watched some youtube videos and im just too much of a curmudgeon on this topic to be interested in this. i was interested in an actual remake, not a totally different game.
watched some youtube videos and im just too much of a curmudgeon on this topic to be interested in this. i was interested in an actual remake, not a totally different game.
There's a lot of good in it. For me, it's just a more immersive way to experience the world, with a lot of details and character development better fleshed out. Ideally, I'd like a proper JRPG remake as well. But the gameplay actually blends the turn-based elements with the Action RPG skin very well, while not actually changing the story more than filling in some spots with more activity.
That said, I'm not expecting to change your mind on this. If you're wanting a core JRPG experience from it, you're probably just not gonna like it. But if you liked any of the games since XII, this really does feel like a much more polished version of the direction they've been going. Especially compared to XV.
I’m liking there being more expansion and sidequests, but yeah those who were hoping for a more straightforward remake I agree that this may not be for them.
The music, graphics and gameplay are sweet oh and the voice-acting for Barrett is top notch, suits the character well.
I've honestly just been feeling out over all the little details. That moment when I realized I could just move the camera up and see the plate oppressing you from above - that was pretty awesome.
just tell me the one thing i do want to know: do they have the honey bee inn bath scene?
Haven't been that far yet(I left off last night after landing in the Sector 5 Church), but I know the Honeybee Inn and the cross-dressing bits are still included, so I have hopes.
So far, no real scene or detail has been glossed over. Even when I think, "Oh, man, this tiny little detail that is probably irrelevant but matters to me wasn't included," it always ends up popping up just a little later.
Tiny spoiler for anyone not wanting to ruin similar experiences:
I thought they weren't going to have the little mini-game in Reactor 5 where all three of you have to press the buttons at the same time to open a security lock. Not only did they slip it in, they also gave a reward for doing a slightly harder version of the mini-game.
Still in the Sector 7 slumsmyself and not even got to the second Mako reactor bombing yet. I do look forward to see what they do with the Honey Bee inn scene though,
I'm in the same place, doing the side quests. It really does feel like a overly padded version of the original game. I think the fact that I've played the original means I'm eagerly anticipating the various parts of the story to unfold without any patience.
There's something in this game for everyone. New players and players of the original. But like people said, if you're looking for a proper 1:1 remake, then this ain't it.
I do have a couple of minor issues with the game.
1. I wish I could change the damn controls. I dont like how X brings up the menu and TRIANGLE is to interact with stuff. I want to be able to swap them around. I think that would make more sense.
2. I dont like how you can hear all the NPCs as you walk past them, especially when they start almost talking over the one main character you're having a conversation with.
Is this still a multi part thing or is it the whole game in one?
I mean I will give it a go eventually even with the standard Square Enix character models, but I dont think I can justify paying full whack for part of a game when Persona 5 Royal is on the market too...
Is this still a multi part thing or is it the whole game in one?
I mean I will give it a go eventually even with the standard Square Enix character models, but I dont think I can justify paying full whack for part of a game when Persona 5 Royal is on the market too...
This is just the first part.
I bought Persona too but I justify that with being currently off work for a while plus being stuck indoors due to this pandemic so needs something to do!
Even though yes it is the first 'part', It should really be looked at as the first in a new series of games. This have been redone and fleshed out excellently. Even if you rush you should be clocking 30 hours or so. But with all the collectables, Materia, Side quests it is very much a full game experience.
After having thought about it, I love this game. How much I love it in the long term will depend on how the next entries turn out. Absolutely love the combat system in it and loved seeing characters and set pieces fleshed out.
For those worried about it only being part of a game, it's a full game. Dropping 60-70 hours into this would not be a surprise. I'm going through on hard mode now and am somewhere in the 50s, but I'm doing everything I can find to do.
Spoiler on a 20+ year old scene:
The dropping of the plate segment is so good. Caring about the little side characters and then switching the lolpwned to help save people in Sector 7, it added a ton to that sequence.
This is a huge ass post with a lot of gushing, so bear with me:
I'm just going to say right now that all around, this game was fantastic. If I want to get nitpicky, which I certainly did at points in the game, I could pull out some flaws that bothered me which I'll cover here. Almost all of these are down things to do with the music or plot changes. But overall, I could understand or appreciate most of the changes because it facilitates the my main judgment of this game: it pays massive homage and respect to the original while forging its own path that is satisfying on its own.
Atmosphere/Aesthetic: One of the things this game just nailed perfectly is the atmosphere. Despite the incredible graphics that are far beyond anything seen in the Final Fantasy games, let alone VII, it doesn't sacrifice the aesthetic of the original. Color palettes, distinct, at time blocky shapes, familiar landmarks just rush you with nostalgia in a way that makes you feel like you've been transported into the FFVII world, seeing what it would look like if it was your real life. It's basically like seeing a polished version of the original's concept art and the cutscenes. So many times throughout, I found myself just taking the time to soak in the environment and fawn over every little detail. I said it before, but there is nothing like being able to just look up at the oppressive plate towering above you. This is enhanced by details like being able to see the materia slotted into your weapon, and even reflecting the linked slots and specific placement. There's also a remarkably accurate re-mapping of the locales. Knowing things would be different by nature of expanding, I felt the geographic layout of everything mostly mirrored the maps of the original.
Let's also not forget the many conversations of the basic civilians and deeper exploration of the impact on the common person in Midgar that shine a whole new light on the actions of the original.
Music: The music was handled 90% wonderfully. I loved most of the new arrangements for the classic pieces. It probably helps that I've been getting into the idea of leitmotifs lately, but this is something the Final Fantasy series and many video games have been doing for years. They take a basic theme, melody, or rhythmic idea, and contextualize it differently through new instrumentation, style, or key, to convey the connection to a character or overarching theme while reflecting how it's significant in different scenarios. Aerith's theme and the FFVII theme were some wonderful example of this use. The key thing for me is that I think what makes these new arrangements acceptable is the fact that for every new variation, the game mostly pairs that with a version identical to the original with modern sound technology. For example, the Mako Reactor theme. I felt this was one of the stronger arrangements in the whole game, and coupling that with a battle edit version felt like such an immersive new way to explore a classic. Whenever all the teases of Sephiroth or JENOVA's theme kept getting spliced increasingly throughout the game, it sent chills down my spine. And for what it's worth, I liked all the brand new pieces that were included, and ultimately and happy they weren't afraid to bring in new musical elements.
I also actually really enjoyed the contemporary remixes you heard through the music discs. While not all of them were perfect, considering most of these themes were based on tracks that aren't normally in this portion of the story, I think it was a nice way to squeak in a bit of nostalgia while having fun. When I heard the jazz blues version of Barret's theme the first time, I was just smiling from ear to ear hearing how they transformed it.
That said, the other side to all this is there are some themes that never get a proper arrangement that sounds right, and that bothered me. The Turks theme is an example, as without the snaps and minimalist percussion with heavy bass hits, it just felt flat and non-descript. But the most egregious example is the fucking Wall Market theme, or "Oppressed People" There's a more faithful version that plays for a minute before it transitions into the weird, dub-style battle edit version that permeates the Sector 6 area. This hits for me because this was one of my favorite themes from the original. To be saddled with one of the most bleh remixes as an alternative and spend the entire Wall Market experience listening to "A Whole New World ~Vegas Remix~" while going through one of the most retconned stages of the whole game - it's just salt in the wound. That's not to say I don't like the new Wall Market aesthetic and really pushing the idea of it as a tourist attraction, but it definitely loses some of its seediness by virtue of the new theme.
While that did sour me a little, the overall aural experience was a treat, and some of the new tracks, like Avalanche's theme, found a way into my heart.
Gameplay: This is the cream of the crop, here. The one saving grace that will always override any other complaint about this game. They really nailed this. I know mostly everyone was skeptical about the new battle system. I was included in those that were supremely bummed there would be no traditional turn-based system. But what they created not only perfects the Action RPG style they've geared towards the last few iterations, it incorporates the ATB system in a unique and meaningful way. While you can mostly get away with a hack-and-slash mentality early on, the game starts pushing you into a corner to think more strategically by the time you get to Reactor 5. It's basically turn-based in the sense that your most effective actions come from the ATB-dependent abilities, but you have to control the battle in the meantime with your basic attack and defense. This becomes even more poignant once you have a full party. Certain enemies are handled better with Barret, whereas Tifa is great for staggering enemies and building up quick ATB slots to support the party. It starts becoming a matter of swapping between characters to build them up to an ATB gauge, and choosing how you want them to interact or approach the enemy from different angles. And by the end of the game, I found myself wanting to play as all characters pretty equally, with a huge bias for Tifa.
The challenge is high in this game. I played on Normal difficulty, and while I only died maybe two times, achieving victory was a cathartic sigh of relief for every boss, and even some of the random battles. It is easy to stock up on items, and the game's generosity in healing your party after big moments makes it rarely feel like the, "Need to get to a save point and use my tent" vibe, which is probably a good thing for some. But that said, it only really helps in between each battle when your massive stockpile of potions are locked behind an ATB bar. It keeps you on your toes, and makes you have to think like a JRPG in an action setting: I found myself making great use of spells like Haste and Regen much like I would in the original.
And the optional quests are a blast. While some of the NPCs are unimpressive, and there's sort of a formula of "Go to this area for a quest, then come later for an stronger monster," it never feels recycled or too fetch-quest like. Part of that is the way the characters interact and each sidequest having some kind of plot attached to it that's fully acted. The other is that they don't load you with so many sidequests that they have to repeat their selves. They don't wear out their welcome, and some of the rewards are pretty satisfying. Peppering these with some great mini-games that are both new and nostalgic both keeps the game feeling fresh and caters to the spirit of the original.
Story: I'm kinda lumping both plot elements and the handling of locations here, but I think this is easily the most divisive aspect of the game. The ending is going to piss a lot of people off, and like Atty said, my opinion can drastically change depending on how they handle the sequels. But before I get to the ending…
What the game does well for most of the story is that it fills in the blanks between the major plot points of the original. Up until Wall Market, it mostly stays this course. Small moments and aspects of dialogue remain, without being placed out of order for the most part. Meanwhile, the new content serves both as an excuse to get 40+ hours out of Midgar and, more importantly, to characterize everyone better. We get more of the socially awkward Cloud that belies his Ex-SOLDIER badass exterior. We feel more of Barrett's passion for the planet, and Tifa's desire to get to know and understand Cloud more than they did as kids. And of course, we get much more attachment and sympathy for the members of Avalanche. Knowing what comes next, some of the moments between Cloud and Jessie can be so heartbreakingly bittersweet. Spoilers, particularly those who haven't played the original:
The entire chapter surrounding the dropping of the plate was heart-wrenching. Not only did you spend much more time with Avalanche to feel more hurt by the loss of those characters, but you also got more time to be in the slums. Seeing the people making the most of their situation and dealing with the ramifications of the Shinra/Avalanche made you feel more urgency, especially when they covered aspects like the evacuation effort. Everything following this was some masterful storytelling and acting that really brought the characters to life.
However, upon arriving at Wall Market, the story starts making some notable departures, and the gap only grows wider through the rest of the game. I want to say upfront that I'm ultimately thrilled with what they did with Wall Market, and all musical complaints are rectified upon entering Corneo's mansion. Now I'll have to get in to specifics, so the following are both spoilers on the original and the new game:
I generally get why they did it, but I'm a bit torn on the change of how Cloud ends up cross-dressing. In the original, it's pretty much the whole point of being at Wall Market. Here, they keep all the sidequests and mini-games, but they have no bearing on Cloud dressing up. On top of that, it's almost kind of shoehorned in just before entering Corneo's mansion. This ends up making the sidequests feel more pointless, and while I took the Johnny path and enjoyed it for what it was, it completely changed the vibe of the activities. It also had me increasingly worried that they were going to skip over Cloud getting in a dress and retcon one of the most memorable moments of the whole game.
Those complaints aside, I did enjoy the new characters and getting a feel for the community and the underbelly if Wall Market, all while building the intrigue of Don Corneo so much more, who they fucking nailed.
Past that, both the journey to Shinra HQ and the events occuring in it are drastically changed, and this is where I'll get into the nitpicky. The former was actually a pretty good retelling, and I liked the asserted idea that this whole time you were climbing over Sector 7 wreckage. I'm pretty sure the original never says this, but it definitely added a new element to the journey. But with the actual Shinra HQ, changes like Domino being an inside man for Avalanche felt a bit convenient, and him telling you where to go to spy on the meeting takes away some of the exploring element. And while I get why they changed everything surrounding the order of events for Hojo and Shinra's murder, it kind of sapped a lot of the mystery out of the section where you're mysteriously broken out of your jail cells and you're following a trail of blood. And it's kind of dumb, but I'm bothered that Red XIII isn't introduced via Hojo trying to mate him with Aerith.
For the sake of this game, though, I do like the retcon of Shinra's death. I remember being a bit disappointed and shocked that the presumed main villain was killed off before ever really doing anything. Barret deserved his moment to tell him off, and the character definitely earned a more climactic ending.
The Ending: Speculation and potential concerns aside, this ending was a wild fucking ride. I'm including pretty much the entirety of the final chapter, because it's non-stop throughout. The final clash is on an incredibly epic scale, and it definitely has shades of the Bizarro Sephiroth fight(no, it's not Bizarro Sephiroth). This is all spliced with some wonderful character work, voice-acting, and musical cues and swells that just bring the whole package together. Enough so that I think it makes for a highly satisfying conclusion for both the new and old fans, even if the old fans aren't a fan of the proposed direction they're taking.
MAJOR SPOILERS FOR BOTH GAMES AHEAD:
Clearly, the plot devices they're using here are a means to make an excuse to take the game in whatever direction they feel like without having to stay close to the original. And naturally, that's a bit scary. What's beautiful about it is it's about fighting against fate to make the future you want to see, and well...many people always wanted to find that secret that let you revive Aerith. The concept that Aerith, Cloud, Sephiroth, and occasionally everyone else can see glimpses into the intended future, one that the Whispers seek to keep intact - is very bold, and I think makes for some intriguing story hooks to keep old fans on their toes going forward.
Naturally, this implies that there's a chance Aerith won't die, and that the rest of the games may share very little with the original when it comes to even basic plot points. But I think this game has proven otherwise in some cases. I believe that while the order and details of events may be changed, the idea here is that certain events are unavoidable. When you think about it, the game begins diverging when Sephiroth makes an early appearance to start fucking with Cloud's head. From here, the game starts slowly inserting other changes, to the point that the Shinra HQ portion is a majority different. This leads to moments like the party confronting President Shinra before he dies. And there's the kicker: President Shinra still dies, despite the drastically different circumstances surrounding it. Red XIII still joins the party. The crew still make an escape from Midgar and set out on a journey to stop Sephiroth.
And I think in the end, Aerith still dies. Maybe it's delayed. Maybe it happens different. But it'll still happen. And probably catch us more off-guard and hit us even harder than before.
Some people think it's a time travel thing, and I think it's more a matter of embracing the multiverse theory by letting people see visions of the future. I don't think Sephiroth or Aerith are from the original timeline trying to do things different. I think Sephiroth is so tapped into the lifestream that he's able to see the future rather clearly and is trying to change it to reach a future where he succeeds. He's gaining power to rival the arbiters of fate, which is why he's able to take Cloud to places like the Edge of Creation. Aerith, being Cetra, also has a strong tie to the Lifestream, so it makes sense that she knows so much, too.
Ultimately, I think a lot of main story elements will still remain intact, as they've already been set-up in this installment, but we'll see new characters and have some of the plot arcs completely changed around one major event. Like maybe you don't march in a parade at Junon, but you're still trying to sneak on a boat to get to another continent (though, that's a bad example because I don't want them to cut that).
Overall, I'll withhold an official opinion on the future of the series until I see it play out. But on its own, the Final Fantasy VII Remake was damn near a masterpiece. It had me deep deep deeeeeeep in the feels with all sorts of nostalgia and appreciation for the new context. The battle system was incredibly handled and loads of fun to experiment with. The music was superb. And regardless of complaints about differences, the story was told so well and incredibly compelling, with some of the best character work I've had the pleasure to experience in a video game. Whether as an old fan or someone new to it, I highly recommend this, and can't wait to start digging into the replay content just so I can experience it all over again.
For your Wall Market bit in one of the tags, on my hard mode replay I got totally different quests than on my first play. Love that minor differences in choices can change what quests you get. Didn't expect that.
For the ending:
Now that they opened the door to it, I hope they go and do their own thing in the next games. Don't hold back on it. Don't do what Star Trek did with their alternate timeline and just redo Wrath of Khan. Do something new and fresh using familiar characters and settings. Lead it to a 'better ending' for this world. I love the bittersweet OG ending, but using that as a base to lead to something else for the characters would be refreshing.
Aerith plays as knowing too much, especially on replay. With her knowing how to break the timeline, I'm thinking that she came back through the lifestream (Sepy too) to alter the past. They can't top her original death so, with the story as it is, I say don't even try. Take it in a new direction.
Almost near the end, took a break halfway through playing to play Persona 5 Royal. Couple of spoilers ahead:
Seems there’s no hot tub scene at the Honeybee Inn unless I didn’t trigger it correctly. Cloud dancing on stage though before getting dressed up.
Also good to see the Avalance guys get more backstory. Although I obviously knew Jessie was gonna die, I still nearly teared up at her death scene on the Sector 7 pillar.
Finished this the other night, lot more fights in the last couple of chapters than I thought. Final fight was intense, Cloud and Aerith both dead, Tifa's HP in the red and Sephiroth nearly dead but Tifa was on limit break. If I'd chosen to try and revive them he'd probably have killed me so made the snap decision to Somersault his bitch-ass instead. It worked and I'm glad she got the final blow!
Ending Spoilers
If Biggs ends up surviving because destiny was changed then does Wedge survive too as it is unconfirmed if he died in the first place, all we heard was the Whispers throwing him through glass.
I'm looking forward to see what they do in the future parts, but hope they don't pay too much fan service and have most if not everyone survive. Personally I think they should stick with Aerith's death as that is one of the most pivotal moments of the orig7nal game.
Also going through Hojo's wards was pretty weary and felt like padding.
Finished this the other night, lot more fights in the last couple of chapters than I thought. Final fight was intense, Cloud and Aerith both dead, Tifa's HP in the red and Sephiroth nearly dead but Tifa was on limit break. If I'd chosen to try and revive them he'd probably have killed me so made the snap decision to Somersault his bitch-ass instead. It worked and I'm glad she got the final blow!
Ending Spoilers
If Biggs ends up surviving because destiny was changed then does Wedge survive too as it is unconfirmed if he died in the first place, all we heard was the Whispers throwing him through glass.
I'm looking forward to see what they do in the future parts, but hope they don't pay too much fan service and have most if not everyone survive. Personally I think they should stick with Aerith's death as that is one of the most pivotal moments of the orig7nal game.
Also going through Hojo's wards was pretty weary and felt like padding.
For something in your spoiler
I think that Aerith should end up living and Cloud dying to set up the final. Tifa swapping with Aerith would be the easy move, but killing Cloud could throw everything into chaos leading to the final part.
I think that Aerith should end up living and Cloud dying to set up the final. Tifa swapping with Aerith would be the easy move, but killing Cloud could throw everything into chaos leading to the final part.
That’s an interesting take but I wonder how would they go about Cloud being killed because of his backstory the Lifestream sequence with Tifa and Cloud? The Cloud reveal would have to happen first in some sort of way I reckon before they off him.
Do you love Final Fantasy VII? Do you love strategy and deceit? Do you love your fellow Rajahites?
If you answered yes or no to any of these questions, you should play Final Fantasy VII Mafia in the BG Forum.
JP has constructed a labor of love based on the game. If you haven't played mafia before, its basically a game based on team play and identification. "Town" tries to eliminate the "Scum/mafia". Mafia will try to eliminate town before being discovered. Most people can piece it along fairly well on a first play-through. And there's a fair amount of support from the group as you pick it up. This would be a great game to get started on, because you'd be familiar with the overall story/dynamics between characters.
Started playing the mafia games here last year, and its probably my favorite thing on here currently. Fun strategy that gets more fun with repeated play. Some of the posters are really good, and will try to break down everything in detail. But you can win by being generally aware of dynamics and playing smart. You can really dive in, or have a lot less time spent and still have fun.
I realize I'm really advocating, but we've been playing more regularly and would like to find a few more regular and/or semi-regular players.
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holy ff7 news.
first off, YUFFIE.
ps5 version of remake titled INTERGRADE, as well as a DLC side-story with yuffie as the main character. i assume this is going to be available on the ps4, as well.
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FF7 BATTLE ROYALE... on mobile.
not gonna lie, i'd be down to play this if it was on PC or console. i'm sure someone will find a way to get it working on PC, but hopefully if it does alright they'll find a reason to get it on consoles and PC.
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and then EVER CRISIS... another mobile game.
which looks like the exact kind of thing a certain portion of people wanted the ff7 remake to be, with an upgrade in visual style/fidelity but staying very strict with the original game. on top of that, it seems the game will span the ENTIRE ff7 universe timeline, with advent children, before crisis, crisis core and dirge of cerebus all being a part of the playable game. they say it's a chapter based single player game, but i wonder exactly how much of the original games that are incorporated are actually going to be playable. having the entire games in there, with this updated style, and only releasing it for mobile, seems like a super odd decision, if that's what it ends up being.
ps5 version of remake titled INTERGRADE, as well as a DLC side-story with yuffie as the main character. i assume this is going to be available on the ps4, as well.
I don't normally say this sort of thing, but
Yuffie is my waifu and I want this like yesterday.
ps5 version of remake titled INTERGRADE, as well as a DLC side-story with yuffie as the main character. i assume this is going to be available on the ps4, as well.
Ps4 to ps5 upgrade is free but the yuffie dlc you have to buy.
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Originally Posted by Morrison
holy ff7 news.
first off, YUFFIE.
ps5 version of remake titled INTERGRADE, as well as a DLC side-story with yuffie as the main character. i assume this is going to be available on the ps4, as well.
so it's been confirmed that the yuffie DLC is a ps5 exclusive, which kinda sucks.
Originally Posted by Tainted Eclipse
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