the country.To commemorate the game's long-awaited launch, Square Enix released a new illustration from Tetsuya Nomura -- Remake's director and the character designer for the original 1997 classic -- depicting its iconic protagonist, Cloud Strife, from the moment he hops off the train in Sector 1.Included is an inviting message that is sure to get fans, especially returning ones, just that extra bit pumped as the countdown to launch in the West enters its final hours: "Welcome back to Midgar."

Final Fantasy VII Remake has been a long-time coming, with its release closing out a nearly five-year long wait ever since its surprise announcement at E3 2015 shocked the gaming world. For the most part, it seemed worth it.

The cornavirus pandemic has complicated things, though, leading Square Enix to take extra measures in an effort to try and ensure that as many people as possible will be able to play the game come April 10. This included shipping physical copies out early to Europe and Australia, and moving up the pre-load date for digital orders.

Now that reviews are out, and with some players having gotten their hands on the game early, word has been spreading that Remake throws a few curveballs story-wise (don't worry, we won't be getting into the details here). With that said, producer Yoshinori Kitase, talked a bit about them in the latest Weekly Famitsu and what they could mean for the future (click here to see his comments at your own risk).

Square Enix also released the fourth episode of its behind-the-scenes look into the making of Final Fantasy VII Remake on Wednesday, this time highlighting the game's sound.

If you're on the fence about Remake or still in the dark about a few details, then DualShockers' own Michael Ruiz has your back with a list of everything you need to know about the game ahead of launch. Ben Bayliss also offered a look into the game's accessibility options.