So, I liked it. Wasn't expecting to.
As others have said, the combat has put a lot of my concerns to rest. The new ATB gauge satisfies my desire for the old system. The dialogue was genuinely amusing, and the characterisation given to Cloud and Barret worked.
The graphics are strangely not very good.The whole things looks like a mid PS3 era game. It didn't detract from my enjoyment of the game, but is surprising from Square Enix who are normally pushing the boundaries on this stuff.
The only thing which really stuck in my throat was the music. They've changed the tunes and leitmotifs just enough that when you are really getting in to it, the tune changes direction from the original and I'm thrown.
This is now a definite for me though.
I really liked the music, especially the switch in energy in/out of combat from big, dramatic horns to the more tense, rumbling piano line; but again, I'm not familiar enough with the original to notice changes there.
See I wasn't so keen on the music, particularly inside the Mako Reactor. The original piece had a real creepy tone to it that left me on edge.
I really enjoyed the combat (I didn't play it on Classic as I wanted to see what their intentions were with the new combat), it worked pretty well, certainly better than the FFXV model they based it on. I liked having to switch back and forth between Barret and Cloud, especially against the Scorpion, though I didn't like the way in which when its tail laser goes up you literally just have to hide behind the debris hat just happen to have appeared for that moment.
I think Jimbob needs to go look at a PS3 game in comparison to this though 😂
The original 'bombing mission' theme was a masterpiece in how it built up alongside the intro imo, it maybe doesn't have the same impact to it here but it's still pretty cool imo.
As for characterisation, I always liked Jesse, in the original she seemed quite meek and had her obvious crush on Cloud. Here she's a bit more cheeky and confident, I like how she doesn't even try to hide her attraction to Cloud with her conversation with Biggs and asking Cloud about Tifa. Her design is great too. (Yes I'm a fan)
Cloud seems a bit funnier as well. In the original he just seemed like a moody teenager at the beginning. In this intro he seemed more jaded and sarcastic. One line had me chuckle after Barett had been on a Eco Rant. There is also a great bit where after he does a load of flips, and Jesse tells him how cool he is, he has a great "Yep I know face" on him.
A lot we still need to know, how materia works in this game and how you build your characters, summons, and how the story will differ. I'm also still worried that, unlike the original, you will never get to a point where the world map opens up and you can explore at your leisure. I suspect it will be more like FFX where you just pick a destination to visit.
I was finally able to finish this, and while I think the boss battle is a little bit overlong and it turns out I'm kind of rubbish at commanding multiple characters (I just kept forgetting about the one I wasn't currently controlling), I enjoyed it a lot.
One plot question: in the original, did Shinra Spoiler - click to showblow up the reactor themselves?
I have played the bombing run bit, I just don't remember that being a thing.
I played a bit of this last night. I've played a bit of FFX and about half of IV on the DS but never played the original so wasn't sure what to expect.
I was quite impressed, the combat is good and I'd definitely be more likely to pick it up now having experienced that. Thought it looked and sounded great but I have no horse in the race.
I forgot we had a thread for this! Is anyone else playing it, or is Animal Crossing too all-consuming?
I'm three chapters in, and mostly really enjoying it so far; I'm not great at combat yet, but I've started getting the hang of giving commands to characters I'm not currently controlling. It does involve looking at three different things at a time, though - the fight itself, your party statuses in the bottom right, and your command list in the bottom left - so it can be a bit overwhelming.
I really like the writing; Cloud does a great job of toeing the line between brooding cynicism and moments of sincerity, which is helped by the fact that characters call him out on the tryhard aura of "cool" he's projecting. Jesse is a relentless flirt, and Aerith (in the one encounter I've had with her so far) is a laser-focused beam of cheerful positivity, and it'd great to see her just brush off Cloud's stoic bullshit.
The one character I don't really like is Barret; he's a constantly-bellowing one-note caricature, with no hints of any greater depth or personality. But then, he's not has a huge amount of screen time, so maybe I'll mellow on him later.
Finally, fuck darts. Has any game ever had a good darts minigame?
I think the main reason I'm getting into this is that combat is actually really really good, it's like the FFXIII Stagger system but in real time (well, real REAL time) and getting a good Stagger bonus and deleting something with Braver feels really satisfying. Using Punisher Mode on Cloud to fight those ninja dudes in the Reactor was really satisfying, using Barret's multiple boom boom explosive shots to blow up far off turrets is really satisfying, Tifa…Tifa in general feels REALLY satisfying! By far my favourite character to play so far, she's like a FFXIV Monk but in an action game, just get her to boost that stagger mode (which the game says is her 'thing) and then boom! Divekick for 600 damage!
Characters are fun, it's great to not have the flanderized Emo Cloud we've had for years since everything after FF7. Jesse is charming as hell and way more confident than I remember he slightly meek self being in the original, with Wedge being a likable nice guy who believes in cloud and Biggs…he's okay, but doesn't stand out like the rest so far. They got Barret's loud self righteousness across perfectly, less impressed by some of his exact lines so far ("You're Rank 1, so you're one years old!" unless I'm missing something wtf is he on about?).
I feel about Tifa the way you feel about Aerith, she's so upbeat and positive, trying to keep Cloud's spirit's up (that drink mixing dance was great). I wish she' stand still for a few seconds sometimes, feels like she's constantly making iconic poses mid sentence, but I guess it makes her feel more energetic.
I like Darts, but it's too easy! I'd love to play a mode in co-op where you can set a target for the other guy to make. It's probably more fun than Persona 5's Darts, which I also liked. (which required you to shake the pad as if you were throwing a Dart)
Finally, what is UP with the textures on this game sometimes? It's kinda immersion breaking at times. And this is aftert he gamem akes you install a 100 terabytes or whatever just be able to play. TL;DR - Combat is way more fun than it has any right to be (air combat seems a bit jank tho) and it's nice to be back in Midgard
The best darts mini games are the ones where the reticule spins round in a circle, you tap X, and then it moves quickly along the axis where it stopped.
Roche is 100% from Advent Children, if you've seen that. (Not his character, which is original to this game, but he breaks physics like an AC character). The Darts reticule is jittery, but you need to hold it in place you'll see the inside part close in which doesn't move. (this may be terrible advice, I'm sorry)
EDIT - Also, about Advent Children. It will 100% spoil this game no doubt, so be careful if you wanna' watch it. (just look up Tifa vs Loz for an ICONIC Tifa pose tbh)
EDIT - Also, about Advent Children. It will 100% spoil this game no doubt, so be careful if you wanna' watch it. (just look up Tifa vs Loz for an ICONIC Tifa pose tbh)
Okay, so I've beat it and……..I'm a little worried. :o
Spoiler - click to showLike, there's obviously some things different here and there before the end, for instance, Cloud doesn't fight Reno in the Church but no one should have a problem with that since all it does is give us a really fun boss and change nothing in the grand scheme of things. The game stays on the rails of the original right up until the final hour where it all goes VERY Kingdom Hearts and I don't even 100% know what it means, but can we really call it a remake now?
Spoiler - click to showThat fight with the giant purple Kingdom Hearts monster was absolute balls and we should have went straight on to fight Sephiroth. I say Sephiroth, I don't even know man, is he a time travelling ghost now? Was it Jenova…again? Anyway, the whole thing absolutely reeks of them being unable to wait to give us a long awaited confrontation with Sephiroth so…we're getting it now?
Spoiler - click to showThroughout the end they talk about facing Fate (The ghosts told Aerith the plot of FF7???) and throughout we see flashbacks to Zack and flashforwards to things yet to happen like Aerith dying. I can't tell if we changed anything but either way, doesn't Cloud and Aerith and Sephiroth know to some extent? Then the biggest twist of all….Zack survives being killed? If you played FF7 you'd know this is one of the main pillars of the entire FF7 story somewhat, it's the entire reason Cloud is so fucked up. Also if he's alive the story can't even remotely play out the way it does. I can't even tell because the image of Zack an cloud limping towards Midgar go past present Cloud so it's either just a what if (I fucking hope) or…alternate timelines?
Spoiler - click to showI'm gonna' wait til' we get a concrete exlanation on what the fuck just happened, but purely on events, it's clear they went the big flashy ending route to Part 1 and I hope that's all it is, and not a massive diversion because I'm not sure I'm on board for that it's not what a single soul wanted. The exit from Midgar and the great beyond was good enough an end to me, I dunno why we just didn't get that?
Okay, deep breath. That was a lot of questions I'll never get the answer to probably. I bought FF7 for PS4 right after finishing it. I'm not gonna lie I've done Midgar so many times now I just wanna' die. But this will be fun guys! :)
Aerith just joined my party last night, so I guess I'm still a long ways off finishing it. Currently running about the Sector 5 sound doing side quests, mostly for children?
As an aside: there is so much music in this game. Not only goes it have a full score (including variants on existing tracks - every boss has its own custom version of Those Who Fight Further), but then there's the jukebox, which plays entirely different remix versions of music, half of which isn't even going to make an appearance in this game, like Gold Saucer and Cait Sith's theme.
Aerith is great in this game, I loved the banter between her and Cloud on the rooftops and her dialogue is why I mainly didn't mind doing the sidequests there, because her and Cloud were a great pair. In battle she's so ridiculously powerful, she can basically double cast, give her Magnify and she will actually nuke the room. Like everyone else in this game, she's unique and fun to play.
Tonight, I fought Spoiler - click to showthe Hell House.
It probably isn't supposed to be as difficult a fight as I found it; but I didn't have the right materia equipped, and Aerith just kept getting landed on. Even my summon wasn't much use.
Still, I beat it; even if it took the better part of half an hour…
The fight is notoriously difficult for many players, even if it is because they didn't have the Materia for it. I really enjoyed it when I reslotted everything. Bar one or two attacks for some bosses here and there the boss fights in this game are so good.
I'm just waiting on you reaching a certain bit, you're so close now I can't wait. :o
That third squats challenge can get in the same bin as darts.
Don't wanna' ruin/scare things/you but there's a much harder gym minigame later, much like Darts I'm gonna' give out some absolutely rubbish tips: I can't remember how different it is to the second minigame but does it get faster and faster?. Anyway, can we agree the battle theme remix for Squats is a fucking BANGER? Imagine dropping this much fire for a fucking short minigame, game is ridiculous.
