CardiffGreens Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 Managed to squeeze in a couple of hours last night after the kiddie-winks went to bed. Seems ok, not sure what all the fuss is about to be honest - seems Square will push any old crap out these days. Spoiler Seriously though, I'm enjoying it thus far (only just to the outside of the slums) - doesn't help I've got some serious muscle memory issues around button assignments from other games that I can't seem to shake - but it's clear there's been a lot of time, effort and heart into it all (even if the lack of cyberpunk aesthetic is a slight downside imo) - and I'm excited to see how gameplay options open up as the available materia grows. Plus I'm doing better than 22 years ago when I got done over by that translation issue at the guard scorpion fight, so that's a positive. It'll be interesting to see how I feel a bit further in, the change of 30 seconds gameplay in the original during the sector 8 escape into the best part of 30 minutes of gameplay (mostly down to be being unable to work out which ladder to climb) is probably a sign of things to come. Minor "spoiler" Spoiler Anyone else seen the Machinabridged series? Because when the sector 8 escape concludes and the Shrina solider yells "Hey, I recognise him", all I could do was mentally add "it's Ramirez!" onto the end of his conversation... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogso Posted April 14, 2020 Author Share Posted April 14, 2020 Finished my playthrough on 'normal' last night. Spoiler less thoughts - it's not a perfect game, nor a perfect remake, but I think it's damn close to a perfect remake of the first 6-8 hours of FFVII in the current gen. There are elements of the story here that will literally ruin some people's lives. I maintain the attitude with any remake that the original game never changes, so another version doing things differently can't really ruin a game - it'll just make some people real mad who are especially precious about the original. For that reason I could fully understand complaints about this, but I really enjoyed the ride. I think it's indicative of how good a job has been done too, that I really felt the up's and down's, the important plot points were all nailed on, and the ending was...well for now I'll say I liked it and leave it at that. I'd be really curious to hear the thoughts of those who either don't play FF games, or haven't really played many since the Ps1, as to me this felt a lot like an amalgamation of Crisis Core, FFXIII, FFXV and Kingdom Hearts, so for someone with no, or few, points of reference to those games, it must feel a million miles from those older games. The lessons learnt from all of those games, from a gameplay and technical point of view, are all clear to see in this, and it reaps the rewards - it just works (some well documented texture issues aside). The only thing I'll stick in a spoiler is my playtime from that single run, I thought I had done pretty much all the optional stuff, but it turns out I didn't. Spoiler Just over 41 hours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 (edited) im curious on the opinions of those who've never played a FF game before, im at about the 6 hour mark, did the 2nd "boss" fight last night, id say for me expanding the world and giving me a better understanding of Midgar has been brilliant...but I would say for newcomers there's a lot of fluffy shite in there (the character from the 2nd boss fight for example) and im not sure how much game there is at times, its a bit walk around the pretty looking area then go to where the fights are then tonnes of dialogue rinse and repeat, I can imagine some of it is too much and im not sure the gameplay is actually that captivating for newcomers or people who aren't overly fussed by the genre Edited April 14, 2020 by villa4europe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 I’m part way through chapter 8 now (just got rid of some moogle medals). Really enjoying it this far. Been some tough battles on normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted April 14, 2020 Share Posted April 14, 2020 Just started Chapter 9. Had to use a few Phoenix downs now on a few side quests in CH8 and the start of this one. Some of those robot enemies that frenzy are killers (literally). Probably my own fault but it gets a bit crazy in the heat of battle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted April 16, 2020 Share Posted April 16, 2020 I'm still in chapter 9. Spoiler Just saved outside Corneo's place after dancing with Cloud. Seriously out of character for him. Didn't like it. All side quests done up until now (apart from Fat Chocobo VR mission and a few battle intels). Hellhouse was defeated first try, surprised me considering I'd heard a lot of people moaning about it. The 2 Bomb special mission however kicked my solo ass a few times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 Chapter 14 now. Side quest in sector 5 time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogso Posted April 19, 2020 Author Share Posted April 19, 2020 On 16/04/2020 at 11:07, Dante_Lockhart said: I'm still in chapter 9. Hide contents The 2 Bomb special mission however kicked my solo ass a few times. I didn't get this before, but I'm now on my second playthrough and I got this quest this time. Spoiler I think I preferred running around Wall Market with Johnny compared to the other set of side quests in that chapter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 I’ve had more trouble on ‘mob’ battles than boss battles so far. 2x bombs 3x sahagin 2x phantoms all kicked my ass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogso Posted April 19, 2020 Author Share Posted April 19, 2020 The one that caught me by surprise was the fight with a cutter and hedgehog pies (I think it is) when you go and save those kids after the 'scary man' wanders in to their hideout. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted April 19, 2020 Share Posted April 19, 2020 I've been caught out with elemental materia taking out the attack option a couple of times, I'm sure that King hedgehog pie fight was one of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardiffGreens Posted April 22, 2020 Share Posted April 22, 2020 Real life has been as busy as I had expected (though I won't complain; if this game had actually come out on time, I'd been able to maybe get to the main menu in 1 sitting...), but got in a couple of hours last night - up to about 10 overall and just gotten into Chapter 7 (or 6, whichever the one after Plan E anyway!). Still enjoying it, I haven't much more to add than hasn't already been said - does feel a bit of a mash of a bunch of games (not bad thing) - though strangely I had a couple of bits in the session last night that drew me back to THQ's WH40k Space Marine - though that's probably down to my lack of gaming breadth; I don't imagine the whole "We need to get to over there (where we will undoubtedly run into a totall unexpected boss fight)" that marks each chapter of progress is particulary rare. I also enjoyed the couple of occasions the game doesn't deem itself above the classic trope of "what's this in a chest? Why it's a new and exciting item that potentially negates some gameplay element we haven't previously encountered; maybe think about equipping it yeah?", or "oh look, a vending machine, out here, in the middle of nowhere, I wonder why that could be". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted April 22, 2020 Share Posted April 22, 2020 im at the start of chapter 10 I still think the visuals and the story are excellent, the expansion of the game that I love really hits the spot, the battle system which I thought was shite after the demo has grown on me even if at times it does involve running around until my ATB gauge fills (was my answer to your problem @Dante_Lockhart ) the bad though....the non battle gameplay is really really bland, it has the problem that for me the first game was after a link to the past the first big expansive open world game, almost definitely my first RPG and now with modern games obviously open world is the new norm, this has a huge world that feels alive and incredible...and makes you follow a purposefully cut corridor through it all to get to the one talky bit where you will get a horrifically shit task of following another corridor until you get to an open arena area where you can kill some baddies before going back and completing the task, the side quests are awful, probably because of the constraints of the map, Im still interested as to what a newcomer thinks of this game, as for the RPG elements they are ok, the levelling up of the weapons feels a bit basic and not as much thought required as say 10's system which required thought as to what direction you went round, they could have put more in, materia management doesn't seem as important as the original but that might just be me (or the expansion has also led to materia levelling up quicker and being more available) again I think other FF games have been heavier and done it better im still really enjoying it though, more in a last of us kind of way where im appreciating the cinematics of it all rather than the gameplay, same as always for FF7 though its all about getting outside of midgar and the game going up a couple of gears Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted April 22, 2020 Share Posted April 22, 2020 I don't like the hypocrisy from the fan base. They slated FFXIII for being too 'linear' - I'd argue this game is even worse. Personally I really liked 13, and I do like this game, but there are definitely similarities. Linear isn't always bad. Remember the openness of 15? Pretty empty world for the size of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted April 22, 2020 Share Posted April 22, 2020 Also a Tonberry just kicked my ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted April 22, 2020 Share Posted April 22, 2020 i was too busy hating the paradigm system to care about how linear 13 was I think they would get away with the linearity of it if they introduced better side quests, I think the 2 added together is my problem, chapter 9 example - Spoiler the special item thing for the drunk dress maker, go to the dress shop to talk to the son, go to the pub to talk to the dad, go talk to the materia shop man, go talk to the restaurant man, go to the pharmacy, go to the 2 people requiring treatment, go back to the pharmacist, go to a vending machine in the hotel, go back to the dad, go back to the son, get the dress... come on! that's not a proper side quest that's boring bland A to B to C bollocks that pads the game out by 20 minutes (even if I think that was actually from the original) another example of a side quest is in section 5, the old man in front of the weapon shop who wants to go to his wife's grave, walk to the area, kill a baddie, go back, collect reward maybe I've been spoilt by other games 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogso Posted April 22, 2020 Author Share Posted April 22, 2020 With regards to that specific quest in chapter 9, interestingly, that's one of only 2 occasions in the game where it 'splits' based on actions taken (not including the different bridal dresses), so there is actually an alternative side quest to that one. I didn't mind running around with Johnny though, at least it actually used those familiar places from the original game - otherwise there's no need to go in to the restaurant or bar or the takeaway or the item shop or the material shop... I referred to similarities between XIII, XV, and FF:CC (and KH, specifically 3) in my initial thoughts, it's definitely the case they've taken lessons learned from all of those games and thrown them together, to an extent, here. Likewise, I'll be shocked if Part 2 of this isn't similar to XV, as Part 1 is to XIII - just better looking and more 'alive'. Those lessons learned definitely include some very old fashioned and poor game design with regards to side quests though, for sure. It's interesting to look back at XIII now, having played this. The scale of this does feel bigger - but this game doesn't feature anything like the size of the big area in that (I don't recall the name), but XIII itself was in turn an evolution of what was in X. I think XIII was particularly ripe for criticism though, because of how bland all of those places, characters, and the story were. I've taken a stab at Hard Mode, now that my characters have hit level 50. It's a good challenge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted April 22, 2020 Share Posted April 22, 2020 1 hour ago, hogso said: With regards to that specific quest in chapter 9, interestingly, that's one of only 2 occasions in the game where it 'splits' based on actions taken (not including the different bridal dresses), so there is actually an alternative side quest to that one. I didn't mind running around with Johnny though, at least it actually used those familiar places from the original game - otherwise there's no need to go in to the restaurant or bar or the takeaway or the item shop or the material shop... I referred to similarities between XIII, XV, and FF:CC (and KH, specifically 3) in my initial thoughts, it's definitely the case they've taken lessons learned from all of those games and thrown them together, to an extent, here. Likewise, I'll be shocked if Part 2 of this isn't similar to XV, as Part 1 is to XIII - just better looking and more 'alive'. Those lessons learned definitely include some very old fashioned and poor game design with regards to side quests though, for sure. It's interesting to look back at XIII now, having played this. The scale of this does feel bigger - but this game doesn't feature anything like the size of the big area in that (I don't recall the name), but XIII itself was in turn an evolution of what was in X. I think XIII was particularly ripe for criticism though, because of how bland all of those places, characters, and the story were. I've taken a stab at Hard Mode, now that my characters have hit level 50. It's a good challenge! Gran Pulse. Great area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogso Posted April 22, 2020 Author Share Posted April 22, 2020 That's it. A shame that some players wouldn't have stuck with it long enough to get there, it properly opened up in the truest sense. I've just done the last Intel report - won't say anything more than that wasn't too hard in the end, think I was a bit OP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante_Lockhart Posted April 22, 2020 Share Posted April 22, 2020 I’ve just made it to the top of the ‘wall’ Here. We. Go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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