Final Fantasy VII REBIRTH - Part 2 (Feb 29th, 2024 Release Date) - Reviews are Out! (NO SPOILERS - See Post 385)

[Metroid]

Spoiler

how the f*** is it possible to beat bahamaut (last vr battle) my guys are level 50/49/49 and he's still kicking my ass...

 

[syz]

Spoiler

how the f*** is it possible to beat bahamaut (last vr battle) my guys are level 50/49/49 and he's still kicking my ass...

Magnify + Time materia, ATB materia (ATB Stagger, Skill Master, ATB Assist, ATB Boost), a lot of character switching, and a lot of magic. Don't bother healing anybody, just use phoenix down if you have to. Also you'll want Aerith, Barret probably doesn't do enough damage.

 

[Metroid]

Magnify + Time materia, ATB materia (ATB Stagger, Skill Master, ATB Assist, ATB Boost), a lot of character switching, and a lot of magic. Don't bother healing anybody, just use phoenix down if you have to. Also you'll want Aerith, Barret probably doesn't do enough damage.

Thanks! I'll givr' a go. Still on chapter 14 (well at the very of end of it)

 

[Metroid]

Magnify + Time materia, ATB materia (ATB Stagger, Skill Master, ATB Assist, ATB Boost), a lot of character switching, and a lot of magic. Don't bother healing anybody, just use phoenix down if you have to. Also you'll want Aerith, Barret probably doesn't do enough damage.

I fukin did it.
Lol once you stagger his ass it was game over. That pendant that brings ya back once was a life saver too. I also had few tequila drinks before lolol. I'm so pumped and energized now.

 

[Satoru Gojo]

Just finished the game on Friday

The ending definitely has me even more intrigued then before, cant wait for part two!

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Just got my deluxe edition delivered today and have played around an hour or so. As FF7 is my all-time favorite game I can already see this is going to scratch the itch. Will be great to have another game to play while I take a break from Destiny 2.

 

[S E P H]

It's unbelievable how easy Classic Mode is and how insanely cheap Normal is sometimes. I have no idea how people can honestly beat this game on Hard difficultly. It's my first time ever playing it though so I am running into a lot of noob situations, playing solo with Cloud is the hardest because he's best brutal for me that has zero healing traits (where I strictly powered every trait to Aerith).

I get why there are some negatives towards the characters in this game. Not that they've been bad for me, but at times some of the most useless cutscenes I've ever seen take place. Like Aerith trying to find Seventh Heaven puts me into 4 different cutscenes in about 3 minutes of gameplay. It makes no effin' sense and the cutscenes I get is random friendship time with Aerith and Tifa that is eerie similar to a Blue's Clues segment. Not that I personally hate them, but they're so meaningless when the smoothness of the transition between gameplay and cutscene suffers so much from it. I guess that's Square Enix for being stupid and not be Atlus.

With all that said, the story has taken to a new level on the Chapter which introduces Tseng.

 

[syz]

Got the platinum. Advice for anybody who wants to bother would be use weapons that have Reprieve.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Unfortunately I had to take a break for a few weeks due to work being busy. Finally finished up the game this week. I've thought about it and the only way I can honestly rate this game is by giving it two separate ratings.

FFVII R as a standalone game - 9.2/10.

Spoiler

As a standalone game, I thought it was phenomenal. I thought the pacing was good with the exception of the Shinra building, I thought the combat was great, minus a few flaws and overall the game was a hell of a lot of fun. Really enjoyed Chadley's quests. I thought they were going to be boring but it was a good addition.

FFVII R as an remake - 6.5/10.

Spoiler

As a remake, I was quite disappointed. Not so much early on but definitely later in the game. For as big as they made wall market it felt more empty than the original. The Shinra building was a great disappointment. I thought the Hojo laboratory part was a massive chore and surprisingly the entire Shinra building felt like it was seriously lacking in depth compared to the original. I don't so much mind the whole arbiters of fate thing and what they did at the end but Biggs and Wedge surviving... I don't like it.

Additionally, one of the most powerful moments in the first game for me was when the group found President Shinra dead and Rufus gives his speech on how he is going to run things differently than his old man. It showed a certain callousness from Rufus that really helped build his personality throughout the remainder of the game. I absolutely abhor the change.

 

[Shareefruck]

Unfortunately I had to take a break for a few weeks due to work being busy. Finally finished up the game this week. I've thought about it and the only way I can honestly rate this game is by giving it two separate ratings.

FFVII R as a standalone game - 9.2/10.

Spoiler

As a standalone game, I thought it was phenomenal. I thought the pacing was good with the exception of the Shinra building, I thought the combat was great, minus a few flaws and overall the game was a hell of a lot of fun. Really enjoyed Chadley's quests. I thought they were going to be boring but it was a good addition.

FFVII R as an remake - 6.5/10.

Spoiler

As a remake, I was quite disappointed. Not so much early on but definitely later in the game. For as big as they made wall market it felt more empty than the original. The Shinra building was a great disappointment. I thought the Hojo laboratory part was a massive chore and surprisingly the entire Shinra building felt like it was seriously lacking in depth compared to the original. I don't so much mind the whole arbiters of fate thing and what they did at the end but Biggs and Wedge surviving... I don't like it.

Additionally, one of the most powerful moments in the first game for me was when the group found President Shinra dead and Rufus gives his speech on how he is going to run things differently than his old man. It showed a certain callousness from Rufus that really helped build his personality throughout the remainder of the game. I absolutely abhor the change.

I feel pretty similar. As a standalone game with zero context, the story and themes more than suffice given the gameplay and production values/spectacle (which is why I actually think that someone new to the series would actually like this more than someone who appreciates the nuances of the original). However, as even a tribute or loveletter to the original (because it's not really a remake, as it turns out), I think it ultimately does as much harm as as good to the sentiment of the original (even though 90% of it was very very good at that).

That said, the first half of the Shinra building was also a chore in the original, IMO-- some of those puzzles and mini-games were awful. I would take the propoganda museum exhibits over that any day. The second half of the Shinra building (everything after they regroup in the cell) was adapted significantly worse, though. The change I don't understand, even given their overall direction shift that I don't like, is why they decided to not give Rufus any context-- seemed like that should have been a no brainer.

The silver lining for me is that it seems like this remake is at least convincing more people to try the original, but who knows if that's just a temporary thing while people wait for the next few installments. Once this thing's done, I worry that whatever they come up with (which I'm dreading will be less creatively/artistically/thematically interesting and more novelty/entertainment-driven and convoluted, if that ending is any indication) will end up replacing and overshadowing the original moving forward. The common attitude that "You'll always have the original if you want something faithful, let us be excited by novelty and unpredictability" is particularly frustrating, IMO-- the thing that made this project promising in the first place was that it was a chance to fulfill the potential that the original had, despite being bogged down by technical limitations and quality of life issues.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

I'm on chapter 9 and in my opinion the game is awesome. It makes me very nostalgic but at the same time there are so many great upgrades (love the battle system and presentation) that it's a completely fresh experience. I won't touch on any spoilers but will say I'm at peace with the direction the game (appears) to be going. I don't need a 100% faithful, "chapter & verse" experience to appreciate what this game is and wants to be. It's a shame it probably won't be for a couple of years before we get the next game though.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

I just finished this game. It was the first of the FF franchise that I ever played, so there was no nostalgia for me and there were no pre-conceived notions or expectations going into it.

I thought that it was a very good game - perhaps even a great game - but not an especially fun game. A lot of the cutscenes and certain movement sequences such as climbing handlebars felt dragged out. The boss battles were definitely the most enjoyable part of the game for me but they were generally a bit too easy. (I played on normal and don’t consider myself an elite gamer or anything FWIW.) The story itself was great as well.

 

[Shareefruck]

I'm on chapter 9 and in my opinion the game is awesome. It makes me very nostalgic but at the same time there are so many great upgrades (love the battle system and presentation) that it's a completely fresh experience. I won't touch on any spoilers but will say I'm at peace with the direction the game (appears) to be going. I don't need a 100% faithful, "chapter & verse" experience to appreciate what this game is and wants to be. It's a shame it probably won't be for a couple of years before we get the next game though.

For the record, I don't think anybody does, nor are any of the criticisms (other than minor nitpicks here or there) relevant to the stuff from Chapter 9 and before, which most people agree are excellent for the most part. You may still end up feeling this way, but it's one of those things where you could only really know if you agree or disagree with the outcry after the credits-- that's where the controversy and mixed reception is coming from. Almost all of it is from the final hour or two of the game.

Personally, I think they ended up betraying a lot of the core tenants/themes of the original game (unless they completely back out on the direction this installment implied, which they've left themselves room to do), in favor of last minute raw spectacle and novelty. It's not really a beat-for-beat faithfulness issue at all. In fact, there are some areas (albeit minor ones) that I wish they were a little LESS faithful to, a few gargantuan changes that I would have been open to had they gone that route, and a few nods to original fans that I thought were actively bad.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

For the record, I don't think anybody does, nor are any of the criticisms (other than minor nitpicks here or there) relevant to the stuff from Chapter 9 and before, which most people agree are excellent for the most part. You may still end up feeling this way, but it's one of those things where you could only really know if you agree or disagree with the outcry after the credits-- that's where the controversy and mixed reception is coming from. Almost all of it is from the final hour or two of the game.

Personally, I think they ended up betraying a lot of the core tenants/themes of the original game (unless they completely back out on the direction this installment implied, which they've left themselves room to do), in favor of last minute raw spectacle and novelty. It's not really a beat-for-beat faithfulness issue at all. In fact, there are some areas (albeit minor ones) that I wish they were a little LESS faithful to, a few gargantuan changes that I would have been open to had they gone that route, and a few nods to original fans that I thought were actively bad.

While I'm aware of how the game ends I suppose my viewpoint could possibly change once I finish. That said, I don't really have a problem with it because I don't look at is a remake.

 

[Shareefruck]

While I'm aware of how the game ends I suppose my viewpoint could possibly change once I finish. That said, I don't really have a problem with it because I don't look at is a remake.

Oh, you do know? Then disregard what I said, I guess. I thought you were basing that on the first 9 chapters and going "what's the big deal?"

That said, I do think it's wildly inaccurate to depict the criticism as "needing a 100% faithful, chapter & verse experience." You just disagree on whether or not the changes improve or hurt story and should probably leave it at that. It's not really a faithfulness issue for most people, especially not on a chapter-and-verse basis.

I'm not sure if I should go into further detail since you're still on chapter 9, but I would argue that it ends in a way that undoes a lot of the power and meaning of what preceded it, even just looking at this installment in isolation as its own entity. Even if that's tolerable for some people (I feel like a lot of people have a "I had fun and I liked so much of it that I don't care" attitude about this), I do think it would have been significantly more effective if it followed through on what it was on its way to communicating, rather than second-guessing it at best, betraying it at worst, in the game's ending.

 

[Metroid]

Finally beat it.
Can't wait for the next part (s)

Spoiler

Jenova was my favorite boss fight
The motorcycle boss fight gave me fits... I think I died more times on that than the bahamut vr battle...
Also damn those whispers really changed the game!? Some cool theories out there about the ending. Such a wtf moment after the motorcycle mini game for sure.

 

[Nizdizzle]

I've played up to Chapter 11 now, and my strengths/weaknesses is still pretty much the same. Really enjoy the combat and the materia system, really dislike any portions of the game where it forces me to walk and the story is a bit too...anime for me (the anime grunts/sighs are killing me). When the game is going, its great. When it takes a breath and slows down, I find myself losing interest and feeling bored.

Question though, out of combat is there a quicker way to use items than the 'X' menu? When I tried I couldn't use items on party from the start menu. I find myself going to top up the party and its annoying clicking:
1. Press X for menu
2. Select Items
3. Select Potion/healing spell
4. Select Character to use on
5. Repeat starting at step 1 multiple times until everyone full

Seems like a really tedious system that could use a QOL fix, unless I'm missing something obvious.

 

[Shareefruck]

I've played up to Chapter 11 now, and my strengths/weaknesses is still pretty much the same. Really enjoy the combat and the materia system, really dislike any portions of the game where it forces me to walk and the story is a bit too...anime for me (the anime grunts/sighs are killing me). When the game is going, its great. When it takes a breath and slows down, I find myself losing interest and feeling bored.

Question though, out of combat is there a quicker way to use items than the 'X' menu? When I tried I couldn't use items on party from the start menu. I find myself going to top up the party and its annoying clicking:
1. Press X for menu
2. Select Items
3. Select Potion/healing spell
4. Select Character to use on
5. Repeat starting at step 1 multiple times until everyone full

Seems like a really tedious system that could use a QOL fix, unless I'm missing something obvious.

Hold L1 during that process to use multiple items at once. I think there is actually a label that tells you this, but it's easy to miss.

 

[Nizdizzle]

Hold L1 during that process to use multiple items at once. I think there is actually a label that tells you this, but it's easy to miss.

You're a lifesaver, thanks.

 

[Shareefruck]

For anyone who's finished the game and enjoyed Maximilian Dood blowing the remake's lore wide open in the Easy Allies spoiler-cast, here's another one where he's with three other guys who are just as deep down the rabbit hole as he is (Strippin sounds like understands it even better, actually). While I still don't appreciate how up its own *** and clumsily delivered these creative decisions are and feel that valuable things are sacrificed for something more superficial, there really is a lot of thought put into to it-- it's not random, and it is fun to see people obsessively try to pick it apart, digging into excerpts from the compilation novels that nobody read and what not.

Spoiler

After some thought, I can somewhat tolerate the ending if:

Spoiler

1. The alternate dimensions only exist off-screen and don't factor much into the story of future installments.
2. Wedge is dead (crappy way to show it regardless, though), as are Biggs/Jessie/Zack who are only implied alive in an off-screen dimension, not the one in this game's narrative.
3. The purpose of the denying fate theme was merely to play into Sephiroth's manipulative hands, with the overarching theme in future installments being that they should have never denied fate in the first place (it's what Sephiroth is trying to do) and that it's something that you shouldn't try to control (even though that's still a weaker theme than "accept that you can't deny fate", it's still much better than "hey, maybe you can and should deny fate!").

As a reveal, I actually really like the Zack sequence as long as the live version of him doesn't come back into the story (ideally, it just reveals him dying after that sequence anyways, but if not, at least keep him hidden away in another dimension). Unlike people who think it excludes newer audiences, I think it's very smart to use the Zack wtf moment in Northern Crater this early, without any further context given. Even as a new player who doesn't know who Zack is, if you're paying attention, you should be able to piece together from it that a) he's Aerith's past lover, and b) therefore Cloud's lying about something, which it doesn't hurt to hint at at this point.

But overall, it's still not very elegant execution and some irreversible harm to the story has still been done.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Finally beat it!! (Been pretty busy so didnt get to play much).

FANTASTIC!!

I can’t even remember the last time i played a game for 40hrs. Maybe Skyrim?

9/10

 

[Metroid]

Anyone else hate
Hard mode and its "specs"
What a total cop out.
I've done first 4 chapters so far, still enjoy the game, but been thinking about how stupid it was to do what they did with hard mode.
Anyone else agree?
This thread has been dead a while haha anyone care about the game anymore?

 

[S E P H]

I beat the game like two weeks ago and I literally have no clue what the hell happened with the ending. I am not sure if Sephiroth was real or if all of it was part of Jenova's dream illusions, then I have no clue about that ancient monk 49, and who the hell is Zack? The last quarter of the game is cryptic AF and I don't mean that in a good way.

 

[Shareefruck]

I'm surprised the thread went dead after everyone completed it rather than there being a lot of discussion about that controversial ending.

I beat the game like two weeks ago and I literally have no clue what the hell happened with the ending. I am not sure if Sephiroth was real or if all of it was part of Jenova's dream illusions, then I have no clue about that ancient monk 49, and who the hell is Zack? The last quarter of the game is cryptic AF and I don't mean that in a good way.

The original FFVII is contructed like a mysterious web of puzzle pieces that elegantly comes together, but the remake tosses aside the artful way that it keeps you intrigued in one thing at a time, and instead vomits a lot of cryptic nonsense at you at once. They really did the straightforward Midgar sub-story (which is intended to be classically traditional narrative that serves as a prologue) justice and even improved on it, but what this entire part is really supposed to function as (setup for the main story) is really poorly executed, in my opinion. Instead of being intrigued by Sephiroth and what the answers to certain mysteries are, you're just kind of sick of him before you even know who he is.

At this point in the original, there are no whispers or concept of destiny/fate, no monks (just one normally dressed mentally ill homeless guy with a tattoo that's left open to interpretation and that the game doesn't dwell on), and Zack isn't named or shown (only alluded to by Aerith). There are only whispers of how great of a war hero Sephiroth was throughout Midgar, the voice in Cloud's head is completely unknown (it just sounds like he's talking to himself and having trauma rather than being communicated with), Aerith knows nothing about what's going on, and the only thing you're left with to set the stage is that the Jenova specimen is missing, its blood is smeared throughout the Shinra building, leaving nothing but dead bodies along its path, the path of blood leads to President Shinra already impaled on Sephiroth's sword, and someone alerts you that they saw Sephiroth with their own eyes. Then Rufus replaces his father as the building is in shambles (with more context given about how the cut-throat attitudes of Shinra will escalate even further with him in charge), the bike sequence happens, and as they prepare to leave Midgar/their comfort zone, they're left to wonder if Sephiroth is really out there and what he wants, as the game opens up to an expansive world-map with the main theme playing for the first time. (No Sephiroth or Jenova encounter whatsoever)

The original game has far more quality of life issues and jankiness, but the story beats are so much more elegant, well considered, and tasteful.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I'm surprised the thread went dead after everyone completed it rather than there being a lot of discussion about that controversial ending.

The original FFVII is contructed like a mysterious web of puzzle pieces that elegantly comes together, but the remake tosses aside the artful way that it keeps you intrigued in one thing at a time, and instead vomits a lot of cryptic nonsense at you at once. They really did the straightforward Midgar sub-story (which is intended to be classically traditional narrative that serves as a prologue) justice and even improved on it, but what this entire part is really supposed to function as (setup for the main story) is really poorly executed, in my opinion. Instead of being intrigued by Sephiroth and what the answers to certain mysteries are, you're just kind of sick of him before you even know who he is.

At this point in the original, there are no whispers or concept of destiny/fate, no monks (just one normally dressed mentally ill homeless guy with a tattoo that's left open to interpretation and that the game doesn't dwell on), and Zack isn't named or shown (only alluded to by Aerith). There are only whispers of how great of a war hero Sephiroth was throughout Midgar, the voice in Cloud's head is completely unknown (it just sounds like he's talking to himself and having trauma rather than being communicated with), Aerith knows nothing about what's going on, and the only thing you're left with to set the stage is that the Jenova specimen is missing, its blood is smeared throughout the Shinra building, leaving nothing but dead bodies along its path, the path of blood leads to President Shinra already impaled on Sephiroth's sword, and someone alerts you that they saw Sephiroth with their own eyes. Then Rufus replaces his father as the building is in shambles (with more context given about how the cut-throat attitudes of Shinra will escalate even further with him in charge), the bike sequence happens, and as they prepare to leave Midgar/their comfort zone, they're left to wonder if Sephiroth is really out there and what he wants, as the game opens up to an expansive world-map with the main theme playing for the first time. (No Sephiroth or Jenova encounter whatsoever)

The original game has far more quality of life issues and jankiness, but the story beats are so much more elegant, well considered, and tasteful.

Yeah, I really didn't like being alerted to Sephiroth so early in the story, the way that they did it. The original composition of the villain was way better, he's a subtle echo in the background of everything else going on.

I loved everything about the remake except for that and the SHINRA building where the execution was poor. When you get captured and then wake up with the doors open, the blood everywhere, there's no music and you find the President dead with the giant sword in his back? That was perfect.