final fantasy 7 review
Test: Final Fantasy VII Remake: The new vision of adventure has captivated us!After marking its time in 1997, standing out as one of the most legendary video games in history, players are about to relive part of the experience with Final Fantasy VII Remake, a game that cannot be that ambitious. Twenty three years later, the experience has changed dramatically ...
Guaranteed test without spoiler
Although Final Fantasy VII Remake is a reinterpretation of a game from the last century, we believe that not all of the readers of this article played the original 1997 and therefore do not want to spoil the elements of it. the story. In addition, this remake is not without surprise even for those who know FF7 by heart, all the more reason for us not to reveal anything of its plot.There are two ways to play Final Fantasy 7 Remake. You can be a fan of the original album, curious or even eager to relive the adventure in a new form. You can also be a neophyte ready to discover a new game, with the hope of dealing with something exceptional given the reputation of the original opus. Whatever our case, it’s with excitement that we are witnessing the game’s introductory cutscene, which immediately gets us into the game. The graphics are sumptuous, the plans for the city of Midgar compete in beauty and we immediately understand that we are in front of a title of the most ambitious. The plan which moves away from Aerith to show us the immensity of Midgar, with the music which rises to end in apotheosis on the logo of Final Fantasy VII Remake, causes chills which are equaled only those caused by the intro of the original. However, there is no time to get hung up since the camera zooms in on another part of the city, on a train that arrives at the entrance to a Mako reactor, depicting the protagonists.
AN EXCITING INTRODUCTION!
Final Fantasy VII Remake: The new vision of adventure has captivated us!Avalanche is an eco-terrorist group that has been trying to protect the planet for decades. The head of the Avalanche section that we will follow throughout the adventure is Barret Wallace, a man with an imposing physique and who has had a heavy machine gun grafted as a right forearm, which leaves little doubt about his methods. Helped by Jessie, Biggs & Wedge, members of his team, he is about to face the gigantic Shinra, the company which controls Midgar without any respect for its inhabitants and for the planet, whose energy it tirelessly pumps. But this group today accompanied by Cloud Strife, a former member of the armed group of Shinra (called SOLDIER) who is now a mercenary. This taciturn main hero was not, at first, the most charismatic. Although we can recognize a certain class thanks to the character design of Tetsuya Nomura, he is not really pleasant, even less sociable, and does not even care about the group's ecological ambitions, since only money interested.
This introduction allows you to make sure of several things, from the first moments of the game. We automatically discover the outlines of a world of extreme depth, be it the places, the political context or even the character characters. The staging is much more advanced than in the original, with numerous dialogues, carried by voice-acting, whether for main protagonists or for any NPC. During the fights, the characters speak to each other, call out to each other and even revile, and we immediately enter the experience. It quickly becomes clear that Cloud is a most tormented character, haunted by strange flashes which, at the beginning of the adventure, have little significance for the player. But before we dwell on the making of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, let's start by talking about gameplay, since the title puts us in action right away.
AN ALMOST PERFECT GAMEPLAY!
The combat system could only be an important part of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. By moving away from the pseudo turn-based of the original (In fact, Final Fantasy is not turn-based since FF4), Square Enix risked meeting the anger of some players who do not like that we touch their icons. However, the gameplay of Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a real feat, which manages to combine both the action game with the strategy of the original combat system. In short, we keep the ATB (Active Time Battle) bar system which gradually fills up according to the character's speed statistics. However, to use these ATB bars for skills, spells or to use items, it is up to the player to hit the enemy constantly to speed up the filling of the gauge, while protecting themselves or dodging enemy attacks.
This dynamic system has several interests: first, it constantly keeps the player on guard, not protecting himself from certain attacks that can lead to rapid death. Two, it allows to greatly differentiate the profile of the protagonists, one of the weaknesses of the original. Cloud may be the somewhat multi-tasking character, but it remains very effective in inflicting melee damage. But once you take control of Barret, you end up with a muscle ball that is very slow to move and acts largely as a Tank, in addition to being able to attack from a distance. The differences in gameplay when switching from one character to another are obvious, and the same goes for Tifa, Cloud's childhood friend also a member of Avalanche whose speed and combo sequences are more exhilarating, or Aerith, the magician capable of powerful damage even if she has to charge her attacks. Four very opposite visions but four very pleasant ways of playing, which we can alternate during the adventure.
The most exciting thing about this combat system is how much it has kept its strategic aspect. Indeed, the damage inflicted with normal attacks is minimal, and we do most of the work thanks to skills and magic. Each character has a special skill, accessible without a loaded ATB bar, which must be mastered in order to defeat the toughest opponents. Cloud, for example, has a Soldier Bravery mode in which it deals more damage and refills the ATB gauge faster, but which makes it more vulnerable to ranged attacks and magic. However, in this mode, you can also counter-attack enemies, which is essential especially in certain duels. Since each protagonist has their own peculiarities, it is more optimal to constantly change characters during fights, which brings them once again closer to the functioning of the original. Note however that you can choose the ATB skills of characters you do not control via a very stylish "active super slow motion", in addition to being able to use shortcuts (up to 4) to activate skills / spells / objects with the character you control without even going through the menu, in full action mode. In addition, you can play in automatic mode, intervening only for ATB actions, but this "Classic" option is only available in Easy mode.
This combat system becomes even more interesting when we approach the principles of Fragility and Shock. In short, each enemy has one or more flaws that we can take advantage of to make them more vulnerable to our attacks. It could be the use of magic or a certain element, or even the fact of being damaged at a specific moment, during the loading of an attack for example. When an enemy is weakened, its Shock gauge rises faster and when it is full, the enemy collapses and becomes completely at our mercy for a few seconds, with a bonus on damage inflicted. In the most difficult fights, it is this shock gauge that will be your salvation: not only do you only scratch the enemy when he is not in shock, but in addition, with the right timing , you can trigger a shock while the boss is about to send out its most devastating attack, killing two birds with one stone.
With a most successful combat system, Final Fantasy VII Remake was already on a good footing, but it is also and above all thanks to its staging that it offers us the most memorable passages. While J-RPGs often make the mistake of offering free fights with monsters that appear out of nowhere, Final Fantasy VII Remake rarely makes this mistake throughout the adventure. The clashes only take place in targeted places, often linked to the universe, like the brigands who assault us on desert roads for example. But the most epic moments are obviously the boss fights, always timely, divinely animated, and all different. Here again, it is the staging that does the work: when you face the Air-destructor, iconic boss of the original, you have already spent the previous thirty minutes trying to divert the parts of its construction to the make it less strong, while attending its various stages of assembly. In this, Final Fantasy VII Remake offers unforgettable sequences that we do not want to reveal to you, but which are undoubtedly worth the detour.
TOUCHED BY HIS SCENARIO, STUNNED BY HIS UNIVERSE
Final Fantasy VII, the original, owes its success to a multitude of qualities, and its universe is undoubtedly one of them. Anyone who played the work in 1997, or even after, remembers the first hours of play, those of Midgar, as one of the greatest achievements in video games. With the aim of developing this phase into an entire game, Final Fantasy VII Remake had to go further in all areas ... And heck, it was successful! During our first steps in the slum of Sector 7, we discover lively and populated places, which manage to dazzle us with their beauty despite the contextual dirtiness of the environments. Just take a look at the sky to see the famous plates of Midgar, reminding us a little more about this FF7 Remake, namely the class struggle. But what about the treatment of the Wall Market and all the part on Don Cornéo, who left the author's mouth speechless for long minutes? Or the passage with Aerith in the sector 5. Final Fantasy 7 Remake dazzles us at every moment, practically every plan of the game could be chosen in the background, making one of the most beautiful games of the PS4.
But beyond the surroundings, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is also touching, to the point that it is difficult to imagine. Whether you didn't make the original or don't remember it, know one thing: the script is of infinite sadness and this remake allows you to better perceive the emotions of each of the characters. So expect your vision of some of them to change. Even if Aerith remains an "attaching" character as they say, his dialogues and his flirtation with Cloud are much more credible in this remake, well helped by quality dubbing (at least in English, the French voices being much more unequal). But the pompom surprisingly returns to Barret, who goes from one of the least loved characters from the original to the most in-depth of this version, with funny scenes, and others that break our hearts. Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a game in which you will not skip the dialogs and the cinematic scenes. At the end of the adventure, we could only be captivated by the treatment of each of the legendary scenes, making harmless characters much more interesting and managing to surprise us with multiple additions and changes, especially on the last part.
This new vision of FF7 also owes its salvation to a weighty ally, its soundtrack. If you did the demo and were already blown away by the music, you're going to get your jaw in admiration with what you're going to hear throughout the adventure. Final Fantasy 7 Remake stages its highlights and fights with leading symphony orchestras, and even in boss fights there are so many variations that you can't get bored. It should be noted that the music varies according to the action, which means that practically each theme exists in several versions which are linked without even noticing any cut. At this level, low hat, it is a faultless!
NARRATION AT THE DETRIMENT OF FREEDOM
Final Fantasy VII Remake: The new vision of adventure has captivated us!We still have to address an essential point of a J-RPG, the structure. One of the first questions that often comes up in the mouths of those waiting for the game is that of the freedom offered to the player: can we visit Midgar at will? Sorry to disappoint you, but this is unfortunately not the case. Note that the entire Final Fantasy 7 Remake adventure is as linear as the Midgar phase was in the original. You will not see new areas, and although some phases are new, they do not lend themselves to exploration. Although it makes sense, from a narrative point of view, to contain the player on a route, one cannot help but feel a certain frustration at not being able to visit the "Midgar above" in more depth. The city seems to have so much to offer however… However, we must also admit that FF7 Remake does not produce the mistakes of the past by forcing the player to indulge in leveling phases to artificially lengthen the lifespan: in this, Final Fantasy VII Remake is closer to the action-adventure game, which once again is good for the narration and the general rhythm of the game, rather hectic. So count between forty and fifty hours to finish the side quests included (which does not mean finishing it 100%, however).
The real bad news however comes from the other aspect common to J-RPG, that where we normally deepen the gameplay elements via leveling systems of characters / complex skills, but also via hidden areas to unlock for those who search well . This is the real pitfall that we can make in the Square Enix game. If we find the materia system, one of the most cherished in the series, it turns out to be very watered down in Final Fantasy 7 Remake and you will not spend hours finding a devastating and unexpected combination, especially with the absence (or the 'obsolete) many blue materials (of connections). Thus, between the improvements of stats and the skills, you will have quickly made the turn. The same goes for one of the novelties, the weapon improvement system, which is ultimately far too innocuous to keep the player hooked, especially when you realize that all the characters finally have access to the same bonuses. If we are happy to have scripted side quests, they systematically take us back to areas already visited in the adventure. In short, Final Fantasy VII Remake is worth much more for its main scenario than for its extras, and it is all the more obvious with the post-game content, terrifying of awkwardness. On the one hand, we access a Difficult mode that we would have preferred to have input as it brings few things at first sight (no objects, no regen of mana, stronger enemies and micro-variations in Bosses in their pattern), but moreover, once the game is over, you can only access the different areas of the game by repeating the chapters in which you could visit them. So this means that if you want to go to the Colosseum (I let you discover what it is), you have to redo the whole corresponding chapter, making it accessible only after 30 minutes of scenes and passages that you have already done. And yes, you will have to do it again each time. Even if Final Fantasy VII Remake keeps some secrets, like some hidden materias (summons included) or the last weapons of each character to unlock, we are far from what the original offered with its Weapons to fight, the Gelnika sunk plane , Chocobos, etc.
Good points
A world of great wealth
A most touching scenario
Addictive gameplay that rewards thinking
A breathtaking staging
Endlessly beautiful graphics
The music and the general soundtrack are to be put in the Pantheon
Bosses, varied, requiring unique strategies
In-depth characters, Barret in mind
Passages that will (re) become mythical, like the Wall Market
A surprising ending
Negative points
Lack of freedom
J-RPG aspects in decline, not very detailed evolution system
A bit of a challenge below
The post-game, simply missed
Final Fantasy VII Remake is a real gem that deserves your full attention, whether you made the original or not. He sublimates a scenario and a universe already known for their incredible depth, by offering scenes of particularly strong emotions and by showing his characters in a new light. It is beautiful to cry about, has one of the best combat systems of this generation and a very high staging, offering an incredible introduction that ends in apotheosis, with some revelations in the last part which will even surprise fans. Its soundtrack is so epic that it hangs us on the controller for a good fifty hours and there is no doubt that we will be talking about music in the years to come. Although its linear structure and its lack of ancillary content may frustrate some, and despite a more painful than fun post-game, Final Fantasy VII Remake is undoubtedly one of the best games of recent years and we look forward to it to see the treatment of the continuation of the adventure by Square Enix.
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