List of Games You've Beaten 2024

[LegitHyperbole]

Beat FF7 Remake.

First the combat is great on paper, it has th le bones of something that could be great if tweaked a little. Removing potions from ATB, introducing immunities and status effects sooner and some balancing of mobs health pools vs the damage they do and just refine it, take potions off of ATB usage. Second the games presentation is great even for the section of FF7 that is mostly shanty towns and garbage heaps but it's the OST that's really impressive, just really on point not to mention the whole 90's vibe the game gives off, if MGS is ever remade I hope they capture the 90's vibe as good as this This is not an RPG anymore and I think because of that the game shines In places where it becomes an action game with a heavy narrative however they have done so much to slow the player down and adding bits to pad for length the game feels stretched thin and often frustrating when character movement is literally slowed down or you have to squeeze through narrow points really often, one after another to progress. I spent 32 hours, did all side quests and I feel the side content should stay, it's really enjoyable and a nice change of pace to the main game aswell as the sidequests tying nicely into each other in latter chapters where they feel woven without being frustrating because of that, it felt very natural progressing through them or I got lucky in the order I did them but much of the main path could be trimmed down. There was no need to have the player make half of these treks and then to find that fast travel unlocks by the near end of the game is ridiculous. Everything to the point was just a diversion to extend the length of the game, setpieces are designed only to block the player and divert them on longer trips to an objective. VA is amazing, very fitting for the game as well ad the dialogue and feels campy while also really professional. Main bosses suck balls, they trigger cutscenes at certain chuclnks of health missing making for pointless fight and again pushing the player away from engaging properly with the combat system while removing conteol constantly or having big attack moments mean nothing cause the bosses HP can't deplete any further. I'd rate this game much higher if the padding was removed and zi really hope for a directors cut of the trilogy for people who own all three games cause I hear that Rebirth isn't padded but bloated.

As for the story *Spoilers* It's really good if you don't think about it too much, at least it was until late game when they explain what the whispers are. This is the most idiotic thing they could have done, they make the players path invalid cause it's at the whispers whim. There will have to be a very good reason for this but zi get the feeling that they didn't finalise the script before the production of Part 1 started and this is going to end up as a convoluted mess with a load of plot holes. Not once do they touch on Shepiroths plans but then expect you at the end of the game to accept Aeriths vague words on how he is the big bad, even going as far to say "He'll say he's for the planet but he's a bigger threat", wtf? He said nothing of his intentions. And this is where the whispers and destiny become a real problem, unless they are at Shepiroths demands then they should already know that Sephiroths plans are what need to be altered not to mention the fact that they are used as plot armour for Barret for no good reason but holy shit, they went and took Crisis Cores story and made that a nessessity for some aspects of the story, like anyone actually played that game. They really should have ignored all of that since this is a remaining they're going for. Some scenes are really cool, the flashbacks and flash forwards really well done and even the whispers until their intention was specifically explained. Can't have it both ways, you can't have Destiny be a driving factor, use foresight into the future and then have Aerith say "The future is always a blank page". So stupid.

8/10.

Glad I returned a fpurth time to give it another chance and finally got it this time, could have been a 9 had it been trimmed down and exploration and progression was more fluid instead of running into ladders and squeeze points every 30 seconds and rhe whispers had been left vague with no specific explanation, they almost ruin the story and will now but everything event to question and lead to some real Deas Ex Machina type shit. Thankfully, Rebirth and part three will be a fresh experience for me as I never got past the Shinra building in the OG FF7. I just hope some of the design choices are ironed out and the combat was more balanced on normal so you can engage with it without having to use your ATB to swig potions. Not sure I can do intermission cause Yuffie is far to anime but I will try and see it through.

Last edited by LegitHyperbole - on 10 December 2024