It's fine all around. There are some parts that I think were done super well and other parts that I kind of despise.
My main gripe with it is the change in combat. I am more of a classic turn-based fan when it comes to Final Fantasy, but I can get behind the action if it's fun. I think I may just prefer the strategy of it all over the running and dodging mechanics we're dealing with now. There's so many damage sponge enemies and bosses in this game with fights lasting way longer than they honestly need to; it can get tedious. I'd like the ATB system a bit more if it would recharge on its own instead of only when dealing or taking damage. I get the thought process behind it, but so many fights take way too long just to lose them because I can't even use a potion due to lack of ATB. There are some fights that are kinda cringe to get through because the enemies float and your characters have to jump to attack them, it can just get kind of painful.
I'm very interested in seeing the story getting shaken up the way that it is though, because the combat getting changed wouldn't have been enough to engage me. There are segments that really benefit from being remade, characters now have actual dialogue with each other that wasn't really present before. Each one is much more fleshed out, which is what I've always wanted from this particular cast. Areas like Wall Market are almost completely redone without touching the silliness of the events that take place. I'm so glad that they doubled down on it all instead of chickening out, it's one of the most memorable segments in the whole game.
I just wish the pacing wasn't as slow as 5 mph. This isn't honestly that long of a game, it's like 35 hours with side quests if you focus on them, but it feels like it's 110 hours. There are just some segments that either take way too long or are just damage sponge boss after damage sponge boss, especially near the end. My PS4 corrupted my save data before I could play the Intermission DLC and I was seriously putting off replaying the game again because I knew I'd be back in the trenches.
That being said, I am 50% excited to see where the game is going with all the story changes, but also 50% worried that they're gonna end up fumbling the bag somehow. I liked Final Fantasy VII just fine, but I really don't think this story needed to be told across 3 50~ hour games on multiple discs with DLCs. It's actually obnoxious, but I'll be there to see how it ends.
My main gripe with it is the change in combat. I am more of a classic turn-based fan when it comes to Final Fantasy, but I can get behind the action if it's fun. I think I may just prefer the strategy of it all over the running and dodging mechanics we're dealing with now. There's so many damage sponge enemies and bosses in this game with fights lasting way longer than they honestly need to; it can get tedious. I'd like the ATB system a bit more if it would recharge on its own instead of only when dealing or taking damage. I get the thought process behind it, but so many fights take way too long just to lose them because I can't even use a potion due to lack of ATB. There are some fights that are kinda cringe to get through because the enemies float and your characters have to jump to attack them, it can just get kind of painful.
I'm very interested in seeing the story getting shaken up the way that it is though, because the combat getting changed wouldn't have been enough to engage me. There are segments that really benefit from being remade, characters now have actual dialogue with each other that wasn't really present before. Each one is much more fleshed out, which is what I've always wanted from this particular cast. Areas like Wall Market are almost completely redone without touching the silliness of the events that take place. I'm so glad that they doubled down on it all instead of chickening out, it's one of the most memorable segments in the whole game.
I just wish the pacing wasn't as slow as 5 mph. This isn't honestly that long of a game, it's like 35 hours with side quests if you focus on them, but it feels like it's 110 hours. There are just some segments that either take way too long or are just damage sponge boss after damage sponge boss, especially near the end. My PS4 corrupted my save data before I could play the Intermission DLC and I was seriously putting off replaying the game again because I knew I'd be back in the trenches.
That being said, I am 50% excited to see where the game is going with all the story changes, but also 50% worried that they're gonna end up fumbling the bag somehow. I liked Final Fantasy VII just fine, but I really don't think this story needed to be told across 3 50~ hour games on multiple discs with DLCs. It's actually obnoxious, but I'll be there to see how it ends.