NVPlays
Log Status
Completed
Playing
Backlog
Wishlist
Rating
Time Played
--
Days in Journal
2 days
Last played
July 9, 2021
First played
June 10, 2021
Platforms Played
It's pretty rare going into a game with extremely high expectations, and have that game deliver. After everything I've seen of Final Fantasy VII Remake pre-launch, I was so unbelievably excited to get my hands on it, so I went into this game with what I would say are the highest expectations I've ever had for a game, and somehow it managed to shatter every single one of them.
The combat was damn near flawless. Beyond satisfying, rewarding and intense, I never felt this pumped about going into combat in a game before. Every fight in this game was a blast, every boss felt like I was using 100% of my brain to get the most out of every single frame. Genuinely one of the best combat systems I've ever experienced and I never got tired of it.
The music is completely out of this world. The brilliant mind and talent of Nobuo Uematsu comes back to give us this incredible refresh of the astounding soundtrack of the original and a fantastic line up of brand new tracks. I have to shout out all the other composers and arrangers who worked on this OST as well, with a special mention to Yasunori Nishiki who's the creative genius behind One-Winged Angel - Rebirth.
Now, the story. This game challenges what a remake could be and really brings out the concept of a capital R 'Remake'. The plot of Remake adds upon the original story with every single new addition, while also not making the original feel irrelevant or outdated. Without going into big story spoilers, this game does what it sets out to do almost perfectly, with it being a continuation of the FFVII world and not just a new version of the 1997 game. With an already established world and cast of characters, this game takes what was already in place and expands on all of it in a deep and meaningful way. The iconic characters who lead FFVII are the best they've ever been here, with an entire voice cast who put their all into making their characters believable and likeable, while every single actor delivers a phenomenal performance the entire way. I might have to say this game has the most impressive voice cast I've ever seen in a video game, with a lot of side characters being big standouts.
With this game taking the first 3-4 hours of the original and transforming it into a full 30-40 (or in my case, borderline 60) hours, Midgar had to be transformed to fit the game's direction, and the development team managed to make an incredibly unique and engaging setting. Midgar's linearity is one of the game's biggest strengths, and while the level design is okay at best, the linear "hallways" that you travel through in the game just add so much to the atmosphere and vibe of this city. The sense of scale and level of detail is jaw-dropping at times, the immersion of going through the slums and areas like Wall Market is amplified even more with extremely details NPC dialogues that makes everything feel that much more alive. The world building is so well thought out and the setting of Midgar shines as one of the best characters in the game.
As someone who didn't have prior history with the original game, I decided to play it before I get to Remake, and I'm beyond happy I did. On its own, Remake is a great entry point as you're completely in the dark, but if you do have the knowledge of what came before, it elevates the experience to such a high level. With the classic FFVII story being changed as you play through, knowing what's supposed to happen and having context from later parts of the original can add a massive layer to understanding the core of the story. Again, not to get into heavy spoilers, but having the game be aware that it's a capital R Remake and kinda tease you about it is such a clever way to keep you as the player invested, especially if you do have the history of the original to go along with it.
No matter how long I sit here and try to put my thoughts on the game into words, I won't be able to do it justice. This is a game you need to play to get the point of just how good it is. One of the best combat systems in recent memory, a standout voice cast that take an existing cast of characters and make them the best versions they've ever been, a musical masterpiece and a promise of a full trilogy to tell such an intriguing take on a video game classic that I can't wait to experience.
Until the unknown journey continues in Rebirth and beyond, Final Fantasy VII Remake stands as one of the best games I've ever played and an instant addition to my list of all-time favorite games.
The combat was damn near flawless. Beyond satisfying, rewarding and intense, I never felt this pumped about going into combat in a game before. Every fight in this game was a blast, every boss felt like I was using 100% of my brain to get the most out of every single frame. Genuinely one of the best combat systems I've ever experienced and I never got tired of it.
The music is completely out of this world. The brilliant mind and talent of Nobuo Uematsu comes back to give us this incredible refresh of the astounding soundtrack of the original and a fantastic line up of brand new tracks. I have to shout out all the other composers and arrangers who worked on this OST as well, with a special mention to Yasunori Nishiki who's the creative genius behind One-Winged Angel - Rebirth.
Now, the story. This game challenges what a remake could be and really brings out the concept of a capital R 'Remake'. The plot of Remake adds upon the original story with every single new addition, while also not making the original feel irrelevant or outdated. Without going into big story spoilers, this game does what it sets out to do almost perfectly, with it being a continuation of the FFVII world and not just a new version of the 1997 game. With an already established world and cast of characters, this game takes what was already in place and expands on all of it in a deep and meaningful way. The iconic characters who lead FFVII are the best they've ever been here, with an entire voice cast who put their all into making their characters believable and likeable, while every single actor delivers a phenomenal performance the entire way. I might have to say this game has the most impressive voice cast I've ever seen in a video game, with a lot of side characters being big standouts.
With this game taking the first 3-4 hours of the original and transforming it into a full 30-40 (or in my case, borderline 60) hours, Midgar had to be transformed to fit the game's direction, and the development team managed to make an incredibly unique and engaging setting. Midgar's linearity is one of the game's biggest strengths, and while the level design is okay at best, the linear "hallways" that you travel through in the game just add so much to the atmosphere and vibe of this city. The sense of scale and level of detail is jaw-dropping at times, the immersion of going through the slums and areas like Wall Market is amplified even more with extremely details NPC dialogues that makes everything feel that much more alive. The world building is so well thought out and the setting of Midgar shines as one of the best characters in the game.
As someone who didn't have prior history with the original game, I decided to play it before I get to Remake, and I'm beyond happy I did. On its own, Remake is a great entry point as you're completely in the dark, but if you do have the knowledge of what came before, it elevates the experience to such a high level. With the classic FFVII story being changed as you play through, knowing what's supposed to happen and having context from later parts of the original can add a massive layer to understanding the core of the story. Again, not to get into heavy spoilers, but having the game be aware that it's a capital R Remake and kinda tease you about it is such a clever way to keep you as the player invested, especially if you do have the history of the original to go along with it.
No matter how long I sit here and try to put my thoughts on the game into words, I won't be able to do it justice. This is a game you need to play to get the point of just how good it is. One of the best combat systems in recent memory, a standout voice cast that take an existing cast of characters and make them the best versions they've ever been, a musical masterpiece and a promise of a full trilogy to tell such an intriguing take on a video game classic that I can't wait to experience.
Until the unknown journey continues in Rebirth and beyond, Final Fantasy VII Remake stands as one of the best games I've ever played and an instant addition to my list of all-time favorite games.