My bias is that of a lapsed JRPG fan, someone who kicked Final Fantasy games to the curb in the early '00s and rarely looked back. And while this isn't nearly as padded a game as a '90s JRPG, in terms of making players grind through hours of random combat, FFVIIR suffers from a few obvious "let's stretch this section out for no reason" seams. A completely optional fight that you only encounter if you trade in years off your life to complete the Chocobo Hot and Cold treasure hunt side quest, which is the longest side quest in Final Fantasy IX, which is already full of long side quests because its a Final Fantasy game. Its reliance on the original game's archetypes won't seem endearing for newcomers. The old game's transition to a 3D, control-your-own-camera universe can get unwieldy. The dialogue is far from perfect-and, at least in English, it misses the mark too often. If the idea of a refreshed-yet-faithful JRPG leaves you cold, on the other hand, FFVIIR's 35+ hours of combat, plot, and polished set pieces probably won't move the dial on your personal Active Time Battle meter. FFVIIR doesn't "take 10 hours to get good," and its plot doesn't devolve into a Kingdom Hearts-like mess of indecipherable gibberish. Even better, you can rest assured that Square Enix has avoided two of its usual sins this time around. And it's nice to get to know some familiar faces in a stretched-out return to the iconic fantasy city of Midgar. The updated combat system sees Square Enix get its closest yet to nailing battles in a JRPG, with a system that runs at a bombastic-yet-smooth clip. The production values, at their best, are exhilarating. If so, you count among the millions who will likely enjoy what FFVIIR has to offer. But big as that niche may be, it's still a niche.Īre you a series veteran who has followed the Warriors of Light since the NES era? Maybe you're a JRPG diehard who knows your way around every inscrutable Final Fantasy spinoff ( VII or otherwise)? Or, what if you're a lapsed player who got swept up in 1997's FFVII fever hoping this new game will be a cool, modernized reason to return to your PlayStation 1 heyday? That's good news for anyone who has awaited this popular game's return for 23 years. This week's Final Fantasy VII Remake, in spite of its flaws and oddities, does the unimaginable: it delivers to just about any audience who might be interested in this specific RPG series and this specific game. Links: Amazon | Target | PSN | Official website
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