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8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8148 Ratings

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  1. Apr 26, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Music: 10/10 Boy oh boy, did they raise the stakes on this one. The scores have been remade into quite honestly a glorious cornucopia of nostalgia, emotion, and depth. Each major boss fight has it's own thematic take on the old OST, transitioning between phases seemingly flawlessly. Imagine 3 separate tracks being produced and recorded, and being able to overlap and transition seamlessly based on your phase progression. The old classics tug at the heartstrings, and the remade themes hype you up and make major encounters feel intense.

    Combat: 9/10 Here's where things diverge. The combat is a fresh take on Active + ATB. The old Materia strategies and setups are still available and will have you altering your slots constantly, especially for Hard Mode. Each character has their own unique combat style and capabilities, but you can honestly setup each character however you want to with the new weapon upgrade system. (somewhat tedious, but adding a bit of depth to stats that can be tailored towards your playstyle) Most players might not understand the true depth and capabilities until they start actively messing with most of the at first seemingly less useful Materia and character swapping actions for ATB growth. I feel like they gave us the best of both worlds with Hack n' Slash + ATB that both new and old fans can appreciate.

    Gameplay: 7/10 This isn't tied to combat, it's the overall gameplay. This game is linear. It's meant to be a heavily story focused segment of the main game, setting up for what the future may bring. That said, there is inevitable padding (Sewers #2). 3 Chapters involve sidequests in which, if you decide to do them, will lengthen the chapter playtime two-three-fold. HOWEVER, if you don't WANT to do the sidequests, you don't have to. Miss some pretty strong materia/items? Sure, but nothing you can't necessarily live without. You can run an entire first playthrough with only main story if you want, then if you are feeling up to it you can go back in chapter select and replay those chapters for the sidequests and story changes that completing them brings. Your choices matter in a couple of main story scenarios, but mainly only change cutscenes; albeit gloriously at some moments. The game is sprinkled with some of the old minigames, and some new ones to boot, but none will keep you seated there once you have obtained your desired result/trophy.

    Story: This is the controversial topic among ALL players who have played through the game. That said, I'm giving this an 8/10. I'd even go so far as to give it a 9/10 up to a point. Bear with me. The added backstories are a nice touch, generally fleshing out all of the main characters in delightful and even thoughtful ways. Who knew Biggs and Wedge were orphans? That Biggs even lived in and apparently even helped out with an Orphanage in the sector 5 Slums? That Wedge is such a Cat fanatic? That Jessie could POSSIBLY be even more thirsty? The story moments will bring a tear to the eye of any loyal OG Fan, the voice acting for the main cast is superb (Barret, you did it right), and the banter is goofy and amazing (you can see obvious relationship transitions in the banter throughout the game between the entire cast). The game has these insane highs, and when going through the main story moments there was hardly a time I was not grinning ear to ear over goofy content or nostalgia, or being absolutely wrecked emotionally. You get brought along on this rollercoaster of nostalgia and emotion, carried on the tracks (linearity) by the cast, and you're loving every damn second of it (minus the padding for some). They are doing absolutely everything right; Sector 7/Wall Market/Shinra HQ and all of the involved characters (and new ones) are expanded and more glorious than you remember... Then it happens. The ending. The rollercoaster reaches it's peak and falls from the greatest height, you are hyped. You are ready. And then you just ride on a flat and straight road. What is this? Not what you expected? It wasn't what I expected either. At first, I even hated it. 5/10 random thrown in material, even. Ruins the story, right? What changed my mind? Thought. Square didn't change anything about the overall main story so far, they bring you through this amazing game to this, what could ultimately RUIN the game and the next installments for everyone. There aren't enough characters available for me to give my overall view, but I will say this: IRONICALLY, I trust that SE did not bring us through a 9 or 10/10 story to completely ruin it by the end. I believe there is a plan. If you pay attention throughout the extra story bits, there are hints at greater possibility. Can certain characters survive where they are meant to die? Is everything uncertain? I don't think so. I believe the games will play out the same as the OG for the most part. Only time will tell, but keep your mind open to the ending and what it portrays for the future, and you may be as hyped as me.
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  2. May 16, 2020
    5
    There was no reason to change the story for the worst. I didn't buy into the "meta commentary"- it was badly done and disrespectful to fans. The Dementors belong in the Harry Potter universe. BEWARE this is not a remake but rather a spin-off. I almost stopped playing the game before the end. Best moments: when the actual moments of the original were recreated...
  3. Jun 22, 2020
    0
    FF7 remake is neither a faithful remake, or a good standalone game. Judging it on its own It feels incomplete, and is poorly executed. Gameplay is repetitive, Combat is button mashy and unsatisfying, level design is the worst of the generation, the story telling is fan-fic quality, the voice acting is atrocious, and the graphics range from very impressive to the worst last gen had toFF7 remake is neither a faithful remake, or a good standalone game. Judging it on its own It feels incomplete, and is poorly executed. Gameplay is repetitive, Combat is button mashy and unsatisfying, level design is the worst of the generation, the story telling is fan-fic quality, the voice acting is atrocious, and the graphics range from very impressive to the worst last gen had to offer.

    It commits the unforgivable sin of being a hunt the button prompt game, or worse, a find the cutscene quest. constant interruptions. The game is so much more preoccupied with telling its bad story, that it will take control away from you. Even early on i was fighting a scripted camera that wouldnt let me look left or right entering the shanty town the first time. There are times when there are 2 directions to go, but if you dare not go the way they intended, Your character will ignore you and start walking back with a warning on screen.

    Judging the game as a remake it completely fails. For starters its NOT a remake, and its incomplete. All the previous complaints are still true but then you add on that it ruins a classic. This isnt nostalgia goggles, I played the original AFTER this. Though incredibly outdated, still has much better storytellying. For example Sephitroth in the original game is the most well introduced and teased villain in almost any game. Here he appears without context an hour into the game, and just keeps showing up after.

    I could go on and on. The smaller things I dont even have time to mention in this review would be bad enough to ruin the game, but Ill just end by saying this affront to a classic was UNPLAYABLE to me. Ive played many games I havent enjoyed, but this is the first game Ive ever played that direspected gaming history as a whole.
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  4. Mar 9, 2021
    10
    After this remake, I immediatly want to play part 2. So blessed to live in this age.
  5. Jul 7, 2020
    2
    It doesn't take long for this game to show it's true colors. Chapter 2 is the genesis from which all story related problems arise, with nods to Advent Children, the constant pushing of Sephiroth, and the introduction of the Whispers. Even in regards to game play, you are consistently greeted with a "Warning" signal if you dare to stray from the extremely narrow path laid out before you.It doesn't take long for this game to show it's true colors. Chapter 2 is the genesis from which all story related problems arise, with nods to Advent Children, the constant pushing of Sephiroth, and the introduction of the Whispers. Even in regards to game play, you are consistently greeted with a "Warning" signal if you dare to stray from the extremely narrow path laid out before you.

    The short length of the story might be forgivable, if the post content was plentiful enough. However, we are only given a hard mode with a few extra arena battles thrown in. Even Final Fantasy 13 provided various quests and an open field to play around in when the story was reaching it's last stretch. Some "fans" seem to miss the point that cutting out a second trip through the sewers and the over bloated length of a subway could have allowed for a trip to Kalm or the Chocobo Farm. Who doesn't want those things? Easy answer: People who don't care about FF7.

    This is something we've all been trained to accept: spindly little area maps, repetitive sphere grids, and stagger mechanics that have been done to death. After all of that, we need to go back to FF8 and FF9 to even come close to what would be considered a 3D Final Fantasy game. We need to wake up and get out of this. The customers who have been pouring countless dollars into Square Enix products (in hopes that the company will deliver) deserve better than this. You deserve better.
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  6. Apr 18, 2020
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I am going to start out with Game-play, it's amazing I loved every second of it, very fluid and engaging imo it's an 8/10. Moving on to Sound I believe it's a little underwhelming during slow points but ramps up and is great during big battles and scenes so 7/10. Visuals I can only say breath taking it's so great to see the characters and world that I love so much looking as beautiful as it does 9/10 and I have heard of others talking about texture issues but I only saw it maybe once or twice so it didn't affect me. Now for the part that ruined it for me the Story, well what can I say they did such an amazing job for like 95% of the game step for step it was amazing but as soon as I hit the end of the highway and the game became Kingdom Hearts and I was fighting the Darkness it all fell apart, with them making this a new story it's not what I nor a lot of fans were looking for, the Final Fantasy 7 story was already confusing and full and they could have fleshed that out and made it perfect like they were doing for most of the game but for them to add alternate time-lines and whatever else they plan it just ruins it for me so I hate to do this but the story gets a 3/10. This is just so disappointing and I wish they hadn't gone down this path. This is my review for the first installment of the "re-imagined" FF7 series. If for some reason this ending doesn't do what it's portraying it's going to do in the second installment (rewriting the whole story line) and this is just what the original story was supposed to be like but with limitations of the time couldn't be I will change my rating after I play the next game, but for now it looks like they done f***ed it up imo. Expand
  7. Apr 12, 2020
    4
    Los gráficos son una risa con patas, las texturas son de play 3, lineal a no más poder y lo más importante el final... Cambiarle el nombre a este juego porque no es un remake.
  8. Apr 15, 2020
    1
    Most of the game was an enjoyable retelling of the PlayStation one classic - save for the heavy handedness of the Shinra, ahem, I mean Square-enix's newly formed 'ethics department'. Their work is evident in removing any and (possibly) all deaths from the game as well as reframing and changing some of the actions and motivations of the self described eco-terrorists avalanche. Nope, noMost of the game was an enjoyable retelling of the PlayStation one classic - save for the heavy handedness of the Shinra, ahem, I mean Square-enix's newly formed 'ethics department'. Their work is evident in removing any and (possibly) all deaths from the game as well as reframing and changing some of the actions and motivations of the self described eco-terrorists avalanche. Nope, no deaths here, we are all just super nice terrorists. Jenovas blood from the lavatory scene is changed from red to a nice sparkly purple as if they are terrified to show red like a like a prime time TV sanitory pad commercial and Aerith was no longer kept captive and experimented as a child - she was just staying there and "it was not too bad and she was treated well"... how nice. It kind of makes her mother's actions, as she dies trying to get Aerith to safety, a little less meaningful, cos, you know, it wasn't so bad living there apparently...
    Square enix seem to have Disney-fied themselves. The ending presents a **** show starring a Kingdom hearts like convoluted plot exploding all over the last hour of the game as our protagonists fight the physical embodiment of fate. Yes, fate incarnate - in some kind of parallel universe, dimensional plane, where time and space is frozen. Snore. After defeating the giant heartless, I mean the physical embodiment of Fate, golden rain sparkles across time bringing anyone who died back to life and ruining decade old storielines that people love and and were hyped about seeing in a remake.

    It was so close to being exactly what people wanted but, like eating a tasty sandwhich with a **** surprise on the last bite, you can't help but feel that somehow the overall meal is ruined.
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  9. Apr 15, 2020
    4
    I feel like I was bait-and-switched. Aside from the ridiculous ending and the last few chapters, this seemed like it was a faithful retelling of the game I loved. The characters and dialogue and set design was so, so great. And then they threw it all away with an absolute mess of an ending. I feel so sad.
  10. Apr 16, 2020
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is not a remake. It is a re-imagining/sequel to the original ff7. It is not meant to be played instead of the original JRPG. The audience is expected to have a familiarity with at least the original game and Crisis Core. The "remake" follows the original game somewhat, often stretching out plot points as much as possible to make the game seem longer. Tasks that took 10-20 minutes in the original game now take over an hour, because Cloud needs to walk as slowly as possible down narrow hallways and play cutie pie waifu simulator at regular intervals.

    Cloud also spends a lot of time doing thrilling side quests such as finding cats and killing rats in a junkyard.

    Additionally, there are new and exciting fanfiction characters who add nothing to the plot except filler. That is what this game basically is: a double decker filler sandwich with a little bit of plot holding it together.

    Why did I rate it a 4, you may ask? The combat is pretty fun. The graphics and music are good. And sometimes the game surprised me by being faithful enough to the source material that I felt like I was actually just playing the original with upgraded graphics. Then, the spooky time ghosts would show up, and I would realize that nope, I was still playing an expensive Kingdom Hearts fanfiction.

    You know how a lot of people play the original game every few years? They're going to keep doing that. You know what they're going to do with the remake once the initial hype of seeing their favorite characters in HD wears off? Toss the game in the back of the closet until they are looking for stuff to throw in the Goodwill donation box.
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  11. Apr 21, 2020
    2
    Some of it looks nice but the new combat system is a failure to update a working game mechanic.
    99% of fights are too easy to an embarrassing degree, with the last 1% being overpowered misery factories.
    Some goals they present you with are difficult because there are SO few opportunities to battle.
    The story is a bloated boring mess and only a small portion of the original story.
  12. Apr 22, 2020
    3
    The Good
    -The combat isn’t half bad. The tactical menu is pretty cool and lets you plan + execute your strategy nicely.
    -There’s some nice banter and dialogue between the characters in some scenes which I thought was neat. -The music can be a bit too much at times but other than that it’s mostly good. The Bad -LOTS of padding which ruins the pacing throughout the game. -While the combat
    The Good
    -The combat isn’t half bad. The tactical menu is pretty cool and lets you plan + execute your strategy nicely.
    -There’s some nice banter and dialogue between the characters in some scenes which I thought was neat.
    -The music can be a bit too much at times but other than that it’s mostly good.

    The Bad
    -LOTS of padding which ruins the pacing throughout the game.
    -While the combat is alright, some parts bother me. For example, it’s easy to have your attack interrupted. I wish summons were a bit cooler as well. -Inconsistent graphics. Some textures look good, while others look absolutely terrible. The Ugly
    -Anything involving the ghosts, time traveling, or alternate universes. I have no idea why they thought introducing all of that crap into the game was a good idea. The last sections of the game go off the rails HARD and basically cements that this game really isn’t a remake but a sequel which is really messed up if you ask me. Overall the game has some good stuff, but it’s ultimately soured by all of the terrible stuff.
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  13. May 1, 2020
    0
    Everything is done to make a maximum of money using FF7's past notoriety. Too much talking, excessively caricatured characters, theatrical scenes, corridors and narrow corridors to artificially extend the life of the game to the point of nausea ! All is all is mixed, twisted. It's a huge smokescreen that can only impress shallow people. Even the story of a Call of Duty is better done.Everything is done to make a maximum of money using FF7's past notoriety. Too much talking, excessively caricatured characters, theatrical scenes, corridors and narrow corridors to artificially extend the life of the game to the point of nausea ! All is all is mixed, twisted. It's a huge smokescreen that can only impress shallow people. Even the story of a Call of Duty is better done.

    The truth is that SquareEnix can afford to do sh*t because Final Fantasy 7 was a masterpiece. Some of us deny that truth.

    I redid FF7 at least 6 times. Each time I enjoyed reading all the dialogues. In FF7R, I skipped the dialogues several times, just in the first run ! Among of those who gave a 10/10, how many will do this game again and watching all the cutscenes ?
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  14. Apr 15, 2020
    5
    It's less than 10% of the original FF7. Too much unnecessary content as fillers to make the game feel like a full game. There is enough story in the original game to make several parts already. I don't see why there is a need to add so much garbage fillers. Great way to make your fanbase pay again and again for the same game. At this rate, we will have a finished remake in 20 years.It's less than 10% of the original FF7. Too much unnecessary content as fillers to make the game feel like a full game. There is enough story in the original game to make several parts already. I don't see why there is a need to add so much garbage fillers. Great way to make your fanbase pay again and again for the same game. At this rate, we will have a finished remake in 20 years.

    Honestly, it is such a great game ruined by greed. It's a shame. I really want to give it a higher score but all we got is less than a small portion of the whole story in this so called REMAKE. Very misleading title.
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  15. Apr 16, 2020
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Guess we're exiting the timeline where FF7 was such an emotional masterpiece directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi and entering the one where Tetsuya Nomura got his job instead of being only the character designer. Because the original story was obviously not good enough if it had people still begging for a remake 20 years after it's original release. Good thing Nomura got us with his fate ghost and other kingdom hearts BS.

    Seriously, how can you manage to nail every uncertain aspects of a remake and F up the story?
    What was the point of creating a special comity to ensure the upcoming FF games would keep true to their roots if you can't prevent the guy from doing that?
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  16. Apr 16, 2020
    3
    To call this a Remake is almost false advertising. The final few hours of this game are a giant FU to every player of the original and amount to what can only be called a complete reboot of the game, with a heavy dose of the Nomura/Nojima narrative nonsense combination as the cherry on top.

    This game ends on such a poor note that I have no choice but to heavily mark it down. Up to the
    To call this a Remake is almost false advertising. The final few hours of this game are a giant FU to every player of the original and amount to what can only be called a complete reboot of the game, with a heavy dose of the Nomura/Nojima narrative nonsense combination as the cherry on top.

    This game ends on such a poor note that I have no choice but to heavily mark it down. Up to the final few hours the game wasn't perfect, and many of the additions or changes were questionable, but many additions were also quite enjoyable and it did not diverge majorly from the original (with some notable exceptions).
    Where the sequels to this game go from here is anyone's guess, but it certainly won't be Final Fantasy 7 anymore.
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  17. Apr 19, 2020
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game was in development way too long to suck this bad. The music was decent, but the graphics suffered from texture pops. The game is filled with bland and filler side quests, and the ending story makes this not a scam. It's called a Remake so I was expecting changes, but what they remade this into sucks. Expand
  18. Apr 20, 2020
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I feel like rose-tinted-glasses are the only reason this remake was a success.
    As you play through the beginning from the first reactor to the slums and Seventh Heaven this game seems great, it seems like it stuck with the original game and it keeps the same tone, atmosphere, and story. As an individual that grew up playing the original FFVII, I was in love, it was beautiful to see these scenes recreated, and the beginning filler quests were things like pest controls or finding cats, some obvious filler, but hey, it's the beginning of the game and Cloud's trying to get his name out as a merc, so it was passable and made sense he was stuck doing small-fry work.
    It only went downhill from there, the filler became more tedious, and my god is there filler, it's a chore by the halfway point, the only thing that drives you onward is the fact that the scenes that stayed true to the original are amazingly done, the music, voice acting, emotion and love put into it is felt through. Yet an even amount of iconic scenes are ruined by the addition of the Dementors, which not only ruin old beloved scenes, but also their meta-narrative will rip you out of the story once you figure out their purpose.
    The characters are amazingly well done, they sound exactly like I always imagined, their personalities fit the original game so well, doing away with the one-dimensional husks the compilation made them. Definitely the best part of the remake.
    The use of Sephiroth is atrocious and just ruins his character and the mystery behind him, killing what tension the original had.
    The last step that made me simply want the game to end so I could stop being disappointed was the Shin-Ra HQ, there was so much linear pointless corridor filler I thought I was back in FFXIII. At one point I forgot I was in the HQ because I was desperately trudging through trying to make it end. This is the same place where you meet Red XIII, a main character than is no longer playable, and the excuse given was his character wouldn't be developed enough to justify him being playable(?) even though he fights side by side with you for pretty much every fight, because screw you Red XIII fans, you should've been Cloud or Tifa fans instead.
    After that the iconic "trail of blood" scene is butchered because the developer is now afraid of blood so you follow purple goo in an otherwise spotless HQ, which is the least intimidating thing I've ever experienced. Then you get a pretty awesome Rufus fight, which was the only good thing about the HQ besides taking the stairs.
    Then the ending simply becomes Kingdom Hearts and completely changes the story so it's officially no longer the original FF7, Cloud and co. transcend realities and fight Dementors and Sephiroth while Advent Children anime fight scenes happen, Cloud almost defeats Sephiroth right there, which further makes remake-Sephiroth a joke and no threat whatsoever.

    This is not a remake of the original FF7 like it was advertised, they said there would be story changes, but given the name "remake" I feel like many (including myself) assumed it would just be changes of things like the addition of Roche, or characters like Leslie Kyle and Kyrie getting some side-arcs, things that weren't in the original but could still reasonably exist alongside the original story we expected, added content that has some level of quality that wasn't in the original, to give more life and playtime to Midgar.
    Not that this would actually be a literal spinoff that isn't even close to the original FF7 and should be considered an entry in the compilation. We asked for a remake or remaster for years, and they said that's what we were getting, so it's not unreasonable to think people would expect a FF7 remake, not a spin-off under the guise of a remake. While technically the name makes sense, being a remake of the original storyline, and how they're "remaking" destiny. SE could have said they were completely changing the entire plot, but they chose not to, they chose to mislead customers. It's deceitful and my final strands of respect for the company left with this remake, Makes me miss the days of Squaresoft.
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  19. Apr 24, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 10/10 for chapters 1-17, they stayed at the original and expanded the universe beautifully and 6/10 for chapter 18 because that out-of-this-world ending was just poorly written and does not fit the game. :) Expand
  20. Apr 24, 2020
    10
    I really love this game. Me and my brother grew up on 7 and we played the whole thing together. Now we did it again and we've both had a great time, whether its laughing at some square enix corniness, or genuinely enjoying the story beats, i really think this game is going to cover crisis core and advent when its done, and hopefully retcon some of the stupid out of those. I think its aI really love this game. Me and my brother grew up on 7 and we played the whole thing together. Now we did it again and we've both had a great time, whether its laughing at some square enix corniness, or genuinely enjoying the story beats, i really think this game is going to cover crisis core and advent when its done, and hopefully retcon some of the stupid out of those. I think its a miracle this game came out as good as it did, i dont think people realize what the true length of this episodic game is going to be, and throughout it all, we get to play the same characters. me and my brother get to be excited for a new 40 hours release of our favorite game, every couple years (probably but thats ok). they did a wonderful job, i saw one of the negative reviews mentioning the dating options but i love tha aspect so much! you get to learn so much more about everyone. i have to give it 10, i never had a dull moment, only real bad thing was there is one particularly bad loading time during a section and some npc characters look a bit dated. didnt effect my experience whatsoever so 10/10, loved it, big fan, cant wait for episode 2, hell, cant wait to just play through this again. Expand
  21. Apr 13, 2020
    7
    I gave it a 7.8, it would've been a 9 if they didn't messed up the story. This is more like a FF7: Reimagined by Nomura.

    The good: great visual upgrade from the original, fun combat, and most of the cast are nicely remake. The not so good: episodic, some details but significant moments are altered and felt streamlined, such as when Aeris met Cloud the first time or you can choose to
    I gave it a 7.8, it would've been a 9 if they didn't messed up the story. This is more like a FF7: Reimagined by Nomura.

    The good: great visual upgrade from the original, fun combat, and most of the cast are nicely remake.

    The not so good: episodic, some details but significant moments are altered and felt streamlined, such as when Aeris met Cloud the first time or you can choose to give the flower to Marlene, filler quests are mostly unimaginative and boring, new characters aren't necessary.

    The ugly: altering smaller moments are forgivable, but main plot line altered just to show your own take and calling it a remake? it is a sin. Unnecessary alteration.

    I do look forward for the next episode, if its ever happen in this lifetime, and I won't bother with wishing for more closer plot line to the original since it's already a different story.
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  22. Apr 14, 2020
    10
    At this hard and dark moment.
    This game gave me my life´s faith back.
    Brought me back to life.
    Thanks.
  23. Apr 12, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Let's get the important stuff out of the way.

    1. This is NOT a "perfect 10" game. Not close.
    2. This is NOT a "Remake". it's a reimagining. Things have been changed around to suit the episodic narrative and there's been a heavy expansion of various things (that frankly didn't need it).
    3. The parts that ARE from the original, are true to it. Segments and fights and bosses and even scripted lines are almost perfectly taken from the original, which is good.
    4. Jessie and Hojo are the standout stars of the game in terms of memorable characters, with Biggs and Tifa a close second and Red XIII a close third.

    Here's the thing. I'm not going to fault the game for trying something new. My issue isn't that. It's the way it was done.

    The game feels patchwork. The first few hours are almost cut-and-paste from the original, then it veers sharply left into a completely different thing, then veers back. Segments that were previously flashbacks for Cloud are present, but in some cases you're playing them out rather than them being just flashbacks. The final 2-3 hours in particular make absolutely no sense.

    Then it hits you.

    They wrote this game to try and bridge Crisis Core to the main game.

    If you don't remember Crisis Core, don't feel bad. It was a PSP game, a LONG time ago, and not a very good one.

    It wasn't that I hated this. I didn't. I actually had fun on a few bosses and the voice acting is superb. But this felt like they started down the path of a true remake and then at some point someone got involved who wanted more explosions and random changes that made no sense as implemented.

    Finally, Midgar is full of fluff and padding. A bunch of quests and walking eat up the bulk of the gameplay, and you'd be hard pressed to get 20 hours out of it if you only focused on the main segments.

    I'll close by stressing once again: Jessie is easily the best character. Period. You will remember her long after you've played. She was written that well and her voice actor did so good. Meanwhile, Aerith came off annoying and childish the majority of the game - likely to make you feel the annoyance that Cloud felt when escorting her, but over the top.

    Is it worth playing? Absolutely. But you should keep your expectations in check.
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  24. Apr 10, 2020
    10
    Twenty three years ago I f*cking loved this game. FF7R was easily my most anticipated game of 2020. It took some time but Square Enix really knocked it out of the park with this reimagining. I loved every moment of it. I can't wait to see Yuffie, Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind in part II. Phenomenal game. 10/10
  25. Apr 26, 2020
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I wouldn't recommend this game to a fan or non fan. There isn't that much content in the game, it's just spread across points of waiting for no reason. Waiting to push buttons and side quests that are obviously an afterthought for filler. There is nothing remake about this. It's a reimagining of the story that completely breaks the story and the franchises existing cannon past and present. The killing destiny loophole at the end doesn't really save anything.

    There isn't anything really rewarding in the game as it's all basically handed to you. Vending machines always have deals on items for battles and money is excessively plentiful. The game is painfully linear, even worse than midgar was in the original game. The combat is painfully simple and unengaging coupled with micromanaging that is more tedious than helpful to the situation.

    The voice acting is terrible most characters sound mentally damaged and awkward. Barrett is God awful. The only thing redeeming to this is the name. If this was any other franchise or any other FF remake it would be laughed out of town.
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  26. Apr 13, 2020
    5
    Nice graphics. Action oriented gameplay is great. But this is horribly unfinished. Narrative has been expanded with a bunch of trash to make a 20 hour play through into a 60 hour one. Lots of issues with random low res textures and low res models. The game is unreasonably hard on normal difficulty. Designed to force you to make your way through the game at a slow pace. Lots of boring sideNice graphics. Action oriented gameplay is great. But this is horribly unfinished. Narrative has been expanded with a bunch of trash to make a 20 hour play through into a 60 hour one. Lots of issues with random low res textures and low res models. The game is unreasonably hard on normal difficulty. Designed to force you to make your way through the game at a slow pace. Lots of boring side quests that slow the game down further. Good luck trying to skip them on normal difficulty though. Midgar should have been streamlined into a 15-20h tops. Expand
  27. Apr 12, 2020
    5
    The voice acting is AWFUL. I swear to god, that and the horrifying teeth knocked this down 2 points as is. There's a lot of padding, and while padding isn't always bad, in this case they only had a section that is about 3-5 hours long and they made it 30 hours. That's a lot of damn padding.

    FFVII was my favorite game ever, and the remake is just 'meh.' It's pretty. It's flashy, but
    The voice acting is AWFUL. I swear to god, that and the horrifying teeth knocked this down 2 points as is. There's a lot of padding, and while padding isn't always bad, in this case they only had a section that is about 3-5 hours long and they made it 30 hours. That's a lot of damn padding.

    FFVII was my favorite game ever, and the remake is just 'meh.'

    It's pretty. It's flashy, but whatever. Could do with it, could do without it.

    You have any idea how painful that is to say, that something that you've been looking forward to for 15+ years is just 'fine'? There are certain things that are great, but other things that are just plain disappointing.
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  28. Apr 21, 2020
    2
    Pros:
    combat is pretty good even though I am not a fan of kingdom hearts like combat.
    Voice acting and graphics are 10/10 Music is okay 6/10 experience new character growth moments for members of avalanche as well as Cloud Cons: Plot is not the same as original and it is worse for it Music is not as good as the original, although new songs are okay the remixes of old music felt
    Pros:
    combat is pretty good even though I am not a fan of kingdom hearts like combat.
    Voice acting and graphics are 10/10
    Music is okay 6/10
    experience new character growth moments for members of avalanche as well as Cloud

    Cons:
    Plot is not the same as original and it is worse for it
    Music is not as good as the original, although new songs are okay the remixes of old music felt tacked on and didnt always fit
    Pacing was very slow, some areas felt like they were intentionally dragged out. This happens less frequently the further into the game you get, but even just before the end of the game there is a section that just felt tacked on

    Will get into SPOILERS here:
    They added a new plot element about the main characters and sephiroth fighting against fate, at the end of the game you literally kill the arbiters of fate who have been doing weird **** all game and distracted from the main story considerably.

    This new plot element subverts the themes of the original for seemingly no gain, I was really happy for the majority of the game's new content but none of the scenes with these fate monsters really made sense as a player and when it was finally explained it felt cheap. After beating the game the existence of this plot line has basically destroyed my hopes for the next titles to actually tell the real story.

    Should have called it FF7 Reimagined
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  29. Apr 16, 2020
    0
    First of all, I'm a big fan of the original Final Fantasy VII game. I don't have time to play games nowadays so I really wanted to buy this remake for my son, but after reading the reviews from this website, I will definitely not.

    It's pretty clear that this remake is a scam, not full game (Midgar part only?), action game (No thanks), and worst part, story drastically changed. So
    First of all, I'm a big fan of the original Final Fantasy VII game. I don't have time to play games nowadays so I really wanted to buy this remake for my son, but after reading the reviews from this website, I will definitely not.

    It's pretty clear that this remake is a scam, not full game (Midgar part only?), action game (No thanks), and worst part, story drastically changed.

    So basically, Squaresoft is selling a new Final Fantasy VII action game with a new story that covers only Midgar part as a "Remake"? (Fraudscam at its best.)
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  30. Apr 16, 2020
    3
    I enjoyed 90% percent of this game, until the ending happened and the writers decided they weren't making a remake anymore. Why did a remake people have been waiting for, for decades have to be ruined because of the writers massive ego.

    I wanted the original story of FF7 remade, not an alternate take or reimagining.
    **** you Nomura.
  31. Apr 25, 2020
    1
    I will give this a 1/10 for being 1% of the full game which is Loosely the game how it was. I also give this game the new title being of Part 1 , so it wont be as misleading. And I will also give this a 10/10 for being a Final fantasy game that is awesome if you never played the original. Now the true criticism is about to happen. The original game was like reading a book being read. TheI will give this a 1/10 for being 1% of the full game which is Loosely the game how it was. I also give this game the new title being of Part 1 , so it wont be as misleading. And I will also give this a 10/10 for being a Final fantasy game that is awesome if you never played the original. Now the true criticism is about to happen. The original game was like reading a book being read. The Remake is like a movie based of the MIdgar portion but very poorly written. This is Square Enix saying F%&^* you to the true fans. If you are a true fan, Please lets do a petition and Have Square Enix redo this game. Because this is definitely a big disappointment to everyone that is a true fan and not a fan boy. Thank you for your time. Expand
  32. Apr 10, 2020
    10
    From solid gameplay mechanics to awe inspiring visuals, this game is a dream come true for all the veteran Final Fantasy 7 players around the world. Every thing is so polished and fleshed out, the world is lively and vibrant, the characters have so much personality to them. English VAs did a spectacular job except for Tifa's VA. The combat is so unique and satisfying. Though there were aFrom solid gameplay mechanics to awe inspiring visuals, this game is a dream come true for all the veteran Final Fantasy 7 players around the world. Every thing is so polished and fleshed out, the world is lively and vibrant, the characters have so much personality to them. English VAs did a spectacular job except for Tifa's VA. The combat is so unique and satisfying. Though there were a few texture pop-in issues that I ran into they were nothing compared to how many things this remake gets right. Now i know butthurt purists are pretty salty about few changes that were made to the narrative but they always are. Please if you have a even an ounce of brain cells dont consider there 0s and 1s seriously. This game is definitely above 8. Some people are also salty about game being episodic, no it's a full length game with plenty of content and story that spans over 35 hours. With the amount of details and polish they've put into this game I am glad that they decided to split the story. Worth the 60 bucks. Have fun and enjoy :) Expand
  33. Apr 10, 2020
    6
    Visuals are mostly solid, there are some PS2 era moments here and there though. I played on PS4Pro and the game fails to load higher res assets constantly. Audio is very good and while pulls the nostalgia strings in a right way it got some solid moments by it's own. Turn based part is made well, however action is a miss. Some enemy attacks tracking is ridiculous, while some of yours isVisuals are mostly solid, there are some PS2 era moments here and there though. I played on PS4Pro and the game fails to load higher res assets constantly. Audio is very good and while pulls the nostalgia strings in a right way it got some solid moments by it's own. Turn based part is made well, however action is a miss. Some enemy attacks tracking is ridiculous, while some of yours is really bad. Story is diluted in a way I did not care for the characters I loved in the original. It's supposed to focus on Midgar only to give it more depth yet some moments from original are cut. It's like a cover of a song which is not as good. Overall it's a decent game, worth playing. I would prefer it to be rapid-fire like the original though. The tone shift is significant here.
    Add two points to my score if you're high or drunk while playing.
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  34. Apr 10, 2020
    10
    This is easily my favorite FF combat system! I love the Gameplay, Music, Voice acting, Characters! I've seen some people complain about the ending but I'm okay with the ending it's kind of mysterious. I'm loving the fact that we don't really know what they're trying to do with the next part. It's something new and fresh to look forward to. We can still enjoy the OG for what it is but nowThis is easily my favorite FF combat system! I love the Gameplay, Music, Voice acting, Characters! I've seen some people complain about the ending but I'm okay with the ending it's kind of mysterious. I'm loving the fact that we don't really know what they're trying to do with the next part. It's something new and fresh to look forward to. We can still enjoy the OG for what it is but now we have this Remake which is so mysterious. It makes us want to know what's going to happen instead of we already knowing what's going to happen and we just want the next part. Expand
  35. Apr 10, 2020
    10
    this remake goes above and beyond the original in every possible way while still retaining the original feel and tone. gameplay mechanics, graphics and story are all perfect. some people are upset it is only midgar but IT IS MUCH LONGER. its WORTH EVERY PENNY
  36. Apr 11, 2020
    10
    So here’s the thing. If you’re coming into this game as fan of the series already, but are expecting it to be exactly like the original, throw those expectations out the window. The story of Midgar is vastly improved upon with new twists and turns to love. The purists who complain that this is not a true Final Fantasy Remake don’t know the definition of the word “Remake”.

    Anyone looking
    So here’s the thing. If you’re coming into this game as fan of the series already, but are expecting it to be exactly like the original, throw those expectations out the window. The story of Midgar is vastly improved upon with new twists and turns to love. The purists who complain that this is not a true Final Fantasy Remake don’t know the definition of the word “Remake”.

    Anyone looking for an open world FFVII should drop those expectations now as this game is chapter based. However, I that does not diminish what Square was trying to accomplish. And they accomplished a game with great characters, visual, story, and an unforgiving yet incredibly fun combat system. I’m not going to make this long as I’m excited to get back into the game myself, but despite a few low res texture pop ins, the game is immaculate. The story and characters are engaging and incredibly likable, and my biggest worry, the English voice cast, actually make these characters so great. I am beyond satisfied with the performance of all of them. Don’t skip this game just because you’re worried that is not a 100% true remake. Give it a play because it’s not. Play it because the original developers decided that they wanted to dive back into this world WE love so much and show us what they really had envisioned for Midgar, Cloud, and the rest of Avalanche. I’m giving this game a 10 because the emotions I have felt during this game far surpass what I ever felt during the Midgar section of the original FFVII. I never thought Midgar could stir this in me, and while part of it maybe nostalgia, the new coat of paint doesn’t hurt.
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  37. Apr 12, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'll try to be as short as possible on this one.
    I first played this game on my dad's PS1 when I was like 6 or so. Didn't really understand anything at all, since I'm not a native English speaker. I never really thought much of it. That changed when I replayed it when i was 17 or so. I suddenly realized what it was about, went through the hardships with the characters and was sunk into the story and the universe of FF7.

    Just to clarify, I played through the entire FF7R with all side quests in about 38 hours, experienced all the content there probably is.

    So let's break down the review into a few categories.

    Visuals: My god, the game is absolutely stunning. Though there are some texture loading issues and the background of the slums while on the underplate of plate 5 is just a pixelated 2d texture, I enjoyed looking at the game every time. Random NPCs look like **** but that doesn't matter since the main cast is just breathtaking. Aerith especially looks incredibly beautiful... 9/10

    Audio: Phenomenal voice acting, great sound effects, INSANE soundtrack... would give 11/10 if I could.

    Combat: With the history that Square has of not being able to do a good combat system, I went in prepared for a rough ride. That wasn't the case at all. The core of the combat is great! Every character is unique and feels fun to play, maybe except Barret, but that's a nitpick. I loved playing as Tifa the most, her comb-ish playstyle fits great with what I like. There are many tactical elements too,. The difficulty again was extremely surprising. Most Square games are easy peasy, but this was very well balanced a thought out. Aerith is broken though... 9/10

    Progression: Materia system is great, works pretty much the same as in the original. The weapon Materia core upgrades are interesting, well though out, but not that interesting as you progress further. They contain only raw stats, with the exception of that healing passive on kill. The proficiency system with weapon skills is an amazing idea. I truly loved it. Leveling feels a little bit unimpactful and Materia stat changed are very very small... 8/10

    Basic Enemy design: Here is the Achilles heel of the combat system. Many enemies you fight are WAY too tanky, have frustrating mechanics like 1 minute long immunity, AoE hex, AoE paralyze, AoE sleep, etc. and your companions aren't exactly very good at dodging those. The thing I hated the most though was the fact that the enemies pretty much always target only the character you are actively controlling. That is lazy as **** and makes the game forcing you to play Barret in hard fights... 3/10

    Boss design: On the contrary, Boss fights are AWESOME in this game. Every boss feels unique, has cool mechanics, many stages, environment play a great role in many of the fights and the are so MANY of them. Rufus was in my opinion the best fight. Very entertaining. Many bosses have INSANE health bars though, and whacking them for too long makes it tedious and not very fun... 9/10

    Level design and exploration: Another thing Square REALLY struggles at, but this time they weren't able to turn it around. Most of the game are one-way corridors with an occasional chest or secret Materia. Exploration is at it's best while simply looking at the distance and observing the beautiful scenery of Midgar... 5/10

    Story: ... So... if this was an original game, I would say it was good. Like 7/10. But this is FF7 "remake". Not really a remake mind you. The first half of the game follows the original pretty well. Doesn't do a lot of new things, only expands on an already existing lore. But after chapter 12, everything starts to break down. If I could, I would personally strangle the person who thought "arbiters of fate" were a good idea (this is very probably Nomura's lazy ass wanting to somehow justify completely changing the story). These things singlehandedly make the game's story unimpactful. You feel like everything happens because that's what the Planet wants, and that's a load of bull****. The pacing is all over the place. Sephiroth appears way too frequently. There is no sense of urgency. the moment Barret got stabbed and he just stood up because the Planet didn't want him do die... WHY THE **** EVEN PUT THAT IN?! jesus... At this stage of the game, the party aren't supposed to be world boss battling OPs, they're relatively new to this. WTF even was that final boss? Why the **** did we battle the fate itself?... 3/10
    Oh don't worry I know why. Because NOMURA has complexes from being just a concept artist back at OG FF7, so nobody cared about his input and now he wants to change the entire game how he sees fit. This dude should have never been promoted. If Kitase would have 100% control over this game, I bet it would be different.

    Minigames: Awesome. Drakengard 3 combined with Miku dance... I never knew I wanted that, but I loved it... 10/10
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  38. Apr 30, 2020
    10
    This game was amazing! It’s obvious who the true FF7 original fans are from the comments and reviews. I’m honestly sad for those who didn’t enjoy it. If you don’t love the game, the original FF7 didn’t mean that much to you. This game is a love letter to the original. The way they put new spins on the original. Who wants to just play a remastered version? I’d rather have in-depth characterThis game was amazing! It’s obvious who the true FF7 original fans are from the comments and reviews. I’m honestly sad for those who didn’t enjoy it. If you don’t love the game, the original FF7 didn’t mean that much to you. This game is a love letter to the original. The way they put new spins on the original. Who wants to just play a remastered version? I’d rather have in-depth character backgrounds and not knowing where the story will lead. Also, I capped out at 70 hours. Most of these fools complaining never fought the final VR mission. The game was amazing!! Expand
  39. May 1, 2020
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. As a fan of the original I must say that I am truely amazed by what they have made out of this game. The action is great, love the visuals and fantastic to play with the familiar crew again. To be honest, I was worried most about the ending. Having seen people hate the game for it. Not 100% sure yet, but I do believe that it actually makes sense that they take a slightly different direction. Although I loved the mystery surrounding Sephiroth in the original, I still feel the journey ahead in the next games should offer the potential for a great story to unfold. Let’s hope they don’t disappoint. I have good hopes! Expand
  40. Apr 16, 2020
    9
    Amazing visuals, fantastic voice acting, and great performance. The combat is very fun and can be just as challenging as it is rewarding. There are amazing highs with this game, really letting lose and just a fun romp at times. Though there are sections that are about twice as long as they should be just going through the same kind of area sometimes to get around an obstacle thatAmazing visuals, fantastic voice acting, and great performance. The combat is very fun and can be just as challenging as it is rewarding. There are amazing highs with this game, really letting lose and just a fun romp at times. Though there are sections that are about twice as long as they should be just going through the same kind of area sometimes to get around an obstacle that realisticly they could climb or jump over. It's these drawn out areas that bring the game down from what I would like to give a solid 10. Expand
  41. May 2, 2020
    10
    I can't find anything wrong with this game. Battle system is the best i've played in an JRPG, hands down. Music is phenomenal and graphics are really good too. Don't listen to the haters -- so the game isn't an exact copy of the original -- it's still an amazing experience!
  42. Apr 12, 2020
    10
    Final Fantasy VII se postula como serio candidato a GOTY . No hagas case a las críticas por su final es una absoluta gilipollez.
  43. Apr 15, 2020
    10
    FF7 remake is a beautiful reimagining of the original game! It is unbelievable how they nail the world, the writing and the characters. While their are significant story changes towards the end it makes me even more excited to see what the future holds for this story. The original game is and always will be there for the our enjoyment but this offers and evolution of these belovedFF7 remake is a beautiful reimagining of the original game! It is unbelievable how they nail the world, the writing and the characters. While their are significant story changes towards the end it makes me even more excited to see what the future holds for this story. The original game is and always will be there for the our enjoyment but this offers and evolution of these beloved characters and world while hitting a nostalgic level that I could of never dreamt of! it was worth the wait and I can’t wait for the future! Expand
  44. Apr 14, 2020
    10
    I'm much older this time around, but clearly I remember the moments and feelings of the original. I have not made it far in this game yet, just kind of floating around in the nostalgia of it all. So far this game is perfect and its only going to pull me in more in wonder and amazement. You will be smiling a lot if you were around for the original. This is not the original game which makesI'm much older this time around, but clearly I remember the moments and feelings of the original. I have not made it far in this game yet, just kind of floating around in the nostalgia of it all. So far this game is perfect and its only going to pull me in more in wonder and amazement. You will be smiling a lot if you were around for the original. This is not the original game which makes it even better. The developers have recaptured the original feel but modernized and perfected the turn based system eloquently to compete with how we play games now. I'm glad games have not lost their way in modern times of FPS and online battles. Sometimes music, story and characters are far more critical so we can imagine again but obviously gameplay has to keep us engaged. In this remake all have been preserved. Perfect game including the imperfections. Expand
  45. Apr 11, 2020
    10
    Excellent graphics, absolutely breathtaking music...the world and characters are so much more fleshed out than they were in the original. It's even more than I hoped for.
  46. Apr 16, 2020
    10
    Pretty fun and I actually really like the new story elements
    music is excellent and the voice acting is perfect. Then the overall gameplay, the fan service, the atmosphere of the game and the nostalgia trip is just a jaw dropping experience for all fans of FFVII, only derailed by small "filler" material and the controversial ending.
  47. Apr 11, 2020
    10
    몇몇 단점이 보이지만 장점이 뚜렸해고 재밌고 추억을 충분히 만족하게 돌아왔고 현대적인 감성도 잘 묻어있음
  48. Apr 10, 2020
    10
    A true Master Class in video games 10/10 and imo GOTY

    Mark my words once this entire retelling of FF7 is done it will go down as one of the best games ever made. Congrats Square Enix you have done it again!
  49. Apr 15, 2020
    10
    El juego esta increible, las graficas espectaculares, la jugabilidad impecable, la historia a pesar de ser una parte de la historia completa esta bien desarrollada. Buen trabajo square enix valio la pena tantos años de espera!!!
  50. May 2, 2020
    10
    The best final fantasy of all, characters and history that holds the player. Scenarios very well done, I haven't finished the game yet but I came to recommend the purchase.
  51. Apr 11, 2020
    10
    Un juego fantástico, calidad gráfica excepcional. Banda sonora brillante. Muchos se han quejado de que ya no tiene el modo de pelea por turnos, pero yo lo prefiero así.
  52. Apr 28, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I love time manipulation in stories and I love the original FF7. I adore the direction they went with this. Gotta stick the landing though in the next one! Expand
  53. Apr 10, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After all this years,we need something changes from the ff7. There is no need to remake this game if everthing is same with the original. Expand
  54. Apr 10, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Definitely brings more backstory to Biggs, Wedge and Jesse. Many may not like the filler stories, but it makes it more intriguing, more of a bigger, vast story, and makes you feel like this is the extra content we have all wanted to have. I really love the character development, graphics, music, and really love the WOW factors implemented... makes me fall in love all over again in a whole new but familiar way. Some new additions to the story make it more of a bigger surprise and make you want to know more. SquareEnix is notes for adding little fillers to tug at your emotions, heart and mind that make you want more and more, and this remake does it very justly! Expand
  55. Apr 10, 2020
    10
    It makes Advent Children look like it was drawned by kids. Can't wait for part 2.
  56. Apr 11, 2020
    10
    Final Fantasy VII Remake is a fantastic game. It brings midgar to life, and it looks absolutely stunning. You can tell that a lot of heart went into developing this game. I found myself laughing a lot, and also crying. When a certain event happens it is more impactful, because of the amount of detail they put into characterization. You feel like part of the family.

    The combat is
    Final Fantasy VII Remake is a fantastic game. It brings midgar to life, and it looks absolutely stunning. You can tell that a lot of heart went into developing this game. I found myself laughing a lot, and also crying. When a certain event happens it is more impactful, because of the amount of detail they put into characterization. You feel like part of the family.

    The combat is amazing. You're always on your toes. It never let's up in feeling exhilarated. You might also experience panic, when your health is low and you have no ATB to heal. At first you might think you can just press square, and everyghing will be alright. If you did that you'll probably die a lot. You need to assess the enemy, find it's weakness, and exploit it.

    The lighting in the remake is perfect. It makes everything more atmospheric. The same amount of care as gone into the lighting as the story and characters.

    The music is another thing I love in this game. The music fits perfectly with every scene, every fight, and even when you're just walking around. You can also buy the original songs from certain item shops and play it on the jukebox.

    Though the side quests, or odd jobs as they are called in the game. They can be a bit tedious and boring at time. But they exploration, characterization, they even give you in site on what some main characters and supporting character from avalanche did before you met them.

    All in all, this game was worth the wait. It's a fantastic, sad, enjoyable adventure. I can't wait for the second part.
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  57. Apr 11, 2020
    10
    This game is beautifully composed visually and auditorily. The content is exciting and engaging, the battles strategic and epic. They have amped up one of the best stories with tons of new content that fills in plot holes in the original. Overall it was very very fun and exciting.
  58. Apr 11, 2020
    8
    By chapter 3 the game gets really good and opens up. I'm playing on a launch day PS4 on a 65" LG C9 and still looks beautiful at 1080p. Well Done! Can't wait to play it on the PS5 this holiday.
  59. Apr 11, 2020
    10
    I have never gotten into FF, but this game is a masterpiece. I couldn't get my hands off of it and no other game has captured my love for the world, characters, story, music, and combat as this has since the last of us.
  60. Apr 11, 2020
    10
    Fantastic graphic, fun gameplay and an interesting story. A masterpiece from a big fan!!
  61. Apr 14, 2020
    8
    Ab excellent game who's action focused gameplay is an improvement over the original. The only downside is the unoriginal filler side quest and the excessive number of side quests.
  62. Apr 15, 2020
    10
    I could never have envisioned they would so properly remake one of the greatest games of all time. This game is simply a masterpiece, period.
  63. Apr 16, 2020
    10
    For the past few years Square Enix has expressed this was an episodic release. Everyone who thought otherwise is wrong for hating. This game is everything I could have dreamed of and I cant wait for the next release. AMAZING GAME and VISUALS
  64. Apr 23, 2020
    10
    Near perfect game, with the characters carrying the story all the way through. I live for the music and conversations between characters. I think for better or worse when the whole game series is released it will be one of the most talk titles of the decade.
  65. Apr 25, 2020
    10
    I really enjoyed the game (and the story) The voice acting was really great and I also don't mind the changes
  66. May 3, 2020
    10
    Everything was amazing in this game, but thet cock up the ending if they didnt this game might have gotten a good score
  67. May 2, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Im sardar. Final Fantasy 7 remake is one of the first time in my favourite. Awesome video game like a movie cinematic. Expand
  68. May 3, 2020
    7
    The title is misleading, it is a sequel not a remake, and the ending is hot garbage but otherwise it is an OK game.
  69. Apr 11, 2020
    3
    Como juego no está mal, sin embargo peca de numerosos defectos típicos de las últimas producciones de SE (y en general de los videojuegos recientes que se consideran AAA). Todo se centra en mostrar unos decorados, entornos y batallas espectaculares a nivel gráfico (aunque esto ya no sorprende a nadie) pero luego las mecánicas de gameplay son anodinas. No esperaba nada en términos deComo juego no está mal, sin embargo peca de numerosos defectos típicos de las últimas producciones de SE (y en general de los videojuegos recientes que se consideran AAA). Todo se centra en mostrar unos decorados, entornos y batallas espectaculares a nivel gráfico (aunque esto ya no sorprende a nadie) pero luego las mecánicas de gameplay son anodinas. No esperaba nada en términos de exploración y movimiento por los escenarios puesto que es un remake, pero aún así es todo muy lineal y plano. El sistema de batalla ha sido cambiado siguiendo la estela de FFXV, abandonando innecesariamente los turnos para ofrecer más acción, no es necesariamente malo pero no hay necesidad de hacerlo, además es tedioso en el sentido de que los enemigos son sacos de boxeo con HP alto...
    La historia se la medio cargan y para colmo esto es el trozo de un juego. Todo el contenido "extra" es mero relleno innecesario y poco agradecido. Existe infinidad de rpg mejores que este saca cuartos (incluso algunos de la propia SE, como Octopath Traveler).

    Si al menos hubiese venido el juego completo le podría poner un 7-8; así no puede llevarse un aprobado.
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  70. Apr 11, 2020
    9
    Lange ersehnt und da ist es endlich ich find's Klasse und eine sehr gute Umsetzung... Grafisch natürlich wieder vom feinsten! Ab und zu ein paar Probleme beim Rendern und manchmal ein wenig öde so geradeaus Passagen zu folgen aber die Story und das Kampf System macht dagegen alles richtig. Deswegen 9 Punkte
  71. Jun 8, 2023
    5
    Gorgeous graphics but more importantly a legendary story, characters and plot. To top it off, the music is heavenly. Childhood dream to relive this in 2020!

    But it was tedious and boring. The only reason its good is the characters and music. The graphics also. But its like every other game now. Overextended and the story has been diluted as hell so they can sell you a game in 10 years
    Gorgeous graphics but more importantly a legendary story, characters and plot. To top it off, the music is heavenly. Childhood dream to relive this in 2020!

    But it was tedious and boring. The only reason its good is the characters and music. The graphics also. But its like every other game now. Overextended and the story has been diluted as hell so they can sell you a game in 10 years release time and milk it to the maximum. They sorta ruined it .

    A long time fan i been waiting 25+ years for this remake. Imagine, i could NOT finish it due to boredom and repetition. They ruined it to be honest.
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  72. Apr 29, 2020
    5
    This is helpless hard to have a full story in 1 games nowaday , Why remake FFVII ?? because of the sales (original). this remake just the same kind of FFXV ,most important about original FF7 is the battle system with view of the angle arrangement(feel good and excited). Now,strange line to go for character ,no open world ,limited you go anywhere ,part of story and story changed.This is helpless hard to have a full story in 1 games nowaday , Why remake FFVII ?? because of the sales (original). this remake just the same kind of FFXV ,most important about original FF7 is the battle system with view of the angle arrangement(feel good and excited). Now,strange line to go for character ,no open world ,limited you go anywhere ,part of story and story changed. Personal 5 even way better than this . you can see many second hand FF7 remake to sell on web , this is not worth to have and keep games.... I keep the original FF7 and soundtrack but not this one ....... 5 stars just for Tifa only nothing more .Tifa make me finish the whole games . if you want to play FF7 remake, wait second hand with half price of it. Expand
  73. Apr 24, 2020
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don't even know what to say. What a terrible game and ending. Just awful storytelling, and pacing. I am honestly in complete shock at how bad it was. Expand
  74. Apr 22, 2020
    3
    The success this game may be achieving is basically the result of a good marketing operation, nothing more.
    They built a massive hype about it over time through interviews, previews and **** so that fans would become more and more excited, but if you look at it as it is, this game is actually very poor.
    I can somehow understand people rating this so high, because I really wanted to
    The success this game may be achieving is basically the result of a good marketing operation, nothing more.
    They built a massive hype about it over time through interviews, previews and **** so that fans would become more and more excited, but if you look at it as it is, this game is actually very poor.

    I can somehow understand people rating this so high, because I really wanted to love this game as I loved the real FF7 playing it 23 years ago.
    Yet to truth is... this is not FF7. It just don't look, sound or feel like FF7 in anyway.

    I'm sure real fans of the original get what I'm saying. All the sense of mistery, of haunting, melancholy and beauty of life expressed by the original have been replaced with... well... flashy visuals. That's pretty much it. They basically sold the very soul of the game to buy an empty good looking body.

    The trick here is: all the good you may be experiencing playing this remake belongs to the nostalgia; thus belongs to the original.
    Visually they actually made a good job to reproduce every place as we remember it. But, when the nostalgia effect ends, nothing remains and you will begin to see the game for what it is: a PROLOGUE to the original story, diluted with some generic and meaningless content which simply does not belong to FF7.

    But, let's split it up a bit. The following are huge mistakes which alone would be enough to ruin the game at once; and we have all of them:

    1. THE EPISODIC CHOICE
    You don't split an RPG in episodes. Ever. You completely destroy the sense of continuity, you reset the tension built until the moment you interrupt an episode, you break the story, you fail to deliver a sense of greatness and massive world; and most of all you lose one of the core concepts of an rpg, that is character building.
    What's the point of even level, equip and customize characters if they go to oblivion at the end of the episode? The character state at the beginning of the next episode will be just reset to some standard point, thus they will not be MY characters. Can you tell how possibly bad is that in this archetype?

    2. SUBQUESTS AND PADDING CONTENT
    What do you get if you merge a lot of water with good wine? Better wine? I think not. More likely more wine, but with a horrible taste.
    That's basically what they did here. They interrupted the storytelling several times to make the player do some generic meaningless quest.
    Well, side quests don't belong here, they belong to open world games. For a reason.
    And reason is, you have a world to explore and what you want to do in this world is up to you.
    You just can ignore them, or some of them, and still have a massive world to explore.
    This is not the case. There's no reason to pause a thrilling story from being told, well... unless you don't have much of a story to tell, having cut it. (see point 1)

    3. MAJOR STORY CHANGES
    This one is pretty obvious. You don't want to change the story everyone remembers to something different. On top of that you put in it elements from the original showed as "future visions". Why would you that? Fans will get upset because they were asking to re-experience the story like they remembered; new players just won't understand it in the first place, not knowing the original story.
    Furthermore, you don't do this in a game you call remake. This is just not what people expect, at a point that feels scam-like, misleading and insulting.

    Again, this is not FF7. You cannot simply put a logo, characters and skins onto a generic empty game and hope it will become what you are trying to shape. Things just don't work this way, it's not something that a decent company in gaming industry would EVER do.

    Things are, this game is out since 2 weeks, so people is understandably still excited about it, but it will be easily forgotten in few months.
    The reason we are all talking so much about this remake is the glorious game the original still represents after 23 years.
    And 23 years VS few months gives a very accurate idea of the difference between the two.
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  75. Apr 13, 2020
    1
    This is Kingdom Hearts masked as a Final Fantasy game. There's so much padding and purposely slowed portions of the game, it really makes it feel like they watered down a 10 hour portion of the original game into 30 to 40 hours. Make no mistake, the combat feels nice and the graphics are just top notice, unless you're in a section that doesn't load well. Some of the design choices forThis is Kingdom Hearts masked as a Final Fantasy game. There's so much padding and purposely slowed portions of the game, it really makes it feel like they watered down a 10 hour portion of the original game into 30 to 40 hours. Make no mistake, the combat feels nice and the graphics are just top notice, unless you're in a section that doesn't load well. Some of the design choices for enemies are severely questionable and a lot of the content is superfluous.

    All in all, I really didn't like this game. That's my opinion. They've lowered the RPG bar on this one and made it an Action Adventure. A really shallow Action-Adventure 'RPG.' It reminds me a lot of Jedi Fallen order in that regard.

    I don't want to spoil it, but the ending made zero sense to me... that's AFTER playing it and then watching it live-streamed... and here I am, still confused.
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  76. Apr 16, 2020
    0
    So, this **** is what you called REMAKE? Seriously? I have waited for 5 years for a real remake of origin 7 and SE you just made another KH? Please stop Nomura, don't use the same way to make different titles, it's definitely not a FF game.
  77. Apr 15, 2020
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Worst Game with episode ruin this legend old one is better episodes pay to play no thanks this game finish outside Midgard + different story i didn't like Expand
  78. Apr 10, 2020
    10
    Outstanding! It’s the definition of a perfect remake! The game worths se long wait of 23 years. The original FF7 is my favorite game ever.
  79. Apr 21, 2020
    0
    Nul pas aimé du tout j’en suis à la moitié du jeu et le relancer et un calvaire jeu couloirs système de combat chiant et long le moindre mob est un sac à pv pour rajouter de la durée de vie pff plusieurs années d attentes pour ça pfff l original est à des années lumières de celui ci c’est bien dommage
  80. Apr 29, 2020
    0
    Perso (mon avis) je ne comprends pas comment on peut être fan du premier ff7 et carrément adorer la première partie de ce remake... elle est beaucoup trop longue ET tellement ennuyante, on peine à faire évoluer ses personnage car trop peu de combat (par contre pour marcher tu marches), je me suis jamais senti autant enfermé dans les couloirs d'un jeu, c'est presque angoissant je trouve,Perso (mon avis) je ne comprends pas comment on peut être fan du premier ff7 et carrément adorer la première partie de ce remake... elle est beaucoup trop longue ET tellement ennuyante, on peine à faire évoluer ses personnage car trop peu de combat (par contre pour marcher tu marches), je me suis jamais senti autant enfermé dans les couloirs d'un jeu, c'est presque angoissant je trouve, les quêtes annexes sont ridiculement inintéressantes (matière grise sur off ça passe suffit de suivre la flèche...), les combats sont bordéliques (voire vraiment inégaux pour certains) je suis dégouté de voir qu'ils ont pris autant liberté pour modifier le jeu... tout ce que j'apprécie de ce final c'est ( en dehors des graphismes ) tout ce qui n'a pas était modifier par rapport à la version original... (donc pas grand chose) Expand
  81. Apr 30, 2020
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If i was to give a one sentence review of this game it would be "A classic case of a epic story ruined by needless padding".

    I have played the original numerous times over the years including recently so i am not looking back with rose tinted glasses when i say the original was one of the most epic and moving games ever created with overall brilliant gameplay.
    The story telling was outstanding and well ahead of it's time, I felt attached to all the main playable characters and even on repeated replays i still feel sad when Aeris (or Aerith) dies. I hated Shinra, even more so because i felt it was terrible what they did dropping the plate on the slums and overall the world felt epic and well designed with every part having it's place.

    I had some trepidation starting the game as i was not impressed with FFXV combat in particular and the story was weak but after playing the first mission i was very impressed with what they had done with game including the combat which seemed like they had kept the best bits of the original combat style while modernising it in just the right way.

    It then slowly started to fall apart...

    You soon start to realise that 'expanding on the original story to flesh out Midgar' really means just add a load of increasingly repetitive, boring and incoherent fluff to a great story which only serves to ruin it.

    The playable area itself is actually quite small with you repeatedly sent back to the same area which is particularly noticeable with the final batch of side quests which entail revisiting every single zone you have already been to, sometimes for the third or fourth time.

    Most of the areas you traverse seem artificially stretched to elongate the game and justify releasing this small part of the story as a 'full game'. There were a number of sections in the latter half of the game in particular where i had to take a break as i was frankly bored of snaking around the most elongated route possible and return to the game later once my brain had stopped dribbling out of my ears.

    For the story it would seem the developers have taken the 'alternate timeline' route that is now standard for milking a franchise.
    If done properly this can be done well but this has not been done well because the new bits seem little more than pointless, boring, badly written filler. Where the remake sticks to the original story and expands on it properly it is generally great but almost every time it diverts from the original story the writing, the voice acting and even the context seem out of place.
    Who is Roche? Apart from being some annoying idiot on a motorbike? He is introduced like he is going to be an ongoing rival who will challenge you throughout the game as you become stronger and then is never to be seen again...
    What the hell is that totally out of character dance thing with Cloud? Cloud is portrayed as the strong, macho brooding type who has a good heart but gets very defensive and clams up whenever it comes to opening up yet stick him in a gay club and he turns into a queen. (i know cloud went drag in the original but at least true in line with his character he protested).

    They try to reimagine the shock of Aerith dying but having Barrett killed instead and it manages to be possibly the most lame and unemotional incident of the whole game as you just know he isn't dead.
    Overall, even knowing the story i felt nothing throughout the game apart from disappointment. I didn't care about any of the characters, that the slums had been destroyed or when Jessy or Biggs died.
    I didn't find myself hating Shinra or find any of the bad guys particularly sinister.
    Overall the main story points 'just happened'.
    It is obvious that they want to open the story up so they can do as they please with it and this is why i won't be buying the follow-ups as whenever they drift from the original story it is just poor.

    Combat started out good but there are major flaws. I found Cloud the most boring character in combat, made worst by the fact that the right stick is both the camera and the target change so you constantly change target while just trying to see what is going on (that is when you can actually target the thing you want to target) which makes melee particularly annoying but even comparing melee characters Tifa was much more interesting to play.
    A good chunk of the materia seem situational at best particularly as status elements were used sparsely by enemies.
    Summons are only available when the devs feel you should have them where this restriction on their use ironically makes them feel less epic as they feel contrived.
    Classic mode is an insult but honestly i reverted to it in the end as my time was being wasted enough and i just wanted to see it through, but i still i gave up after the after Barrett 'dying' as i couldn't take it anymore.

    If you want to know this epic story, play the updated original game with the 'cheats' that eliminate the 'boring' bits
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  82. Apr 13, 2020
    10
    The people giving this game less than a 10 must be drunk, easily the best game out since skyrim, for me it surpasses even Skyrim, and thats saying alot since i have well over a thousand hours on skyrim. Seriously you play for the experience, people who give 8 or less must have skipped all the cutscenes. Seriously the story is so rich and in the remaster its all so much more clear than inThe people giving this game less than a 10 must be drunk, easily the best game out since skyrim, for me it surpasses even Skyrim, and thats saying alot since i have well over a thousand hours on skyrim. Seriously you play for the experience, people who give 8 or less must have skipped all the cutscenes. Seriously the story is so rich and in the remaster its all so much more clear than in the original, Voice acting is 12-13/10 best ive ever experienced, would jack off in public honestly just to get in 1 mounth earlier if i knew it was going to be this good. Expand
  83. Apr 14, 2020
    10
    I absolutely love it. All the narrative choices in my opinion enhance the story. The gameplay is INTENSE, finished Air Buster with less than 5% health and Tifa, Barret dead. It FEELS like FFVII, only now I can move the camera around and be in awe of this amazing world created 20 years ago.
  84. Apr 13, 2020
    8
    I'm 10 hours in and I have enjoyed every minute. It's a lovingly crafted fully realized remake. The combat is the biggest change, and it works excellently. There's nothing to be mad at here. Nothing. I can't wait to play more, and I eagerly await part 2 and beyond.
  85. May 1, 2020
    9
    The most fun experience I've had in playing SE game for a long time. Came in a bit worried since I heard they changed the ending, but after experiencing it, I can see the ending works well for the things they probably wanted to do with this game and I am actually pretty excited. The characters are more fleshed out and just feels more alive (as they should).

    Controlling the main
    The most fun experience I've had in playing SE game for a long time. Came in a bit worried since I heard they changed the ending, but after experiencing it, I can see the ending works well for the things they probably wanted to do with this game and I am actually pretty excited. The characters are more fleshed out and just feels more alive (as they should).

    Controlling the main characters into the cities, areas, etc never feels boring and the dialogues/lines you get from interacting with the NPC is one of the strongest aspects of this game imo. The combat is more toward action, but tbh it works very well. The way they design the music and graphics as well as the map, make the game very immersive and the level of details they put into this game just blows me away.

    Very solid game and one of strong contender for GOTY 2020.
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  86. Apr 10, 2020
    10
    Best game of the year. I love tvOS game . Es el mejor videojuego del mundo lo recomiendo a todos . Muy fiel al -‘rugió y muchas horas de diversión
  87. Apr 29, 2020
    10
    Best ever i had played this generation. Once you play you will notice that each move has a rich animation & details.
    This game must to play.
  88. Apr 17, 2020
    10
    ff7 remake is amazing the game itself is a remake of ff7 but with more content and new story plot points I **** love it
  89. Apr 12, 2020
    10
    Despite not being the full STORY(It is a very full game) of FF VII i still have to give it a 10/10. The Characters legit felt real, everything lookes absolutely stunning and the gameplay was just a pure joy. I literally can not wait for the next installment and MORE SEPHIROTH!
  90. Apr 16, 2020
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The first half of the game feels great 10/10, the second part of the game feels bad 4/10, so 7/10 as a whole. That is the type of game, where you are not satisfied after its completion. Not because you want more, but because the ending was bad and you are tired of the gameplay. I think I won't buy the continuation of the game, for the reasons I've listed below, but I recommend you to try it out.

    Most positive moments of the game:

    - It is beautiful
    - Minigames make the game more diverse, most of them are fun
    - Storytelling, dynamics of events in the first half of the game, feels diverse and interesting
    - Many cutscenes
    - Most boss fights feel great, especially I liked moments when during the change of the phase, music also changes. Some boss fights feel tedious and routine, like the last ones.

    Most negative moments of the game

    - The second half of the game is less diverse and more boring, then the first one, in several cases you need to go back to locations, that you have already visited, during main or side quest.
    - Behavioral of protagonists in many cases seem naive and stupid.
    - U can't kill or stop any human antagonist NPC in this game, because game developers do not permit you to do so. Antagonists always run away, do whatever they want, and make your characters look stupid. And then some of them eventually die, this is not because of you. As a whole, it feels like Latin melodrama or childish cartoon, do not know which fits best. :)
    - The main character is no one, from nowhere
    - The story ending is mysteriously stupid
    - In many cases, the gameplay is scripted, and you cannot go there and do that...
    - You cannot get "Alls quests" achievement after first completed walkthrough, surprise!
    - Materia system becomes very routine in the end. You have needed set of materia for one party, but in the last chapters, when you often switch characters you always have to switch materies. No one has told you, that you need the whole set of materia for all characters.
    Too many materia in the end, very long list to select from.
    Asses materia, you always need to switch it.
    You frequently need to switch materia, when you have a small number of slots.
    - There is no text search in enemy intel. Pictures of the enemies do no shown in the interface of the list.

    Neutral:

    - The combat system is neither turn-based or realtime, it is a combination of both. Sometimes it feels good, sometimes it feels bad. It usually feels bad during hard boss fights, when you do not understand whats going on, boss casting some unknown spells (no descriptions in enemy intel), your characters die, your dodges do not work, because you need to block instead, your blocks do not work, because you need to dodge instead... I've got wipes on few bosses on normal difficulty, thanks to the healing and resurrect, but still.
    - Side quests are ok.
    - Locations are ok... Slums, slums, slums...
    - The interface is ok.

    P.S. I didn't play the original game.
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  91. Apr 10, 2020
    9
    Es muy buen juego, tiene algunos defectos pero un gran juego, un sistema de conbate increíble, tecnicamente espectacular y unos. Personajes de 10
  92. Apr 10, 2020
    10
    Increíble historia, personajes estupendos y el Gameplay de lo mejor que he jugado. El juego es muy adictivo. Es una re imaginación del juego original así que no esperes que todo ocurra exactamente como el clásico de PS1
  93. Apr 14, 2020
    10
    Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a joyful roller coaster of a childhood dream.

    The audience shouldn't allow nostalgia to cloud their judgement, but to review this game without taking into account it's original version is idiotic, as it is a beautiful re imagining of the classic. The soundtrack has been creatively remastered, quite lovely to listen to... The scenery is fantastic, attractive,
    Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a joyful roller coaster of a childhood dream.

    The audience shouldn't allow nostalgia to cloud their judgement, but to review this game without taking into account it's original version is idiotic, as it is a beautiful re imagining of the classic. The soundtrack has been creatively remastered, quite lovely to listen to... The scenery is fantastic, attractive, eye candy and all of the sort. Some argue that it is riddled with "dull" side content (Looking at you, IGN) but I've found said element to be immersive, as it expands on the original story and adds depth to the character's backrounds and their surroundings. If you still believe it is boring, albeit unbeareable, the game allows you to skip it by heading straight into the main storyline's objectives.

    What I don't understand is the frustration that some share regarding the story's change, if you fit the category, I'll ask you this... Do you want the same story, the same exact narrative that has been replayed over and over again and retold in a vast manner of forms, to appear once more? That would be unoriginal and boring, like a student giving an oral presentation that is word for word identical to the wikipedia page he acquired his information from.

    The mechanics are easy to understand, fun to master. The battle system is unique, sharing elements of real time and turn based combat... The materia system is simplified, yet equally interesting as the original. One thing I appreciate is the game not taking the player for a fool and letting them discover what works best for them, the tutorials are kept simple and clean.

    The remake captures the essence of the original while looking foward to the future.
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  94. Apr 14, 2020
    7
    While the graphics are stunning and the rework of the characters are really good the combat is (for me) not good. Maybe it was a problem I played Sekiro days before but u cant really block or dodge in the right time. Also the game is sometimes slow as hell and why they didn't put a "part 1" in the title? It is frustrating to know that it will took years till the next part.
  95. Apr 16, 2020
    7
    The game would’ve been better if it was about 1/4th the length, they added so much padding and so much it feels empty.

    If it didn’t have the FF7 name tied to it, it’s a mediocre game, which what I am rating it as. Any other franchise would have to make a game that stands on it’s own before thinking about making sequels, but SE knows we’re suckers and would pay for this incomplete game.
  96. Apr 25, 2020
    10
    This game is amazing. Though it has a couple of rough edges, overall the graphics look absolutely gorgeous. I have stopped several times just to watch in awe at its beauty
  97. Apr 12, 2020
    6
    I wanted to love this game, I really did. I'm one of the old guard, I grew up with games like Final Fantasy VII, When square-enix announced this remake I was cautiously optimistic, I knew what square-enix's track record with the series was like after being burned by Final Fantasy XV, but I also knew that as long as they stuck to the source material and added some modern shine, everythingI wanted to love this game, I really did. I'm one of the old guard, I grew up with games like Final Fantasy VII, When square-enix announced this remake I was cautiously optimistic, I knew what square-enix's track record with the series was like after being burned by Final Fantasy XV, but I also knew that as long as they stuck to the source material and added some modern shine, everything would be fine.

    It wasn't fine.

    The audio ranges from faithful and fantastic orchestral versions of the original audio, to the barely memorable tracks in place of classics, someone tell me why oppressed people is no longer the theme in wall market when it was so iconic in the original, and tell me what they replaced it with because sitting here writing this, I can't remember it was so forgettable.

    Area design, is fantastic and faithful to the source material but marred by low quality textures, NPC models, sky boxes and backdrops. This is a crying shame because there are numerous standout moments like your first visit to Aerith's house that absolutely floored me, then immediately after I walk back into the sector 5 slums and the textures are all over the place once again and the NPC's look like they fell out of a PS2 game. Exploring the world, as in the physical movement from place to place is also a mixed bag, animations and movement speed are fine, but the game way over uses forced walking to the point of it being infuriating. Every dungeon has multiple areas filled with debris to crawl or squeeze through at a snails pace, multiple zones where you walk and talk, every time you go indoors you're forced to walk. It feels like the developers added this in just to make the game feel longer, but it's utterly infuriating regardless. Speaking of dragging the game out, sidequests are entirely optional, but entirely pointless. They could have given these some minor story significance, used them to flesh out characters or plot points, but instead they're boring fetch or kill quests for people you don't know and care very little about.

    Combat for me was hugely conflicted. I'm a fan of classic turn based RPG's, but I was 100% willing to give this game and it's new action hybrid combat the benefit of the doubt, and I'm mostly glad I did, with a few caveats. Firstly hit-stun is absolutely horrendous and needs toning down every single love tap from an enemy knocks you on your ass and cancels your abilities. Secondly the camera is awful, and finally switching from offence to defence is too slow due to animation locking, which exacerbates the hit-stun problem. Otherwise, combat is fun, an awesome mix between tactical and action combat and a standout feature of the game. Animations are fantastic and the boss battles are a stand-out feature you're unlikely to forget should you pick this up.

    The plot. Ok here's my biggest issue, everything taken from the original game, the characters and their portrayals, the various scenes, most of the script, the additional exposition, the extended dungeons, all that stuff, is fantastic and I believe it really is the best portrayal of these characters we've seen so far. However, all the bits they added on top of this, "feel like some kingdom hearts BS" as IGN recently stated in their review. There's no good way to explain this without spoilers suffice to say that plot elements have been added, especially within the ending, that mean that square-enix can now diverge from the original game's plot. It's poorly written, puts this game firmly within re-imagining or reboot territory rather than being the remake we were sold, and feels like a get-out-of-jail-free card for when they inevitably decide they've bitten off more than they can chew remaking this entire game. This is the primary reason for the average score, you can't sell your game as a remake then sneak in a reboot during the closing scene, it left a bitter taste in my mouth after an otherwise satisfying journey.
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  98. Apr 16, 2020
    10
    Prior to writing this review I felt it was important to revisit the original game, something I have not done in many years. The motivation for this is to check the validity of the claims from the brigade of angry gamers who want to accuse any game developer not named CDPR of engaging in money grabs.

    I cleared the city of Midgar in the original FF7 in under 5 hours while engaging
    Prior to writing this review I felt it was important to revisit the original game, something I have not done in many years. The motivation for this is to check the validity of the claims from the brigade of angry gamers who want to accuse any game developer not named CDPR of engaging in money grabs.

    I cleared the city of Midgar in the original FF7 in under 5 hours while engaging literally every NPC, collecting every item, and never once running from a battle--that's with several instances of backtracking. If I had perfect recall on everything (train graveyard navigation, Shinra building puzzles, where to buy key items) I could have done it in just over 4. I'm far from a speed runner. I know when I played this as a kid it took me days to get out of Midgar because I was even more clueless and spent hours aimlessly wandering around until I found the NPC that had the wig, the batteries, or the dress. I didn't have reference magazines and didn't even care. I was a kid exploring this new amazing 3D world. That's not the case for most of us now. We're adults, we read text dialogue, we can follow a story, and we can go from point A to point B without getting distracted.

    The FF7 Remake Pt. 1 is more linear, has quest markers, and (eventually) fast travel. All of those QoL additions and it's still (being generous) a 35-hour minimum to get through the story on your first go, unless you're playing on Easy and just hack-and-slashing your way through everything. I'll wager it will take the average gamer 40-45 hours to finish the story and 50+ for platinum hunters/completionists, and double that to complete Hard Mode (bosses have completely different mechanics for HM so it's legitimately different and a step above NG+). Any AAA game with this length and this level of quality put into the soundtrack, graphics, and considerably more detailed story is absolutely worth $60.

    People claiming this is 1/3 of a game that originally retailed at $50 23 years ago are participating in one of the most absurd examples of a false equivalency in recent memory. This is not a remaster, it is a remake. It's a completely new game built from the ground up. It doesn't matter if the characters already existed, if the basic structure of the narrative was already written, or whatever. It's. a. new. game. There are a dozen character arcs and additional sequences that were never in the original game.

    Many of our memories of the original game are heavily muddled by hours and hours of grinding and just wasting time having fun with that. The problem is that's not an actual component of the game's length, it was entirely optional, and it certainly was not a priority in the first disc of the game that dealt with Midgar. The vast majority of people didn't bother grinding until we reached the world map.

    I understand some players' frustrations that they don't get to play a remade version of the entire game in one go, but if you look at the level of quality they put into the first installment it seems pretty clear why they are taking this route. Calling this a money grab is being toxic just for the sake of being toxic. This is not a buggy, half-asked mess of a title released to capitalize on some trend and I never saw a single shred of evidence that they cut corners on any aspect of the game's design. This remake has been carefully planned for years and Square should be proud of themselves.

    This first chapter with Midgar absolutely exceeds the original in depth and quality and, this will be a hard-to-swallow pill, but you're the absolutely worse type of fanboy if you think otherwise.
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  99. Apr 13, 2020
    10
    As a massive fan of the original FF7 I was so excited about the remake but very quickly we all heard about the revamped battle system which i was very disheartened to hear, I didnt like lightning returns and although i enjoyed ff15 i thought the battle system let it down, I admit im a hardcore fan of the classic atb menu based turn based battle system and was almost annoyed knowing howAs a massive fan of the original FF7 I was so excited about the remake but very quickly we all heard about the revamped battle system which i was very disheartened to hear, I didnt like lightning returns and although i enjoyed ff15 i thought the battle system let it down, I admit im a hardcore fan of the classic atb menu based turn based battle system and was almost annoyed knowing how successful and good games like persona 5 and dragonquest 11 were, but Iam very happy to say I was worried for no reason the battle system works superbly, with quick, responsive real time combat mixed with optional menus for abilities / magic etc, you can use button shortcuts but i played on normal and used the tactical menus and I loved it even a couple of hours in i was quickly switching between chars to chain attacks and heal, they have finally mastered a mix of classic and new and once mastered its so much fun and still just as tactical as battles used to be, square has done an amazing job with it, ok there are some deviations from the base ps1 game as they have included bits of everything from the ff7 'universe' from advent children/ crisis core/ dirge etc and im fine with that I love all the games and advent children is superb in my opinion, so i was very happy, this is obviously just upto leaving Midgar and again im totally fine with that when the game comes out at this quality, but this is obviously subjective to each person, but it does play like a full game and doesn't feel half done, i wont talk about the story as i dont want to do spoilers but as a hardcore ff7 fan i loved what they have done, and omg i fell in love with all the chars , even ones like jessie/ biggs which did not take a big part in the original i loved and actually ended up caring about and they really expand on the chars and their backstories. The world looks amazing running round / midgar/ sector 5/ wall market is stunning and so much fun as a fan, how they have brought what used to b a few hand drawn screens to life in 3d is epic, and omg this game looks amazing, on ps4 pro it runs beautifully i havent noticed any slowdown/ frame drops, very nice use of hdr as well, i dont know if it all runs in native 4k you would need to check digital foundry's review for that, the game does follow a story path but is no where near as linear as ff13, there are multiple opportunities to run around doing typical jrpg side quests etc, and the game will warn you multiple times are you sure you want to go on, i have heard people say they ran through the story in 25-30 hours, me doing majority side quest things etc my first play time was 45-50 hours, and there is alot left i want to go back and do, you level up like in all jrpgs, you also level materia up like in the original with AP and u can learn abilities from weapons and level up the weapons as well with a crystarium style grid, it all works fine. Ok and i left the best to last the music/ soundtrack is nothing short of a masterpiece, it is literally one of the best game soundtracks ever from new stuff to 'remakes' multiple times i just sat there with the menu open just to sit and listen its unbelievably good! If you are a fan of the original and worried about the battle system I would say check out the demo, if you know you will be fine with combat and are a fan just get it you will love it, ignore the trolls let them go back to the 10th or whatever cod with no changes they pay 60 for.........
    Graphics/ Visuals 10/10
    Music 100/10 ...:P 10/10
    Storyline 10/10
    Playability 10/10
    10!
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  100. Apr 13, 2020
    7
    Until the last chapter the game was really amazing but that ending was just not right.
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 126 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Negative: 0 out of 126
  1. Sep 14, 2020
    90
    Final Fantasy VII Remake is the game we've been waiting for from Square Enix for so long. Atmospheric, interesting and exciting all your attention modern jRPG with an interesting story and spectacular battles. To achieve the ideal, the project only needs more even graphics and all the content from the original release. If you were waiting for a turn-based classic with new graphics you will most likely be disappointed, since the game has changed a lot. Everyone else is happy with the release of the first really powerful single-player release from the internal Square Enix studio for many years. Especially after the failure of Final Fantasy XV.
  2. Aug 20, 2020
    80
    A good remake of the introductory part of the cult-favorite Final Fantasy VII. It improves on the original game in almost all aspects, yet lacks in scale and drops the ball at the very end.
  3. Aug 10, 2020
    90
    What matters is still intact, and that’s the heart and soul of one of the greatest stories in video game history. It’s a return to form that has felt a long time in coming, and what’s even better is that there’s still at least two more games of this quality to come...They can’t mess this up, can they?