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Beware of spoilers! SPOILER ALERT!
I kicked Sephiroth's ass yesterday, but honestly, my greatest joy is weathering through the tiring six-boss phase starting from Chapter 17. See you no more, motorbike chases. I couldn't help feeling exhausted despite knowing that I was getting into the climax. Thinking about the upcoming Hard Mode scares me, and my friends who I think are better players than me all struggle with it, but we'll see. Sometimes I do like challenges.
While many comments or reviews about Final Fantasy VII Remake are related to the past memories of playing the original, that's not the case with me. My childhood memory is poor, and my English was lacking back then. I remember playing the original on PlayStation - even bought the game several times because one of the three discs would not run - but the biggest impact was Cloud not being who I thought he was. I barely remember anything else. In that sense, I prefer to think that I'm playing Remake as a newcomer. I know its general concept and story flow, but I don't have any expectations; I will ride through whatever the production team throws at me.
That's probably why I enjoy playing Remake. Not (yet) at the level of love I have for Persona 5 or NieR: Automata, but I enjoy the battle system more than Kingdom Hearts 3 for example. I'd say that's the greatest strength of the game. One wrong Materia and you're dead. With the right skill sets, what looks scary is gone faster than the wind. (Shout out to my powerhouse Queen Tifa. (Aerith is a close second.)) It nails the balance of strategical thinking and quick hand response; the result is a stylish, fun action RPG system.
Out of the field, character building is rather decent. Fleshing out the part in Midgar provides a bigger chance to interact with the AVALANCHE members. It isn't bad - I love Jessie as much as I dislike her lol - but I think Cloud benefits the most from all these newly constructed interactions. I know Cloud's got some screws loose because of his past, and it is still very much visible, but I also see more sides of him I don't remember. I'm filling up the image I have of him in my head as I progress through the game, and I like that he feels human. Funny moments are also plenty enough to keep the gloomy atmosphere in check. (Rude is my new idol and Rufus is so hot!)
All those supported by the beautiful graphic design and music, Midgar feels so alive. I spend 50 hours in one city - heck, only three sectors out of eight - but I don't feel particularly short of space. How many times did I stop just to rotate my camera and enjoy the scenery at the top of the church in Sector 5 or during the climb? Visually stunning.
There isn't much to say plot-wise. What can I say about an incomplete story? Some of the new details are not very interesting (looking at you, Roche and Leslie), some are way too interesting (hello ending x3), but how are they going to fit in the frame of the old story? How bad is it to be different? It kills me a little to finish an unfinished game, but it is what it is.
I can only wait to cross destiny once again, hopefully just in a year or two.
I kicked Sephiroth's ass yesterday, but honestly, my greatest joy is weathering through the tiring six-boss phase starting from Chapter 17. See you no more, motorbike chases. I couldn't help feeling exhausted despite knowing that I was getting into the climax. Thinking about the upcoming Hard Mode scares me, and my friends who I think are better players than me all struggle with it, but we'll see. Sometimes I do like challenges.
While many comments or reviews about Final Fantasy VII Remake are related to the past memories of playing the original, that's not the case with me. My childhood memory is poor, and my English was lacking back then. I remember playing the original on PlayStation - even bought the game several times because one of the three discs would not run - but the biggest impact was Cloud not being who I thought he was. I barely remember anything else. In that sense, I prefer to think that I'm playing Remake as a newcomer. I know its general concept and story flow, but I don't have any expectations; I will ride through whatever the production team throws at me.
That's probably why I enjoy playing Remake. Not (yet) at the level of love I have for Persona 5 or NieR: Automata, but I enjoy the battle system more than Kingdom Hearts 3 for example. I'd say that's the greatest strength of the game. One wrong Materia and you're dead. With the right skill sets, what looks scary is gone faster than the wind. (Shout out to my powerhouse Queen Tifa. (Aerith is a close second.)) It nails the balance of strategical thinking and quick hand response; the result is a stylish, fun action RPG system.
Out of the field, character building is rather decent. Fleshing out the part in Midgar provides a bigger chance to interact with the AVALANCHE members. It isn't bad - I love Jessie as much as I dislike her lol - but I think Cloud benefits the most from all these newly constructed interactions. I know Cloud's got some screws loose because of his past, and it is still very much visible, but I also see more sides of him I don't remember. I'm filling up the image I have of him in my head as I progress through the game, and I like that he feels human. Funny moments are also plenty enough to keep the gloomy atmosphere in check. (Rude is my new idol and Rufus is so hot!)
All those supported by the beautiful graphic design and music, Midgar feels so alive. I spend 50 hours in one city - heck, only three sectors out of eight - but I don't feel particularly short of space. How many times did I stop just to rotate my camera and enjoy the scenery at the top of the church in Sector 5 or during the climb? Visually stunning.
There isn't much to say plot-wise. What can I say about an incomplete story? Some of the new details are not very interesting (looking at you, Roche and Leslie), some are way too interesting (hello ending x3), but how are they going to fit in the frame of the old story? How bad is it to be different? It kills me a little to finish an unfinished game, but it is what it is.
I can only wait to cross destiny once again, hopefully just in a year or two.