This review contains spoilers
[Best characteristics of the game]==================================================
1. This is simply the best action-RPG combat in which you are at the control of a whole party. The main difference between an Action-RPG to a turn based-RPG is that the turn based one allow you to have full control over an entire party, without the aid of any kind of A.I. for you; that's why action RPGs are usually a lonely journey (The Witcher, Skyrim, Dark Souls... all just one character, no party). This game, however, balanced the action RPG playstyle with a party at the control of the player perfectly. It lets you switch very faster between every character, and their actions takes enough time for you to give actions to all the remaining characters. In addition, the A.I. only defends, and it is way better than you at defending, making it a COMPLETE passive tool for you instead of an A.I. ally, exactly how it should be;
2. The story ADDS to the original's story. 95% of the story was improved from the original. Few of it the original did better;
3. Music is phenomenal.
[Bad things about the game] =====================================================
1. Constant neglecting the verisimilitude factor in cutscenes. For example, the characters stand out in the crowd CONSTANTLY by the weapons they carry and by the way they dress, but it almost never is a problem somehow, even though they need to be sneaking in and out of places. This took me off many times.
For example, how would I “fix” this verisimilitude issue. For the missions that needed the party to take the train, Barret could wear a full worker's jumpsuit that match his pants over his jacket and a backpack where his gun arm would be, in his arm he could wear a fake broken arm in plaster, the military would easily take him as a random worker who has injured himself.
After they are out of the train, Barret would throw the plaster out, take his gun out of the backpack and put it in his hand, while also taking the upperpart of the fake jumpsuit out, revealing his jacket. Cloud could wear any shirt over his and carry his sword inside those things musicians carry their giant instrument, he would carry it still in his back. His sword and his shoulder metal thing would be inside it.
2. The “robot hand” section takes too long;
3. Too much anime vices.
4. [SPOILER] About the Story:
4.1. The original game build up the best plot twist in the history of videogames and this first instalment of the Remake blew it with a scene with Hojo;
4.2. The original sacrificed the population under the Plate that fell, but in this game the heroes had to evacuate the area and save everyone, killing an important plot point the original had build up about Shin-Ra and the world the characters were living in. Now you don’t feel that anything is at stakes anymore.
4.3. Rufus Shinra was supposed to be a “normal” guy. The original game masterfully made him a normal guy who can’t find super powerful beings through his boss fight, but he is not “useless” in the battle department because he have resources:
In the original, he fights alongside a monster because it is the monster who does the fighting. He starts the battle already with the barrier materia on him because this is the game’s way of saying “this is how this normal dude is not one shot by Cloud’s blows”, and he uses a shotgun because a gun is the most powerful ranged weapon for a normal guy. He could “fight” with Cloud because of his resources alone, not because Rufus can fight SOLDIER level people.
However, in the remake, all of this was thrown out of the window and now Rufus is somehow stronger than the first class SOLDIER that he employs… I mean, what the fuck? You just destroyed what the original accomplished with Rufus Shinra, not only that but what is the logic of Rufus calling “elite” SOLDIER people who are weaker than him?
1. This is simply the best action-RPG combat in which you are at the control of a whole party. The main difference between an Action-RPG to a turn based-RPG is that the turn based one allow you to have full control over an entire party, without the aid of any kind of A.I. for you; that's why action RPGs are usually a lonely journey (The Witcher, Skyrim, Dark Souls... all just one character, no party). This game, however, balanced the action RPG playstyle with a party at the control of the player perfectly. It lets you switch very faster between every character, and their actions takes enough time for you to give actions to all the remaining characters. In addition, the A.I. only defends, and it is way better than you at defending, making it a COMPLETE passive tool for you instead of an A.I. ally, exactly how it should be;
2. The story ADDS to the original's story. 95% of the story was improved from the original. Few of it the original did better;
3. Music is phenomenal.
[Bad things about the game] =====================================================
1. Constant neglecting the verisimilitude factor in cutscenes. For example, the characters stand out in the crowd CONSTANTLY by the weapons they carry and by the way they dress, but it almost never is a problem somehow, even though they need to be sneaking in and out of places. This took me off many times.
For example, how would I “fix” this verisimilitude issue. For the missions that needed the party to take the train, Barret could wear a full worker's jumpsuit that match his pants over his jacket and a backpack where his gun arm would be, in his arm he could wear a fake broken arm in plaster, the military would easily take him as a random worker who has injured himself.
After they are out of the train, Barret would throw the plaster out, take his gun out of the backpack and put it in his hand, while also taking the upperpart of the fake jumpsuit out, revealing his jacket. Cloud could wear any shirt over his and carry his sword inside those things musicians carry their giant instrument, he would carry it still in his back. His sword and his shoulder metal thing would be inside it.
2. The “robot hand” section takes too long;
3. Too much anime vices.
4. [SPOILER] About the Story:
4.1. The original game build up the best plot twist in the history of videogames and this first instalment of the Remake blew it with a scene with Hojo;
4.2. The original sacrificed the population under the Plate that fell, but in this game the heroes had to evacuate the area and save everyone, killing an important plot point the original had build up about Shin-Ra and the world the characters were living in. Now you don’t feel that anything is at stakes anymore.
4.3. Rufus Shinra was supposed to be a “normal” guy. The original game masterfully made him a normal guy who can’t find super powerful beings through his boss fight, but he is not “useless” in the battle department because he have resources:
In the original, he fights alongside a monster because it is the monster who does the fighting. He starts the battle already with the barrier materia on him because this is the game’s way of saying “this is how this normal dude is not one shot by Cloud’s blows”, and he uses a shotgun because a gun is the most powerful ranged weapon for a normal guy. He could “fight” with Cloud because of his resources alone, not because Rufus can fight SOLDIER level people.
However, in the remake, all of this was thrown out of the window and now Rufus is somehow stronger than the first class SOLDIER that he employs… I mean, what the fuck? You just destroyed what the original accomplished with Rufus Shinra, not only that but what is the logic of Rufus calling “elite” SOLDIER people who are weaker than him?