Honestly, the battle system in the remake is probably one of the best I've played in a JRPG for a long time and certainly the best in the series. Yes, it's real-time (I'd argue semi-turn-based) but the actual strategy and depth of it amazes me. The button mashing is solely a method (one of a few) to fill up the ATB, abilities are unique to each character and designed to complement each other, and it really doesn't pay to just go for the most powerful spell every time as you're more likely to end up in trouble. The materia system is refined and balanced (it places limits on certain materia) forcing you to truly plan which materia to utilise for a given fight.

I haven't been a fan of the combat systems in any of the Final Fantasy games since X. But the system here is as if they learnt every lesson from every game since VII, and just kept the best bits. The result is far more strategic and challenging than the original ever was.

I'll tell you I hated FFXII the first time I played it (I think I stopped about 20h from start) and just came back on the remake, and I really liked the game including the battle system and the level up method.

I tried FFXII twice and each time had to throw in the towel... I think both times a little after the sand sea.  I just found it too much of a slog to get places.  Do the changes improve it that much?  I've been tempted to try a third time.

For sure I would love for FF XVI to look more like FF IX, but I don't think that will be the case. Stiill I even liked FF XV but yes it wasn't FF.

I think they need a FF game to really tank in sales in order to get a wake up call.  My favorite series have always been Zelda and FF.  The best thing to happen to Zelda was actually Skyward Sword, because the sales of it were so disappointing.  It was a serious wake up call to Nintendo.  "Hey we are losing one of our key series here."  The result was Breath of the Wild.

While long time fans of FF can tell the series has seriously gotten off track, it is still selling well enough that Square-Enix thinks the games are just fine.  They really need FF16 to be a total flop.  They need a wake up call to tell them to get back to their roots.  Until that happens, they are just going to continue on this same track and not correct themselves.

Honestly, the battle system in the remake is probably one of the best I've played in a JRPG for a long time and certainly the best in the series. Yes, it's real-time (I'd argue semi-turn-based) but the actual strategy and depth of it amazes me. The button mashing is solely a method (one of a few) to fill up the ATB, abilities are unique to each character and designed to complement each other, and it really doesn't pay to just go for the most powerful spell every time as you're more likely to end up in trouble. The materia system is refined and balanced (it places limits on certain materia) forcing you to truly plan which materia to utilise for a given fight.

I haven't been a fan of the combat systems in any of the Final Fantasy games since X. But the system here is as if they learnt every lesson from every game since VII, and just kept the best bits. The result is far more strategic and challenging than the original ever was.

Honestly, I don't see us getting an old-school JRPG with a mainline final fantasy budget again, or at least until one of the medium budget titles starts selling numbers that approach mainline Final Fantasy numbers. 

Having said that, Persona is starting to get close in sales and recognition, so you never know. A classic Final Fantasy/JRPG resurgence could be on the cards.

1. From the demo, I found the combat good, I expected it to be but in the end it has button mashing. I understand that they could update and evolve the combat but it was too far removed from what FF7 was for me. 'Traditional' was listed at 'characters attack automatically and it's set to 'easy'. Abilities existed to begin with was weird, stagger is a joke in FF13 it has no place here either (stagger is never a 'best bit' :P).

2. And that is the reason why I bought Persona 5, the more traditional turn based party gameplay (plus the style of it was so cool looking). I've watched videos by Jim Sterling where be makes points about how sometimes big companies make a traditional game (Octopath Traveler) like they used to and then are weirdly surprised when it succeeds. Like the people that like those games suddenly don't exist. P5 sold better than any other Persona game because fans of that style of gameplay weren't being given any, so they flocked to it.

Which is fine, I'm sure FFXV gameplay was good, I expect it to be it's by the FF team of SquEnix. 13's gameplay was good but to me, control of 1 character, a 'auto' button and just pressing X to level up? That's not really how I expected it. FF7R gameplay was good from the demo but it's still button mashing to fill the ATB.

An excellent point, sadly as long as these games do sell they won't ever think they are not doing the right thing, even when fans like me don't buy them. My 1 sale does not make an impact. As mentioned of fans being starved, they see Final Fantasy and buy it anyway, regardless of how or what it is. Just like how certain game series sell millions yet nothing really ever changes or they are glitchy messes. Except for FF games, it's once ever 5 years instead of yearly and generally they are well made games.

From the demo, I found the combat good, I expected it to be but in the end it has button mashing. I understand that they could update and evolve the combat but it was too far removed from what FF7 was for me. 'Traditional' was listed at 'characters attack automatically and it's set to 'easy'. Abilities existed to begin with was weird, stagger is a joke in FF13 it has no place here either (stagger is never a 'best bit' :P).

And that is the reason why I bought Persona 5, the more traditional turn based party gameplay (plus the style of it was so cool looking). I've watched videos by Jim Sterling where be makes points about how sometimes big companies make a traditional game (Octopath Traveler) like they used to and then are weirdly surprised when it succeeds. Like the people that like those games suddenly don't exist. P5 sold better than any other Persona game because fans of that style of gameplay weren't being given any, so they flocked to it.

Did Joe play the OG FF7 game?