sxmuelc
Bio
Nothing here!
Badges
GOTY '23
Participated in the 2023 Game of the Year Event
Favorite Games
070
Total Games Played
002
Played in 2024
026
Games Backloggd
Recently Played See More
Recently Reviewed See More
04/22/2024
Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth improves on the previous installment's combat and pacing (for the most part). Through the improved combat and the expansive open-world, I was deeply immersed in this game. Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth is one of those games where I would spend entire gaming sessions on side stuff, not even touching the main story. However, the messy last two chapters and the sometimes forced mini-game integration l hold the game back for me. I don't think I'm ever doing a full-second playthrough. If anything I'm glad I can just replay chapters and skip the parts I hate. 8.5/10
Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth improves on the previous installment's combat and pacing (for the most part). Through the improved combat and the expansive open-world, I was deeply immersed in this game. Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth is one of those games where I would spend entire gaming sessions on side stuff, not even touching the main story. However, the messy last two chapters and the sometimes forced mini-game integration l hold the game back for me. I don't think I'm ever doing a full-second playthrough. If anything I'm glad I can just replay chapters and skip the parts I hate. 8.5/10
03/11/2024
TLDR; Despite the unnecessary filler in the main story and room for improvement in the combat, Final Fantasy VII Remake was a fun experience due to engaging fights and a really good narrative. The game felt like a really good first season of a TV show. I can't wait to play the rest of the "remake trilogy". 7/10
Quick Background: I have owned the deluxe edition of this game for almost three years and I just finished it today. I actually dropped it at Chapter 9 because of one level I hated. I was originally going to start over but I just ended up downloading my old game data to my PS5. After seeing gameplay for Rebirth, I was motivated to give this another try. I read the chapter summaries leading up to Chapter 9 and it turns out not a lot happens in 9 chapters or at least not enough to warrant 9 chapters of gameplay (more on this later). Since I liked the game overall, I'll start with the negatives and then end with the positives. This will be brief because I literally just finished the game as I am writing this. I will NOT discuss spoilers
Stuff I Didn't Like
Two main things for me: unnecessary padding and (kinda) stiff combat.
As mentioned, I felt as if when I reached Chapter 9, I did not think enough happened to warrant 9 chapters. In particular, I meant that there were features such as certain puzzles or entire sections in the game that I felt just existed to make the game longer rather than add to the overall experience. To be honest, these features were so unnecessary that they literally felt like filler. The story, at its core, was really short, but experiencing it felt like a drag at times.
This next thing isn't really an issue but is more acknowledging room for improvement. Despite warming up to the combat after taking the time to grind and get good at the game, I still do think the combat feels stiff to some degree, especially in the beginning chapters where you barely have any spells. To put it briefly, I think the fusion between turn-based and hack-and-slash combat could've been done better. I think you should be able to dodge or block mid-combo or parry. In situations where there are flying enemies or when you're fighting more than three enemies at once, you are bound to die at least once or twice. The AI for your allies isn't that good, to the point where they regularly put themselves in danger of damage. I played in Normal (Classic) difficulty so it was slightly better. The combat wasn't terrible overall, as I did have a lot of fun in the later chapters, I just don't think it's perfect.
The Good Stuff
My positives of the game are the fights, the story, and the characters.
While I do think the combat is flawed, I loved the fights the game puts you in, ESPECIALLY in the last two chapters. It's the opposite situation compared to my experience with FFXVI, where I loved the combat, but the fights in that game were boring, excluding the boss fights. The JRPG element of spending lots of time buffing, debuffing, or healing really added to the fights.
Next, I really liked the story or at least the main story beats. While I do think there's unnecessary fluff that drags down the experience, I also loved the core story. To be more specific, I like the worldbuilding as you get to see Shinra's impact on all the places you visit. I also really liked that the main cast has to reflect on whether or not what they're doing is right.
Last, I really enjoyed the character dynamic between the members of Avalanche. They really come off as an authentic group of friends and comrades. In particular, I enjoyed watching Barret grow to respect Cloud as a comrade.
TLDR; Despite the unnecessary filler in the main story and room for improvement in the combat, Final Fantasy VII Remake was a fun experience due to engaging fights and a really good narrative. The game felt like a really good first season of a TV show. I can't wait to play the rest of the "remake trilogy". 7/10
Quick Background: I have owned the deluxe edition of this game for almost three years and I just finished it today. I actually dropped it at Chapter 9 because of one level I hated. I was originally going to start over but I just ended up downloading my old game data to my PS5. After seeing gameplay for Rebirth, I was motivated to give this another try. I read the chapter summaries leading up to Chapter 9 and it turns out not a lot happens in 9 chapters or at least not enough to warrant 9 chapters of gameplay (more on this later). Since I liked the game overall, I'll start with the negatives and then end with the positives. This will be brief because I literally just finished the game as I am writing this. I will NOT discuss spoilers
Stuff I Didn't Like
Two main things for me: unnecessary padding and (kinda) stiff combat.
As mentioned, I felt as if when I reached Chapter 9, I did not think enough happened to warrant 9 chapters. In particular, I meant that there were features such as certain puzzles or entire sections in the game that I felt just existed to make the game longer rather than add to the overall experience. To be honest, these features were so unnecessary that they literally felt like filler. The story, at its core, was really short, but experiencing it felt like a drag at times.
This next thing isn't really an issue but is more acknowledging room for improvement. Despite warming up to the combat after taking the time to grind and get good at the game, I still do think the combat feels stiff to some degree, especially in the beginning chapters where you barely have any spells. To put it briefly, I think the fusion between turn-based and hack-and-slash combat could've been done better. I think you should be able to dodge or block mid-combo or parry. In situations where there are flying enemies or when you're fighting more than three enemies at once, you are bound to die at least once or twice. The AI for your allies isn't that good, to the point where they regularly put themselves in danger of damage. I played in Normal (Classic) difficulty so it was slightly better. The combat wasn't terrible overall, as I did have a lot of fun in the later chapters, I just don't think it's perfect.
The Good Stuff
My positives of the game are the fights, the story, and the characters.
While I do think the combat is flawed, I loved the fights the game puts you in, ESPECIALLY in the last two chapters. It's the opposite situation compared to my experience with FFXVI, where I loved the combat, but the fights in that game were boring, excluding the boss fights. The JRPG element of spending lots of time buffing, debuffing, or healing really added to the fights.
Next, I really liked the story or at least the main story beats. While I do think there's unnecessary fluff that drags down the experience, I also loved the core story. To be more specific, I like the worldbuilding as you get to see Shinra's impact on all the places you visit. I also really liked that the main cast has to reflect on whether or not what they're doing is right.
Last, I really enjoyed the character dynamic between the members of Avalanche. They really come off as an authentic group of friends and comrades. In particular, I enjoyed watching Barret grow to respect Cloud as a comrade.
NON-SPOILER FIRST THOUGHTS:
TLDR; My first playthrough was overall great, as the JRPG combat was fun and the main story was generally great. However, the main story's slow introduction and the paywall of basic game features keep me from ever touching this again as well as prevent me from calling this my favourite Like a Dragon game (Lost Judgement is still my favourite).
First, the JRPG combat has been massively improved from what it was in Yakuza 7, to the point where I do not think I could go back to that game. Grinding in this game is also good, as there are 2 dedicated dungeons for grinding and levelling up jobs.
Next, I liked the story, but I am conflicted for two reasons: (1) it takes too long to start and (2) the game takes you out of the main story to explain the main minigames. Concerning the latter, I was referring to how the Dondoko Island mini game gets introduced by literally removing you from the main story and forces you to play the game for like 30 minutes to an hour. This, along with the long introduction at the beginning of the main story, just make the pacing of it feel slow and disjointed, which makes me hesitant on replaying the game, despite the combat and general plot being STRONG highlights for me. Focusing on what I liked, I loved how Kiryu's storyline expanded on his character after like 7 main games and a spin-off. I love how the game reflects on Kiryu's experiences and the direction he plans to take for his life moving forward. Ichiban's storyline wasn't as interesting, but moreso showcased how kind and forgiving he is towards others.
My last thought is that I don't like how difficulties and NG+, which are basic game features, are paywalled. I cannot justify paying 26.99 (CAD) to access what I normally don't pay extra for other games. SEGA has lost some respect from me after this.
TLDR; My first playthrough was overall great, as the JRPG combat was fun and the main story was generally great. However, the main story's slow introduction and the paywall of basic game features keep me from ever touching this again as well as prevent me from calling this my favourite Like a Dragon game (Lost Judgement is still my favourite).
First, the JRPG combat has been massively improved from what it was in Yakuza 7, to the point where I do not think I could go back to that game. Grinding in this game is also good, as there are 2 dedicated dungeons for grinding and levelling up jobs.
Next, I liked the story, but I am conflicted for two reasons: (1) it takes too long to start and (2) the game takes you out of the main story to explain the main minigames. Concerning the latter, I was referring to how the Dondoko Island mini game gets introduced by literally removing you from the main story and forces you to play the game for like 30 minutes to an hour. This, along with the long introduction at the beginning of the main story, just make the pacing of it feel slow and disjointed, which makes me hesitant on replaying the game, despite the combat and general plot being STRONG highlights for me. Focusing on what I liked, I loved how Kiryu's storyline expanded on his character after like 7 main games and a spin-off. I love how the game reflects on Kiryu's experiences and the direction he plans to take for his life moving forward. Ichiban's storyline wasn't as interesting, but moreso showcased how kind and forgiving he is towards others.
My last thought is that I don't like how difficulties and NG+, which are basic game features, are paywalled. I cannot justify paying 26.99 (CAD) to access what I normally don't pay extra for other games. SEGA has lost some respect from me after this.