I’ve never had the opportunity to play Final Fantasy VII before, having been somewhat put off by its gameplay style when I was younger (and more foolish) and then subsequently by its age. Playing this demo, then, is my first foray and while some people might compare it, I am coming at it with a completely fresh pair of eyes!
The Tl;Dr Version
This is a beautiful game. It was never not going to be a beautiful game. It’s just got such vibrancy and depth to it, although there is the odd bit of blurring – 9/10. Going around the world is also fun, with much being left as you would expect from a JRPG and the usual Final Fantasy style – it was a little clunky though and it would take a bit of getting used to – 7/10. Combat was smooth and effective, leaving me with nice fuzzy ‘I-just-murderized-those-goons/machines’ feelings. A little mashy when the going got intense and I spent a little bit of time not being allowed to do things for no obvious reason – 8/10. Overall, I’m stoked to play this in full and hope new players and old-hands are not let down by a remake of such a classic game.
The Detailed Version
Visually you can really tell that they have tried to push current gen to its limits – unsurprising since this remake has been a LONG time coming, and since it will probably be one of the swan-song games before the release of PS5 etc. The cinematic sections are stunning, leaving you as breathless as the polluted city you are finding yourself existing in. I was worried that the colours were going to be all muted and dark, but actually the balance is great and really gives you a feel for the environment around you. Plus it helps text to stand out really boldly.
The character models are phenomenal – much like I was saying with Jill Valentine earlier in the week, the level of detail and capability that we are able to see now is spectacular and I cannot wait to see how it looks in the coming years. Cloud looks like a JRPG poster-boy, which I guess he is, and his slightly emo frowny-face is amusing. Jessie’s HAIR!!! Barret meanwhile is a muscular, mini-gun-armed tank who ripples with barely controlled rage. They look cool and unique, and I cannot wait to learn more about them when I eventually play the full game.
World traversal is fine, if a little simplistic. I like games where you can control things like jumping and aren’t just clumsily running through things like traffic cones, or being blocked by scenery that barely comes higher than your bootstraps. The animations are smooth, though, and I’m just being fussy here, really. Personal preference and all that. Something that genuinely annoyed me though – and this isn’t unique to this game – was having to be precisely in the correct location in order to use an item such as a switch. Considering this is a game where attacking a locked on enemy catapults your character to the victim, it is irritating to be shifting around in by centimetres just to call a lift!
Combat is smooth and fairly easy, if a little mashy in the head of the action. You get a real sense of the blows landing and knocking enemies off their feet. Meanwhile, once you have enough power, you can slow time to select actions and unleash more powerful moves to take out your foes. Switching between different battle modes was fun, but I didn’t fully get a sense of the difference just from this playthough. One slightly odd thing that I did notice was that when you block, bearing in mind you are blocking with a big-ass sword, you are basically automatically shielded from attacks, even if they are quite literally bullets being fired directly into your back! Tell you what, though, the boss battle against the scorpion sentinel at the end is amazing. You don’t often get a proper ‘whoof, I’ve done it!’ kind of feeling from boss battles in a lot of games anymore but by the end of this one I was properly buzzing, it was long, it was intense but it was fun and incredibly satisfying.
All in all, I’m really excited to play this in full. Like I said, I’ve never played the original, so for players like me it will be a completely new experience! I just hope that veterans aren’t too disappointed. I really enjoyed XV and I’ve dabbled a little in a few others, but this looks set to be my next major jump into Final Fantasy land, once I have the money – and I can’t fucking wait!
AHF Writes 