61 Reviews liked by Marloges
As the second part of the three-game reimagining of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is dealt with the carried expectations, risks, and ambitions that its predecessor, Remake, started with. And like Remake, I don’t believe I’m the person to be able to qualify how well it does or doesn’t do that - though I’d also argue that it might be impossible until the trilogy project is completed. It’s equally impossible to also not really start some discussion that this project isn’t simply just a reimagining in name, it’s just as much a tribute, a representation and reflection of the original game’s significance and influence, and very much a continuation of its greater compilation’s story. I tend to call this genre a “rebuild” - e.g. “Rebuild of Evangelion” - and it isn’t a popular one. Personally, I’m fascinated by it, not just due to it being very much an insight into how people - developers, players, history, etc. - see Final Fantasy VII, but because I think, whether or not you believe it succeeds, you have to at least respect the direction of something different in an industry where remake culture tends to be unimpressive high-definition renderings or lesser versions of a similar game. And I’m not saying this strictly as someone who is on board with the project’s direction, though I admit that since the end of Remake, I’ve given it time and, truth be told, my sentiments are of a positive curiosity. One lesson I do think is lost upon many is how Remake both exemplified and stated why it wasn’t necessarily possible to make a one-to-one ratio remake to capture the original game’s experience. This isn’t a statement to say that this series should be exempt from polarized criticism, merely that I think it’s something worth considering in the big picture sense. But I digress, I did like Remake as a game, though I did feel it had some hit or miss elements. I can safely say, after over one-hundred hours, that Rebirth is an incredibly notable improvement as a product even if it doesn’t eliminate all of those issues - but everything Remake succeeded in has been examined, enhanced, and thrives.
The greatest strength this series has thus far is recognizing the characters the best since the original title, as far as capturing and extending their roles. While liberties are taken, many of them seem to mostly extenuate intrigue to how this party should have depths of companionship whilst still reflecting core thematics as identity and the journey on an individual level. Between the tension of Cloud’s unstable mind, Aerith’s conflicted optimism, Barret’s worries about the future, and so on. Between banter and scenes, there has been evident care insofar as characterizations. Admittedly, I do believe the side cast can be hit-or-miss, particularly characters that are found from the extended compilation, though with the focus on the main crew and their journey, this isn’t necessarily an issue.
What makes talking about Rebirth’s storyline is that it’s still reenacting or building upon events of the source material, albeit it’s being done with the expectation that players are familiar with said events already. There’s the obvious dramas of asking how these things are done and, because I prefer to keep these writeups spoiler free, there’s not really an answer I can provide for how I do feel - for the lack of a better word here. What’s equally complicated is how I perceive the relationship between remakes and originals - that a ‘remake’ is either a reimagining with variations or it is an active improvement on the original’s system. It’s evident that they went with the former at this point, but that also makes it intricate for me to say what I fully think given I don’t have the full picture on the narrative changes. What I can say is that, again, in comparison to the original, there are inevitable hits and misses. I’ve already said my piece on the characters and how I adore the new content regarding them. I find the scene directives compelling or at the very least, I approach them with cautious optimism - which is my sentiment on the ending itself. I’ve mostly positive views on Rebirth, I just don’t believe I can fully explain why and be concise - and these writeups are long enough as is.
However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t admit that there’s two aspects that are definite misses for me: The first is the game’s pacing. While this isn’t Rebirth’s fault exclusively, given that the same issue was in Remake as well, it must be said that many story segments do overstay their welcome even if charming because they incorporate scripted walking segments and interactions. While I’ve seen far worse, it’s noticeable just how many chapters simply have time go by in long stretches. The secondary problem is some tonal dissonance. While this game captures its emotional beats effectively, there are moments where it doesn’t let you breathe and transitions to some emotional whiplash. This can be compounded with a loss of some important thematic subtleties from the original title.
To give one example, take the confrontation between Barret and Dyne. While the scenes and direction still work in their own way, it is inherently inferior because the juxtaposition between Corel Prison and the Gold Saucer has been lost in the setting of where the bout takes place and, even worse, because Shinra forces and Palmer interrupt at the end, transitioning into some slapstick comedy courtesy of the latter right after an emotional climax of one of the game’s prominent leads.
The story aspect aside, the real meat of Rebirth lies in its gameplay and content. The most obvious piece being the open world. I freely admit that I’m not genuinely into this kind of thing, but I can respect it when it engages me. The crux of how Rebirth adapts the world map is by categorizing areas into regions, often in the form of large field-esque design. I’d assert it’s a valid criticism to say that with how the maps work with set icons that it becomes more of a checklist than exploration - and that it can be tedious at a point - yet I think what makes it succeed partially is that the regions differentiate by having traversal options change. Some maps encourage puzzle solving to find set pathways - and rewards for finding them are encouraging. At the very least, this is the first game the series has had in a few years that captures what an ‘adventure’ feels like in regards to exploration. I definitely think it can be done better though. Part of the problem I believe is that it was a mistake to have worldbuilding done through Chadley, in part because it becomes a data exposition task instead of setting immersion because, even with the changes between environments, you are still activating the same towers, finding the same icons, etc. with small permutations. This isn’t a negative, it’s just something that could stand for some improvement, as the map layouts are still distinct. On a small scale, dungeons are well-made for their mob sections and occasional puzzle-solving, though nothing exceptional - and some, despite their quality, are an exercise in time.
In regards to content itself, there is an abundance here. Sidequests have inventory incentives for completion despite their fetch-quest attributes, though the character interactions make them more endearing. The protorelic substory in particular involves the eccentric series stape Gilgamesh and some of the title’s better minigames. As for minigames themselves, it is certifiably impressive how almost all of them are refined, though, like many things, I’d definitely say being forced to complete so many in the main story hurts the pacing. And even outside of that, it can be excessive just how much there is. Still, the systems implemented here in some of them, particularly Queen’s Blood - which they really want you to play - indicate the developers wanted these to be enjoyable.
However, what I would say is Rebirth’s greatest achievement mechanically is the combat system. Remake introduced a real-time action-based approach to the series’ ATB systems, giving players specific character combat to encourage proactivity for meter management whilst heavily encouraging team-based strategy by switching members and customizing them to handle various scenarios. Personally, I felt that these ideas worked though the two issues lied in how much wait time there was between ATB usage and how enemies often felt like static figurines. Suffice it to say, Rebirth not only addresses that, it also asks, “Why fix what isn’t broken?” and builds upon it.
The single best change is the incorporation of the synergy abilities, split between shortcut-based instant commands specific to the controlled party members or the special menu-based paired moves that can affect player options - such as giving temporarily unlimited MP. To simplify why these things are significant, if ATB meter was built through character actions, then there needed to be fixtures both offensively and defensively. Furthermore, while teamwork was prevalent in Remake, these abilities encourage it more than before as special synergy abilities can only be done when a set amount of player skills are used by both characters. Secondly, useful tech, such as shortcut synergy commands, will teleport characters across the field to another, allowing you to manipulate positional advantages, while building meter. There’s even unspoken benefits, such as switching to another character while guarding with another - and this will instantly teleport your new party member to the locked on enemy. If proactivity is rewarded, then adding more ways to do so is a good thing. Other specific combat improvements include implementing perfect guards, more active attack input bufferings, more accessible aerial options (which was missing in Remake), additional ATB abilities that expand movesets, and adding ranged moves for melee characters to use. And, even if you don’t wish to experiment with a full time, the game does offer enough options for you to stick to one character provided you understand the systems here,
To counterbalance so many changes, there’s been modifications to the enemy design, namely as far as managing their stagger meter. While said meters have become a commodity in the franchise the last decade, this trilogy has been on the stronger side of handling them for my money. The greatest reason why is influences players have on ‘pressuring’ enemies, creating a state where enemies can be vulnerable to hitstun or exposed to easier stagger. While many of Remake’s pressure states were made through basic elemental weaknesses or excessive damage, Rebirth adds new routes: from effective guards, to damaged body parts, to scripted patterns. Normal enemies in Remake often could feel like regular statues, though that doesn’t feel like the case with the re-tuning. Of course, this means enemies themselves also have new tricks, from playing with environmental attacks to being able to temporarily remove party members. Some enemies will even change attacks according to their aggro or successful hits. All of this applies even more to bosses because, like Remake, this is where the combat truly shines. Bosses truly bring out the strategical side of the game, having the teeth to punish players who want to treat this as another action RPG. Remake’s major encounters enforced the notion that playing like that isn’t how you maximize your success nor your enjoyment - and Rebirth enforces this more than ever. You’ll need to pay attention to enemy patterns, specific weaknesses, allocate according to the team lineup - and methodically reverse the intensity placed on you to take them out. Hard mode and the simulator challenges take this to the next level as crutches like items are taken away - your resources must be managed through your build to be ready for enemy encounters even in endurance-based sections. The fact that, even in weaker encounters, every fight offers so much variety in a relationship of lineups between party and mobs means this an impressive leap in enemy design for my money.
It’s a testament to how much this game has that I cannot talk the playable characters in much depth, so some general comments:
-Cloud’s counter-based offense remains as useful for an aggressive melee fighter, though Prime Mode and charged-based synergy skills add quicker routes for high damage without needing to stagger or use braver/infinity’s end. Buffs to Punisher Mode’s combo length and his long range attacks give answers he didn’t prior.
-Barrett’s status as the party tank is maintained, though his melee options expand through AoEs with smackdown or his long-ranged options get more buffs with Bonus Rounds.
-Tifa maintains her status as my favorite to play and remains mostly unchanged. Her melee options still deal with rushdowns to build stagger and quick meter for buff-based offensive combos. Her combo options and damage output through Unfettered Fury only expands her role as the speed-based melee fighter.
-Aerith’s ability to teleport between wards and craft barriers always made her an unbelievable support member, though her own offense was conducted through magic that was difficult to build meter for. Her new abilities make her arguably the strongest character in the game, as Radiant Ward turns her into a weapon of mass destruction (whilst making spells casted uninterrupted) and Transcendence, one of the most devastating tools in the game.
-Red XIII’s gameplay is a mix of support between managing his Vengeance Gauge’s unique specialties and elemental-based melee skills. Managing Red’s moveset, I found, was conducted upon recognizing how his defense and health operated accordingly. Reaper’s Touch, for instance, is a desperation skill only available at critical health, yet Nanaki’s Vengeance Gauge is handled around recovering vitality if need be.
-Yuffie is, frankly, cracked. She is easily the most versatile character of the entire game, having numerous recovery offensive options to escape getting stunlocked, active buffs and assists to keep freeflowing in battle, and easy access to magic without consuming meter. Between Aerith and her I really don’t know who is more powerful - in combination, they’re absurd.
-Cait Sith’s style is based around managing the Moogle’s quirky offense and Cait’s RNG-gambles. I admit I haven’t quite figured him out compared to the others, but being able to separate from the Moogle to create a decoy, actively increase teammate stats, or trade between long-and-short range abilities makes Cait Sith surprisingly more than just a luck-indicative character.
At risk of making this writeup any longer, I want to stop here. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is an incredibly ambitious game, given some burden of legacy to navigate that, again, would require more time to discuss than I’m willing to give time here. There’s certainly inconsistencies in its final result, including a pacing issue across the entire board that makes me unsure how many non-RPG players it would be for. It’s for that reason that I think for others, it’s whatever you want to make of it. For me, I committed over one hundred hours to this title - and I simply don’t do that often. I can call this game an experience I won’t forget, conflicted feelings or not beyond what I expressed here - just the fact that I enjoyed my time and that it’s remained fresh in my mind means I will be back for the third part regardless.
The greatest strength this series has thus far is recognizing the characters the best since the original title, as far as capturing and extending their roles. While liberties are taken, many of them seem to mostly extenuate intrigue to how this party should have depths of companionship whilst still reflecting core thematics as identity and the journey on an individual level. Between the tension of Cloud’s unstable mind, Aerith’s conflicted optimism, Barret’s worries about the future, and so on. Between banter and scenes, there has been evident care insofar as characterizations. Admittedly, I do believe the side cast can be hit-or-miss, particularly characters that are found from the extended compilation, though with the focus on the main crew and their journey, this isn’t necessarily an issue.
What makes talking about Rebirth’s storyline is that it’s still reenacting or building upon events of the source material, albeit it’s being done with the expectation that players are familiar with said events already. There’s the obvious dramas of asking how these things are done and, because I prefer to keep these writeups spoiler free, there’s not really an answer I can provide for how I do feel - for the lack of a better word here. What’s equally complicated is how I perceive the relationship between remakes and originals - that a ‘remake’ is either a reimagining with variations or it is an active improvement on the original’s system. It’s evident that they went with the former at this point, but that also makes it intricate for me to say what I fully think given I don’t have the full picture on the narrative changes. What I can say is that, again, in comparison to the original, there are inevitable hits and misses. I’ve already said my piece on the characters and how I adore the new content regarding them. I find the scene directives compelling or at the very least, I approach them with cautious optimism - which is my sentiment on the ending itself. I’ve mostly positive views on Rebirth, I just don’t believe I can fully explain why and be concise - and these writeups are long enough as is.
However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t admit that there’s two aspects that are definite misses for me: The first is the game’s pacing. While this isn’t Rebirth’s fault exclusively, given that the same issue was in Remake as well, it must be said that many story segments do overstay their welcome even if charming because they incorporate scripted walking segments and interactions. While I’ve seen far worse, it’s noticeable just how many chapters simply have time go by in long stretches. The secondary problem is some tonal dissonance. While this game captures its emotional beats effectively, there are moments where it doesn’t let you breathe and transitions to some emotional whiplash. This can be compounded with a loss of some important thematic subtleties from the original title.
To give one example, take the confrontation between Barret and Dyne. While the scenes and direction still work in their own way, it is inherently inferior because the juxtaposition between Corel Prison and the Gold Saucer has been lost in the setting of where the bout takes place and, even worse, because Shinra forces and Palmer interrupt at the end, transitioning into some slapstick comedy courtesy of the latter right after an emotional climax of one of the game’s prominent leads.
The story aspect aside, the real meat of Rebirth lies in its gameplay and content. The most obvious piece being the open world. I freely admit that I’m not genuinely into this kind of thing, but I can respect it when it engages me. The crux of how Rebirth adapts the world map is by categorizing areas into regions, often in the form of large field-esque design. I’d assert it’s a valid criticism to say that with how the maps work with set icons that it becomes more of a checklist than exploration - and that it can be tedious at a point - yet I think what makes it succeed partially is that the regions differentiate by having traversal options change. Some maps encourage puzzle solving to find set pathways - and rewards for finding them are encouraging. At the very least, this is the first game the series has had in a few years that captures what an ‘adventure’ feels like in regards to exploration. I definitely think it can be done better though. Part of the problem I believe is that it was a mistake to have worldbuilding done through Chadley, in part because it becomes a data exposition task instead of setting immersion because, even with the changes between environments, you are still activating the same towers, finding the same icons, etc. with small permutations. This isn’t a negative, it’s just something that could stand for some improvement, as the map layouts are still distinct. On a small scale, dungeons are well-made for their mob sections and occasional puzzle-solving, though nothing exceptional - and some, despite their quality, are an exercise in time.
In regards to content itself, there is an abundance here. Sidequests have inventory incentives for completion despite their fetch-quest attributes, though the character interactions make them more endearing. The protorelic substory in particular involves the eccentric series stape Gilgamesh and some of the title’s better minigames. As for minigames themselves, it is certifiably impressive how almost all of them are refined, though, like many things, I’d definitely say being forced to complete so many in the main story hurts the pacing. And even outside of that, it can be excessive just how much there is. Still, the systems implemented here in some of them, particularly Queen’s Blood - which they really want you to play - indicate the developers wanted these to be enjoyable.
However, what I would say is Rebirth’s greatest achievement mechanically is the combat system. Remake introduced a real-time action-based approach to the series’ ATB systems, giving players specific character combat to encourage proactivity for meter management whilst heavily encouraging team-based strategy by switching members and customizing them to handle various scenarios. Personally, I felt that these ideas worked though the two issues lied in how much wait time there was between ATB usage and how enemies often felt like static figurines. Suffice it to say, Rebirth not only addresses that, it also asks, “Why fix what isn’t broken?” and builds upon it.
The single best change is the incorporation of the synergy abilities, split between shortcut-based instant commands specific to the controlled party members or the special menu-based paired moves that can affect player options - such as giving temporarily unlimited MP. To simplify why these things are significant, if ATB meter was built through character actions, then there needed to be fixtures both offensively and defensively. Furthermore, while teamwork was prevalent in Remake, these abilities encourage it more than before as special synergy abilities can only be done when a set amount of player skills are used by both characters. Secondly, useful tech, such as shortcut synergy commands, will teleport characters across the field to another, allowing you to manipulate positional advantages, while building meter. There’s even unspoken benefits, such as switching to another character while guarding with another - and this will instantly teleport your new party member to the locked on enemy. If proactivity is rewarded, then adding more ways to do so is a good thing. Other specific combat improvements include implementing perfect guards, more active attack input bufferings, more accessible aerial options (which was missing in Remake), additional ATB abilities that expand movesets, and adding ranged moves for melee characters to use. And, even if you don’t wish to experiment with a full time, the game does offer enough options for you to stick to one character provided you understand the systems here,
To counterbalance so many changes, there’s been modifications to the enemy design, namely as far as managing their stagger meter. While said meters have become a commodity in the franchise the last decade, this trilogy has been on the stronger side of handling them for my money. The greatest reason why is influences players have on ‘pressuring’ enemies, creating a state where enemies can be vulnerable to hitstun or exposed to easier stagger. While many of Remake’s pressure states were made through basic elemental weaknesses or excessive damage, Rebirth adds new routes: from effective guards, to damaged body parts, to scripted patterns. Normal enemies in Remake often could feel like regular statues, though that doesn’t feel like the case with the re-tuning. Of course, this means enemies themselves also have new tricks, from playing with environmental attacks to being able to temporarily remove party members. Some enemies will even change attacks according to their aggro or successful hits. All of this applies even more to bosses because, like Remake, this is where the combat truly shines. Bosses truly bring out the strategical side of the game, having the teeth to punish players who want to treat this as another action RPG. Remake’s major encounters enforced the notion that playing like that isn’t how you maximize your success nor your enjoyment - and Rebirth enforces this more than ever. You’ll need to pay attention to enemy patterns, specific weaknesses, allocate according to the team lineup - and methodically reverse the intensity placed on you to take them out. Hard mode and the simulator challenges take this to the next level as crutches like items are taken away - your resources must be managed through your build to be ready for enemy encounters even in endurance-based sections. The fact that, even in weaker encounters, every fight offers so much variety in a relationship of lineups between party and mobs means this an impressive leap in enemy design for my money.
It’s a testament to how much this game has that I cannot talk the playable characters in much depth, so some general comments:
-Cloud’s counter-based offense remains as useful for an aggressive melee fighter, though Prime Mode and charged-based synergy skills add quicker routes for high damage without needing to stagger or use braver/infinity’s end. Buffs to Punisher Mode’s combo length and his long range attacks give answers he didn’t prior.
-Barrett’s status as the party tank is maintained, though his melee options expand through AoEs with smackdown or his long-ranged options get more buffs with Bonus Rounds.
-Tifa maintains her status as my favorite to play and remains mostly unchanged. Her melee options still deal with rushdowns to build stagger and quick meter for buff-based offensive combos. Her combo options and damage output through Unfettered Fury only expands her role as the speed-based melee fighter.
-Aerith’s ability to teleport between wards and craft barriers always made her an unbelievable support member, though her own offense was conducted through magic that was difficult to build meter for. Her new abilities make her arguably the strongest character in the game, as Radiant Ward turns her into a weapon of mass destruction (whilst making spells casted uninterrupted) and Transcendence, one of the most devastating tools in the game.
-Red XIII’s gameplay is a mix of support between managing his Vengeance Gauge’s unique specialties and elemental-based melee skills. Managing Red’s moveset, I found, was conducted upon recognizing how his defense and health operated accordingly. Reaper’s Touch, for instance, is a desperation skill only available at critical health, yet Nanaki’s Vengeance Gauge is handled around recovering vitality if need be.
-Yuffie is, frankly, cracked. She is easily the most versatile character of the entire game, having numerous recovery offensive options to escape getting stunlocked, active buffs and assists to keep freeflowing in battle, and easy access to magic without consuming meter. Between Aerith and her I really don’t know who is more powerful - in combination, they’re absurd.
-Cait Sith’s style is based around managing the Moogle’s quirky offense and Cait’s RNG-gambles. I admit I haven’t quite figured him out compared to the others, but being able to separate from the Moogle to create a decoy, actively increase teammate stats, or trade between long-and-short range abilities makes Cait Sith surprisingly more than just a luck-indicative character.
At risk of making this writeup any longer, I want to stop here. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is an incredibly ambitious game, given some burden of legacy to navigate that, again, would require more time to discuss than I’m willing to give time here. There’s certainly inconsistencies in its final result, including a pacing issue across the entire board that makes me unsure how many non-RPG players it would be for. It’s for that reason that I think for others, it’s whatever you want to make of it. For me, I committed over one hundred hours to this title - and I simply don’t do that often. I can call this game an experience I won’t forget, conflicted feelings or not beyond what I expressed here - just the fact that I enjoyed my time and that it’s remained fresh in my mind means I will be back for the third part regardless.
This review contains spoilers
NOTE:EMULATED ON DOLPHIN. THE PC PORT IS A FUCKING DISASTER DO NOT RECOMMEND.
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is a strange sequel. In some ways I prefer this one due to the much stronger pacing and general improvements to the gameplay. But at the same time I'd rather go back to the first game because its story wasn't so fucking boring.
Starting off strong I'd say that NMH2 gameplay wise is a remarkable improvement across the board. No shitty overworld and a lack of money required for assassinations makes the overall pace feel so much faster and I'm all for that. Combat has seen some changes too with an overall more simplified (but still just as fun) control scheme, alongside some new mechanics like Katana switching mid combat and the tension gauge. While in the original you never had much reason to change back to a previous upgrade the weapons in 2 are distinctly different from one another and benefit in different situations. Peony for example is your general crowd control tool with its extended range while the Rose Nasty is the fastest in the game allowing for better DPS. The tension gauge on the other hand acts as this games super mode, allowing Travis to go haywire on enemies which helps with a lot of the bigger fights (and some bosses if you're good at not getting hit). Another change I absolutely adored was what they did with the side jobs, as instead of drab mini-games they are instead all video game inspired and much more fun this time around. This videogame inspiration also carries over to the training which has also seen some changes. While it is a bit sad to see the combo extenders gone and the attack training can be a nightmare in the end, I still rather liked them and would say they're slightly better this time around. Also holy FUCK is the soundtrack in this one an absolute blast, with tracks like Dose Of Innocence and Philistine being absolute bangers.
It isn't all good sadly which takes us to the biggest issue with NMH2: the tone and story. While the original had some moments of humor and zaniness it was still a mostly bleak experience with a loser protagonist that challenged the player to think about all that has happened. In 2 a lot of this is thrown out the fucking window for a more light hearted and wacky experience. From fighting a giant robot controlled by a Jock and his groupies to a dream sequence with a literal anime girl, 2 is much more blatant this time around and loses a lot of charm for it. Another awful change is to Travis Touchdown, as this time around the game decides to make him the "Hero" of Santa Destroy and to be idolized by some of the assassins. To me this kinda goes against the entire point of the original and makes for an all around less memorable experience, which is not helped when the game blatantly copies things from NMH1 (the Alice fight narrative wise is just Holly Summers again). On the subject of bosses I didn't have nearly as much problems as I did previously but they're still not that good save for Kimmy,Ryuji, and Alice. Most of my issues is just how nothing a lot of them are, with most being pretty damn easy due to just how much damage you can do in the mid to late game. Not helping this is when the game decides to switch up from Travis to let you play as Shinobu WHO FUCKING SUCKS. Going from dope ass wrestling moves to a completely worthless jump kit and back to back AWFUL bosses make this section a chore to get through (atleast the Henry exclusive fight is good). People tend to rag on the final boss as well and while I do think his second phase is a fucking nightmare (mainly the walls) I didn't think it was the WORST OF ALL TIME. A much more minor flaw is the general lack of side content, with only the aforementioned side jobs and some cookie cutter revenge missions being all you get.
At the end of the day I can't really choose if I'd take NMH or Desperate Struggle. On some days I'd happily return to mowing the grass if that meant experiencing 1s more unique moments. But on some other days I just wanna watch heads roll and not care about things like grinding out money or exploring a bad open world. About on par I'd say.
7/10
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is a strange sequel. In some ways I prefer this one due to the much stronger pacing and general improvements to the gameplay. But at the same time I'd rather go back to the first game because its story wasn't so fucking boring.
Starting off strong I'd say that NMH2 gameplay wise is a remarkable improvement across the board. No shitty overworld and a lack of money required for assassinations makes the overall pace feel so much faster and I'm all for that. Combat has seen some changes too with an overall more simplified (but still just as fun) control scheme, alongside some new mechanics like Katana switching mid combat and the tension gauge. While in the original you never had much reason to change back to a previous upgrade the weapons in 2 are distinctly different from one another and benefit in different situations. Peony for example is your general crowd control tool with its extended range while the Rose Nasty is the fastest in the game allowing for better DPS. The tension gauge on the other hand acts as this games super mode, allowing Travis to go haywire on enemies which helps with a lot of the bigger fights (and some bosses if you're good at not getting hit). Another change I absolutely adored was what they did with the side jobs, as instead of drab mini-games they are instead all video game inspired and much more fun this time around. This videogame inspiration also carries over to the training which has also seen some changes. While it is a bit sad to see the combo extenders gone and the attack training can be a nightmare in the end, I still rather liked them and would say they're slightly better this time around. Also holy FUCK is the soundtrack in this one an absolute blast, with tracks like Dose Of Innocence and Philistine being absolute bangers.
It isn't all good sadly which takes us to the biggest issue with NMH2: the tone and story. While the original had some moments of humor and zaniness it was still a mostly bleak experience with a loser protagonist that challenged the player to think about all that has happened. In 2 a lot of this is thrown out the fucking window for a more light hearted and wacky experience. From fighting a giant robot controlled by a Jock and his groupies to a dream sequence with a literal anime girl, 2 is much more blatant this time around and loses a lot of charm for it. Another awful change is to Travis Touchdown, as this time around the game decides to make him the "Hero" of Santa Destroy and to be idolized by some of the assassins. To me this kinda goes against the entire point of the original and makes for an all around less memorable experience, which is not helped when the game blatantly copies things from NMH1 (the Alice fight narrative wise is just Holly Summers again). On the subject of bosses I didn't have nearly as much problems as I did previously but they're still not that good save for Kimmy,Ryuji, and Alice. Most of my issues is just how nothing a lot of them are, with most being pretty damn easy due to just how much damage you can do in the mid to late game. Not helping this is when the game decides to switch up from Travis to let you play as Shinobu WHO FUCKING SUCKS. Going from dope ass wrestling moves to a completely worthless jump kit and back to back AWFUL bosses make this section a chore to get through (atleast the Henry exclusive fight is good). People tend to rag on the final boss as well and while I do think his second phase is a fucking nightmare (mainly the walls) I didn't think it was the WORST OF ALL TIME. A much more minor flaw is the general lack of side content, with only the aforementioned side jobs and some cookie cutter revenge missions being all you get.
At the end of the day I can't really choose if I'd take NMH or Desperate Struggle. On some days I'd happily return to mowing the grass if that meant experiencing 1s more unique moments. But on some other days I just wanna watch heads roll and not care about things like grinding out money or exploring a bad open world. About on par I'd say.
7/10
No More Heroes
2007
This review contains spoilers
NOTE:EMULATED ON DOLPHIN. THE PC PORT IS A FUCKING DISASTER DO NOT RECOMMEND.
While it is messy in a lot of places, No More Heroes 1 is an entertaining enough time thanks to its unique style and entertaining premise.
For a game that released on the Wii I was shocked as to just how well the game held up graphically. This is mainly because of how unique it looks for the console, featuring a lot of impressive shadow work and characters that really pop (though the open world can look a bit dull). Speaking of characters that's another spot where the game absolutely shines, with Travis Touchdown being a fun protagonist (who's also an absolute fucking dork) and each of the assassins being entertaining encounters (my favorite being Dr Peace). The engaging combat definitely helps in this regard, never getting repetitive due to just how satisfying it becomes, with the combination of the Katana stances and wrestling moves creating an experience that I can say is truly unique (also getting those multi kills is satisfying as all hell). Last thing to mention is the absolute banger of an OST, with special mention going to the phenomenal main theme N.M.H.
As fun as general combat can be, it's ironic to say that NMH1s biggest issue IS the bosses themselves. While they're all oozing charm and remain a highlight, actually fighting them is a mess. A combination of way too much health and some truly abysmal gimmicks (I fucking despise Holly Summers) makes getting to these bosses more a letdown than an actual reward. Out of the 10 bosses I only really enjoyed Shinobu (a satisfying duel with an amazing setting) and the true final boss Henry (an even better duel which really tests your knowledge of the game). Not helping manners is just how fucking GRINDY the game is, with a majority of the game being spent grinding money to even access these fights. In a shocking twist the actual shitty jobs weren't an issue, as most of them are really easy and don't waste much time (besides Bomb Collecting and Scorpion hunting). The bigger issue is the assassination jobs having dogshit payouts until super late in the game alongside an open world that feels absolutely terrible to navigate (get sprint ASAP). Combine that with all the upgrades and you will be forced to grind for a solid chunk of the 12 hour runtime (I would estimate about half my time was spent grinding). Last thing to note is the actual story, or moreso a lack thereof. Travis for sure grows as a character and his relationship with Sylvia does get pretty interesting near the end but besides that you are left with crumbs for a good majority. Not until the literal LAST TWO BOSSES does the game decide to dump a truckload of backstory that I honestly did not care for because of how late it occurred.
Despite those myriad of issues the first No More Heroes is still a decent time all around. Suda 51 isn't a creator I absolutely adore but I do understand why so many flock to him because of this game (and also Killer 7). A solid start to a cult franchise.
7/10
While it is messy in a lot of places, No More Heroes 1 is an entertaining enough time thanks to its unique style and entertaining premise.
For a game that released on the Wii I was shocked as to just how well the game held up graphically. This is mainly because of how unique it looks for the console, featuring a lot of impressive shadow work and characters that really pop (though the open world can look a bit dull). Speaking of characters that's another spot where the game absolutely shines, with Travis Touchdown being a fun protagonist (who's also an absolute fucking dork) and each of the assassins being entertaining encounters (my favorite being Dr Peace). The engaging combat definitely helps in this regard, never getting repetitive due to just how satisfying it becomes, with the combination of the Katana stances and wrestling moves creating an experience that I can say is truly unique (also getting those multi kills is satisfying as all hell). Last thing to mention is the absolute banger of an OST, with special mention going to the phenomenal main theme N.M.H.
As fun as general combat can be, it's ironic to say that NMH1s biggest issue IS the bosses themselves. While they're all oozing charm and remain a highlight, actually fighting them is a mess. A combination of way too much health and some truly abysmal gimmicks (I fucking despise Holly Summers) makes getting to these bosses more a letdown than an actual reward. Out of the 10 bosses I only really enjoyed Shinobu (a satisfying duel with an amazing setting) and the true final boss Henry (an even better duel which really tests your knowledge of the game). Not helping manners is just how fucking GRINDY the game is, with a majority of the game being spent grinding money to even access these fights. In a shocking twist the actual shitty jobs weren't an issue, as most of them are really easy and don't waste much time (besides Bomb Collecting and Scorpion hunting). The bigger issue is the assassination jobs having dogshit payouts until super late in the game alongside an open world that feels absolutely terrible to navigate (get sprint ASAP). Combine that with all the upgrades and you will be forced to grind for a solid chunk of the 12 hour runtime (I would estimate about half my time was spent grinding). Last thing to note is the actual story, or moreso a lack thereof. Travis for sure grows as a character and his relationship with Sylvia does get pretty interesting near the end but besides that you are left with crumbs for a good majority. Not until the literal LAST TWO BOSSES does the game decide to dump a truckload of backstory that I honestly did not care for because of how late it occurred.
Despite those myriad of issues the first No More Heroes is still a decent time all around. Suda 51 isn't a creator I absolutely adore but I do understand why so many flock to him because of this game (and also Killer 7). A solid start to a cult franchise.
7/10
Boy oh boy, my expectations for this game were exorbitantly high and yet, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth exceeded almost all of them.
It took me a few years to appreciate what Remake is and what it was doing and I still do have a few major problems with it. Some of them lie within the nature of Midgar itself. Rebirth on the other hand is a near perfect game.
I only have a few minor issues with it, such as the resolution in performance mode or the framerate in graphics mode. The game struggled to load some textures during in-game cutscenes, such things. But I’m not petty, that doesn’t drag down the game that much. I’m not a fan of a few mini games, as well. I think this game does have amazing mini games, most of them are very well integrated into the story and the quality is top notch, but I wish the piano mini game had some accessibility options. It’s literally impossible for my brain to focus on two sticks for the piano. It just says no, even if it’s the easiest song with the slowest rhythm. So I wish there was a way for people like me to clear the songs some other way. The other mini game that infuriated me was the chocobo gliding. Not that it’s hard or impossible for me to clear, but I don’t know why they thought it’d be a great idea to not be able to move the camera in order to spot the rings? I heard they fixed it in the latest patch already, but I didn’t try it and I already had to suffer anyway.
I also didn’t enjoy the Cait Sith part in Shinra’s Villa, but that’s about it.
There’s nothing else I could complain about. As I mentioned, a nearly perfect game.
This game took everything that was great in Remake and refined it on so, so, so many levels. Be it the materia system, the easy to learn but hard to master combat system, the mechanics, the exploration in the open world or during linear sections or the RPG elements. You need to know, I’m a bit conservative when it comes to the definition of “RPG” or “JRPG”, so I rarely (not never) consider action RPGs “JRPGs”, sometimes not even truly “RPG”, but the RPG elements in Rebirth are so well thought-out and deep that I’m calling this one a full-fledged JRPG. I consider the Tales series JRPG, as well, just as another example, but I do not consider NieR: Automata a JRPG, even though it’s one of my absolute favorite games of all time. And I do not consider Final Fantasy XVI a JRPG or RPG in any way.
Rebirth really puts XVI into perspective, huh? Better story, dynamic party members that interact with you and with each other, each character is beautifully written, meaningful or silly side quests, Cloud can actually run fast, there’s much more to explore, the soundtrack is a lot better, you can catch chocobos, high quality mini games, great mechanics, actual RPG elements, accessories and equipments do more than giving you 0.1 second less of a cooldown for just one skill. Final Fantasy XVII really needs to be more like Rebirth, because Rebirth is unironically as good as the golden era Final Fantasy games that are VI to X. It’s full of heart and soul. It’s a love letter not only to Final Fantasy VII, but to the best era this series ever had. Final Fantasy VII is my favorite game of all time and Rebirth made me love it even more, while knowing the original (and Crisis Core) makes me love Rebirth even more, as well.
As to the story, I don’t want to leave spoilers in here, but I loved every second of it. Even the “ending” that is controversial to some of players.
And I got Tifa as my date. You KNOW why this scene is GREAT.
It took me a few years to appreciate what Remake is and what it was doing and I still do have a few major problems with it. Some of them lie within the nature of Midgar itself. Rebirth on the other hand is a near perfect game.
I only have a few minor issues with it, such as the resolution in performance mode or the framerate in graphics mode. The game struggled to load some textures during in-game cutscenes, such things. But I’m not petty, that doesn’t drag down the game that much. I’m not a fan of a few mini games, as well. I think this game does have amazing mini games, most of them are very well integrated into the story and the quality is top notch, but I wish the piano mini game had some accessibility options. It’s literally impossible for my brain to focus on two sticks for the piano. It just says no, even if it’s the easiest song with the slowest rhythm. So I wish there was a way for people like me to clear the songs some other way. The other mini game that infuriated me was the chocobo gliding. Not that it’s hard or impossible for me to clear, but I don’t know why they thought it’d be a great idea to not be able to move the camera in order to spot the rings? I heard they fixed it in the latest patch already, but I didn’t try it and I already had to suffer anyway.
I also didn’t enjoy the Cait Sith part in Shinra’s Villa, but that’s about it.
There’s nothing else I could complain about. As I mentioned, a nearly perfect game.
This game took everything that was great in Remake and refined it on so, so, so many levels. Be it the materia system, the easy to learn but hard to master combat system, the mechanics, the exploration in the open world or during linear sections or the RPG elements. You need to know, I’m a bit conservative when it comes to the definition of “RPG” or “JRPG”, so I rarely (not never) consider action RPGs “JRPGs”, sometimes not even truly “RPG”, but the RPG elements in Rebirth are so well thought-out and deep that I’m calling this one a full-fledged JRPG. I consider the Tales series JRPG, as well, just as another example, but I do not consider NieR: Automata a JRPG, even though it’s one of my absolute favorite games of all time. And I do not consider Final Fantasy XVI a JRPG or RPG in any way.
Rebirth really puts XVI into perspective, huh? Better story, dynamic party members that interact with you and with each other, each character is beautifully written, meaningful or silly side quests, Cloud can actually run fast, there’s much more to explore, the soundtrack is a lot better, you can catch chocobos, high quality mini games, great mechanics, actual RPG elements, accessories and equipments do more than giving you 0.1 second less of a cooldown for just one skill. Final Fantasy XVII really needs to be more like Rebirth, because Rebirth is unironically as good as the golden era Final Fantasy games that are VI to X. It’s full of heart and soul. It’s a love letter not only to Final Fantasy VII, but to the best era this series ever had. Final Fantasy VII is my favorite game of all time and Rebirth made me love it even more, while knowing the original (and Crisis Core) makes me love Rebirth even more, as well.
As to the story, I don’t want to leave spoilers in here, but I loved every second of it. Even the “ending” that is controversial to some of players.
And I got Tifa as my date. You KNOW why this scene is GREAT.
This review contains spoilers
Forewarning: This is LONG
First and foremost, "Final Fantasy VII" has always been one of the most impactful names for me personally as I have been a fan of the characters and the entries with the FFVII name going on two decades now. My first introduction to Final Fantasy (VII) characters was through the Kingdom Hearts games on the PS2 (shout out my pops) and my first Final Fantasy was X. However, in time I would have the privilege of playing through FFVII in time (and watching Advent Children) and fell in love with its world, story, characters, and everything else in between. An iconic PSX era game that had yet to get some sort of remake treatment like the incredible marvels that were Resident Evil or Metal Gear Solid, and after being teased with that PS3 tech demo way back when, our dreams came true in March of 2020 when "Final Fantasy VII Remake" released. I was ecstatic for Remake, but even more so for Rebirth because of the amazing moments and locations to be shown in modern graphics. While in Remake, we only got to experience Midgar, I was grateful that Rebirth was going to be "more" and give us that freedom that the original and other Final Fantasy games tend to offer. Sure, Remake had really great moments and scenes, but devoting one whole game to just the first location had a lot of filler and slow pacing, but it really elevated all of these characters I love. The best thing about this whole Remake treatment is seeing these beloved characters come to life, showing emotions and having the ability to develop even further. The wait for Rebirth was long, but worth the wait. From the iconic Gold Saucer to Cosmo Canyon, I was one-hundred percent pleased with how these iconic gaming monuments and moments were portrayed. This game absolutely consumed me from release day to when I concluded it, a span of two weeks. While I work and go to school, Rebirth was the thing I was most eager to dive in to when I had my free time. My game time clocked well in over 100 hours and I had practically done about 90% of the various side content and haven't even touched hard mode. Burnt out at the moment, but I will be working towards that platinum in time.
While Rebirth, at its core, still has the same combat as Remake (which is a great thing, mind you), there is a lot more to do with it. With the addition of three more playable characters from Remake's four, there is much you can do in terms of playstyle and team set ups. Yuffie, already loved her playstyle from Episode INTERmission, adds so much to the team and stayed in it most of the time from her recruitment at the end of chapter six. Red XIII being playable after being a NPC teammate in the previous entry, was awesome because of how fun he is, as well. Cait Sith, who has always been a benchwarmer for me in the original, had his moments here, but as far as combat goes I was not too big on him, but his character is a lot better here. The skill tree, differing much from Remake’s method to upgrades, offers much more and grants a lot more range for you to decide on what you want to invest in first for your characters. The synergy abilites and skills you can unlock allow a lot of opportunities for different team combinations to mix things up. I am a big fan of the new weapon abilities and I had a lot of fun with the combat getting in to every possible fight I could with the game's broad maps.
The open world in Rebirth is truly fascinating. I enjoyed exploring the areas alongside my party and it's neat that even the members that were benched still run around with you- I truly wish more JRPG's did that. There is a LOT to do, so much in fact, that I definitely would get overwhelmed at points and it didn't help that Gongaga and Cosmo Canyon weren't necessarily the best maps to fill out. Thankfully, Nibelheim felt fresh when I got there. Chadley's intel felt fun and rewarding and it's neat that some of those objectives are changed up in every map. Finding those Chocobo stops, or eagerly finding the divine intel to add a cool summon to my lineup, was a good time. Of course, once you get access to the Chocobo in the designated area, it makes traversal easier especially since some require in order to access certain intel. With having these open areas, it makes side quests have a lot more room to be extended, too. Overall, it feels satisfying to fill out what you are able of the map to get all of the intel and find ingredients to craft great items, but I wish navigation was better mostly in certain maps like those previously stated.
The amount of minigames in Rebirth is truly impressive. As a Triple Triad enthusiast, I fell in love with Queen's Blood quickly and was eager to find new cards and opponents and wasted no time in completing the respective questline for it. I already knew the Gold Saucer was going to be packed to the brim with things to do as the original had, including an improved Chocobo racing game. I honestly enjoyed every game there and 3D Brawler’s harder stages were an interesting challenge. Fort Condor is back from INTERmission and I love how the characters look like their original models, but I enjoyed it more there than here. I loved the “Fall Guys” inspired stages where you have the Toad status. Costa del Sol has some really fun minigames, such as a more “puzzley” way to tackle Queen’s Blood, and a carnival inspired shooting minigame which I enjoyed, and a soccer like one where you play as Red XIII. There is a lot to do, ranging from a rhythm game and catching Moogles, so it feels enticing to tackle harder difficulties or shoot for that high score to get those awesome rewards for your party. Overall, the quality can shift in these minigames and some are better than others, but overall really solid for everything this game offers.
Music has always been a big highlight to me in not just Final Fantasy titles, but JRPGs in general. I had no doubt after how spectacular Remake’s OST was, that this OST was going to be no different. Uematsu is a legendary composer and his reimagined works in here are amazing. “Cosmo Canyon” comes to mind as being my favorite as well as the different renditions of “On Our Way,” which is my favorite track from the original. Renditions of character themes are also well executed here. There is a lot of standout new tracks that I love, such as “Salmon’s/Stamp’s Theme,” and the “Speed Square Entrance.” The music is perfect in this game and I found myself just standing still in areas to just bask in its beauty.
The story adapts a lot of iconic moments faithfully, while not afraid to add things or change it up. Epic moments were done perfectly, such as the Junon parade or captivating the magic of the Gold Saucer. Aerith’s death also didn’t have that same effect that the original game had, but it was still an intense scene that led to a lot of cool fights and other scenes. I really liked Cissnei’s inclusion in Gongaga, too. It was obvious from Remake, that they were trying to include things from FFVII’s compilation media, which of course is not a bad idea. It adds the ability to have more epic moments with the beloved cast of FFVII, like having Cloud and Zack fight Sephiroth together was almost like a childhood dream come true. While the multiple timelines and ending confused me, I spent a lot of time watching and listening to various analyses. Our third entry still seems to be promising despite still some confusion on uncertainty of things will play out. I personally believe the best thing about this whole remake project, as I stated in my introduction, is the ability to further these characters in their development aspects. Yuffie, being an optional character in original, was bland in that title, but here, thanks to the events of INTERmission and being mandatory, show that she has a motive against Shinra and fits in perfectly with the cast. Acting as the annoying sibling and almost like a daughter to Barret, but doesn’t lose her materia obsessive character trait everyone knows her for. Truth be told, her and Barret are the best characters in this game from a written and development standpoint because of the moments they are given. Barret’s backstory has always been an important moment upon reaching North Corel, but here it was executed amazingly and brought tears to my eyes. It’s interesting how Cid was included here, which differs from his original introduction to the original game, but I personally really like it. I have always been uncertain about the inclusion of the whispers in Remake, but I am warming up to them here in Rebirth and while slightly a little more confused, I hope we get the clarity we deserve in the final part.
As far as the flow of the game, I think the main story suffers from some pacing issues and forces the player to engage in minigames to progress the story. For example, after spending hours to complete the various side stuff and wanting to move forward with the story, there are times you are forced to engage in more similar things to continue. While I know the original had them to an extent and side stuff is optional, they work in some places and don’t work in others. The whole Junon Parade is fine, as it was in the original, or even riding the dolphin to start that whole ordeal- but asides from character moments, having to do a bunch of minigames to progress the chapter in Costa del Sol, or upon visits to the Gold Saucer, halts the momentum of moments being built up like the dive in to Barret’s past. What I am trying to say is some chapters are better than others, but some are flawed forcing a player to do something they may not want to do, and I am looking at you Cait Sith chapter 11 section…
Some personal thoughts, starting off with was that I was overall pleased with this game. Stated in my introduction, the world of FFVII is very dear to me and seeing these characters and world I love brought to life like this is beautiful. I love the cast, one of my favorite JRPG casts of all time, and this remake project has made me love these characters even beyond that. While I always loved Aerith, Yuffie, and Barret, their moments here made me feel stronger towards them and this includes Cait Sith. Square Enix has always developed the most magical experiences I have ever had in my life and they did not fall short here. There is a LOT more I can say about this game and everything in between, but I will conclude it here.
Overall, Rebirth is a very strong sequel to Remake that has a LOT to do and furthered the limit (no pun intended) as to what this remake project is capable of. Definitely my GOTY 2024 so far. I'm excited to see what part III holds for us, such as the styles of play that Vincent and Cid will add. I hope to see more iconic moments and locations done just as breathtaking, such as Wutai, and traveling the amazing world that Final Fantasy VII presents on the legendary gaming airship, the Highwind.
First and foremost, "Final Fantasy VII" has always been one of the most impactful names for me personally as I have been a fan of the characters and the entries with the FFVII name going on two decades now. My first introduction to Final Fantasy (VII) characters was through the Kingdom Hearts games on the PS2 (shout out my pops) and my first Final Fantasy was X. However, in time I would have the privilege of playing through FFVII in time (and watching Advent Children) and fell in love with its world, story, characters, and everything else in between. An iconic PSX era game that had yet to get some sort of remake treatment like the incredible marvels that were Resident Evil or Metal Gear Solid, and after being teased with that PS3 tech demo way back when, our dreams came true in March of 2020 when "Final Fantasy VII Remake" released. I was ecstatic for Remake, but even more so for Rebirth because of the amazing moments and locations to be shown in modern graphics. While in Remake, we only got to experience Midgar, I was grateful that Rebirth was going to be "more" and give us that freedom that the original and other Final Fantasy games tend to offer. Sure, Remake had really great moments and scenes, but devoting one whole game to just the first location had a lot of filler and slow pacing, but it really elevated all of these characters I love. The best thing about this whole Remake treatment is seeing these beloved characters come to life, showing emotions and having the ability to develop even further. The wait for Rebirth was long, but worth the wait. From the iconic Gold Saucer to Cosmo Canyon, I was one-hundred percent pleased with how these iconic gaming monuments and moments were portrayed. This game absolutely consumed me from release day to when I concluded it, a span of two weeks. While I work and go to school, Rebirth was the thing I was most eager to dive in to when I had my free time. My game time clocked well in over 100 hours and I had practically done about 90% of the various side content and haven't even touched hard mode. Burnt out at the moment, but I will be working towards that platinum in time.
While Rebirth, at its core, still has the same combat as Remake (which is a great thing, mind you), there is a lot more to do with it. With the addition of three more playable characters from Remake's four, there is much you can do in terms of playstyle and team set ups. Yuffie, already loved her playstyle from Episode INTERmission, adds so much to the team and stayed in it most of the time from her recruitment at the end of chapter six. Red XIII being playable after being a NPC teammate in the previous entry, was awesome because of how fun he is, as well. Cait Sith, who has always been a benchwarmer for me in the original, had his moments here, but as far as combat goes I was not too big on him, but his character is a lot better here. The skill tree, differing much from Remake’s method to upgrades, offers much more and grants a lot more range for you to decide on what you want to invest in first for your characters. The synergy abilites and skills you can unlock allow a lot of opportunities for different team combinations to mix things up. I am a big fan of the new weapon abilities and I had a lot of fun with the combat getting in to every possible fight I could with the game's broad maps.
The open world in Rebirth is truly fascinating. I enjoyed exploring the areas alongside my party and it's neat that even the members that were benched still run around with you- I truly wish more JRPG's did that. There is a LOT to do, so much in fact, that I definitely would get overwhelmed at points and it didn't help that Gongaga and Cosmo Canyon weren't necessarily the best maps to fill out. Thankfully, Nibelheim felt fresh when I got there. Chadley's intel felt fun and rewarding and it's neat that some of those objectives are changed up in every map. Finding those Chocobo stops, or eagerly finding the divine intel to add a cool summon to my lineup, was a good time. Of course, once you get access to the Chocobo in the designated area, it makes traversal easier especially since some require in order to access certain intel. With having these open areas, it makes side quests have a lot more room to be extended, too. Overall, it feels satisfying to fill out what you are able of the map to get all of the intel and find ingredients to craft great items, but I wish navigation was better mostly in certain maps like those previously stated.
The amount of minigames in Rebirth is truly impressive. As a Triple Triad enthusiast, I fell in love with Queen's Blood quickly and was eager to find new cards and opponents and wasted no time in completing the respective questline for it. I already knew the Gold Saucer was going to be packed to the brim with things to do as the original had, including an improved Chocobo racing game. I honestly enjoyed every game there and 3D Brawler’s harder stages were an interesting challenge. Fort Condor is back from INTERmission and I love how the characters look like their original models, but I enjoyed it more there than here. I loved the “Fall Guys” inspired stages where you have the Toad status. Costa del Sol has some really fun minigames, such as a more “puzzley” way to tackle Queen’s Blood, and a carnival inspired shooting minigame which I enjoyed, and a soccer like one where you play as Red XIII. There is a lot to do, ranging from a rhythm game and catching Moogles, so it feels enticing to tackle harder difficulties or shoot for that high score to get those awesome rewards for your party. Overall, the quality can shift in these minigames and some are better than others, but overall really solid for everything this game offers.
Music has always been a big highlight to me in not just Final Fantasy titles, but JRPGs in general. I had no doubt after how spectacular Remake’s OST was, that this OST was going to be no different. Uematsu is a legendary composer and his reimagined works in here are amazing. “Cosmo Canyon” comes to mind as being my favorite as well as the different renditions of “On Our Way,” which is my favorite track from the original. Renditions of character themes are also well executed here. There is a lot of standout new tracks that I love, such as “Salmon’s/Stamp’s Theme,” and the “Speed Square Entrance.” The music is perfect in this game and I found myself just standing still in areas to just bask in its beauty.
The story adapts a lot of iconic moments faithfully, while not afraid to add things or change it up. Epic moments were done perfectly, such as the Junon parade or captivating the magic of the Gold Saucer. Aerith’s death also didn’t have that same effect that the original game had, but it was still an intense scene that led to a lot of cool fights and other scenes. I really liked Cissnei’s inclusion in Gongaga, too. It was obvious from Remake, that they were trying to include things from FFVII’s compilation media, which of course is not a bad idea. It adds the ability to have more epic moments with the beloved cast of FFVII, like having Cloud and Zack fight Sephiroth together was almost like a childhood dream come true. While the multiple timelines and ending confused me, I spent a lot of time watching and listening to various analyses. Our third entry still seems to be promising despite still some confusion on uncertainty of things will play out. I personally believe the best thing about this whole remake project, as I stated in my introduction, is the ability to further these characters in their development aspects. Yuffie, being an optional character in original, was bland in that title, but here, thanks to the events of INTERmission and being mandatory, show that she has a motive against Shinra and fits in perfectly with the cast. Acting as the annoying sibling and almost like a daughter to Barret, but doesn’t lose her materia obsessive character trait everyone knows her for. Truth be told, her and Barret are the best characters in this game from a written and development standpoint because of the moments they are given. Barret’s backstory has always been an important moment upon reaching North Corel, but here it was executed amazingly and brought tears to my eyes. It’s interesting how Cid was included here, which differs from his original introduction to the original game, but I personally really like it. I have always been uncertain about the inclusion of the whispers in Remake, but I am warming up to them here in Rebirth and while slightly a little more confused, I hope we get the clarity we deserve in the final part.
As far as the flow of the game, I think the main story suffers from some pacing issues and forces the player to engage in minigames to progress the story. For example, after spending hours to complete the various side stuff and wanting to move forward with the story, there are times you are forced to engage in more similar things to continue. While I know the original had them to an extent and side stuff is optional, they work in some places and don’t work in others. The whole Junon Parade is fine, as it was in the original, or even riding the dolphin to start that whole ordeal- but asides from character moments, having to do a bunch of minigames to progress the chapter in Costa del Sol, or upon visits to the Gold Saucer, halts the momentum of moments being built up like the dive in to Barret’s past. What I am trying to say is some chapters are better than others, but some are flawed forcing a player to do something they may not want to do, and I am looking at you Cait Sith chapter 11 section…
Some personal thoughts, starting off with was that I was overall pleased with this game. Stated in my introduction, the world of FFVII is very dear to me and seeing these characters and world I love brought to life like this is beautiful. I love the cast, one of my favorite JRPG casts of all time, and this remake project has made me love these characters even beyond that. While I always loved Aerith, Yuffie, and Barret, their moments here made me feel stronger towards them and this includes Cait Sith. Square Enix has always developed the most magical experiences I have ever had in my life and they did not fall short here. There is a LOT more I can say about this game and everything in between, but I will conclude it here.
Overall, Rebirth is a very strong sequel to Remake that has a LOT to do and furthered the limit (no pun intended) as to what this remake project is capable of. Definitely my GOTY 2024 so far. I'm excited to see what part III holds for us, such as the styles of play that Vincent and Cid will add. I hope to see more iconic moments and locations done just as breathtaking, such as Wutai, and traveling the amazing world that Final Fantasy VII presents on the legendary gaming airship, the Highwind.
This game leaves me feeling very strange. It nails so much of what makes a Final Fantasy game or even a good RPG special: a colorful and fleshed out cast of characters, engaging and customizable combat mechanics that make use of a whole party, and a lot of fun side content including probably the best card game in the series. This comes with a big drawback, which is that it’s still an incomplete remake of an existing game.
Rebirth is a much bigger game than the original FFVII, and with the amount of time you’ll spend playing it you’ll experience many more moments of characterization with the game’s cast. This is where it improves greatly on the original game’s biggest weakness, and I’d also argue an improvement from Remake when it comes to integrating these into the plot—which is admittedly more loose than it was in Midgar.
While the size of the game does indeed add a lot to the player’s experience in that regard, it’s also the reason why I’m unlikely to replay it. The story beats are still very similar to that of the original game’s, and many of them are tonally undercut by either the game’s more over the top presentation or newer elements added in. In all honesty I was kind of expecting more to have changed this time around, but like Remake it followed much of the same plot as the original but with a few adaptational differences. The distinctly new material makes up a very small amount of this game’s story, and still leaves the player with a lot of questions—putting the pressure on part 3 to deliver.
All in all, this is a very good game, and a worthwhile experience for anyone who wants more of Final Fantasy VII’s world and cast. I do also think it’s interesting to see how sensibilities have changed since the original game was made, and the decisions that Square makes when telling a story from 1997 to today’s audience with far more resources available to them. But there’s this nagging in my head that tells me they could have also made something more worthwhile if they’d taken everything that made this game great and channeled it into an entirely new Final Fantasy game instead.
Rebirth is a much bigger game than the original FFVII, and with the amount of time you’ll spend playing it you’ll experience many more moments of characterization with the game’s cast. This is where it improves greatly on the original game’s biggest weakness, and I’d also argue an improvement from Remake when it comes to integrating these into the plot—which is admittedly more loose than it was in Midgar.
While the size of the game does indeed add a lot to the player’s experience in that regard, it’s also the reason why I’m unlikely to replay it. The story beats are still very similar to that of the original game’s, and many of them are tonally undercut by either the game’s more over the top presentation or newer elements added in. In all honesty I was kind of expecting more to have changed this time around, but like Remake it followed much of the same plot as the original but with a few adaptational differences. The distinctly new material makes up a very small amount of this game’s story, and still leaves the player with a lot of questions—putting the pressure on part 3 to deliver.
All in all, this is a very good game, and a worthwhile experience for anyone who wants more of Final Fantasy VII’s world and cast. I do also think it’s interesting to see how sensibilities have changed since the original game was made, and the decisions that Square makes when telling a story from 1997 to today’s audience with far more resources available to them. But there’s this nagging in my head that tells me they could have also made something more worthwhile if they’d taken everything that made this game great and channeled it into an entirely new Final Fantasy game instead.
Dead Rising 3
2013
This is where DR starts to lose focus. You're way too powerful in this zombie-populated world and nothing feels threatening or memorable. Most of the staple mechanics of the series are gutted in place of ill-inspired psychos and a focus on killing zombies above all else. Took itself far too seriously and the moodier tone hurts it greatly.
Don’t get me wrong, I like this game a lot. I think its soundtrack is one of the best if the series, It’s gameplay is top tier, the writing is on point, all the callbacks and future teases are incredible, and C’s story especially improves him to being at least a top 5 character in the series. The problem is nothing really happens in this game. This could have just been an email.
Sea of Stars
2023
This is Chrono Trigger if it was bad
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is everything I wanted and then some.
Well, to clarify, 95% of it is everything I wanted and then some. That 5% isn't nearly enough to kibosh the entire experience for me but the fact that the vast majority of it was truly stellar is a triumph, honestly.
Rebirth needed to do a lot following up from Remake, and it does pretty much all of it to such a high level that it's baffling that a game of this magnitude could even be possible in such a short development time. Of course, I'm referring to both playtime and scale, but also to how lovingly crafted and relentlessly charming it is in all 60+ hours of the journey it takes you on, with only a handful of missteps along the way.
The overarching narrative and, most of all, the character writing in Rebirth are the strongest they've ever been. Characters that were presented well in the original are somehow made even better here, with backstory and banter that's consistently such a treat to listen to. If you manage to even make Cait Sith compelling, then you've got a real winner on your hands. The story beats and their wider implications differ from the original, as with Remake, and not all of them hit. However, again, the vast majority of them I found to be much more compelling than ever before, thanks to the greatly expanded scenes and dialogue present throughout.
The ending is indeed as divisive as you might have heard and while I won't go into it here, I did enjoy what it presented; however, I can absolutely see where and why people would dislike it, as the execution feels very slapdash. I totally get what they were going for and it went the way I figured it would but it's indicative of an ending that's spinning too many plates at once, both narratively and thematically.
But as I said, that falls under the 5% that wasn't as stellar as the rest of the package.
Gameplay-wise, there's not really much to add that hasn't already been pointed out by everyone else—it's just Remake but better, with tighter controls for each of the characters and much more mobility with air combos and team attacks now entering into the mix to make battles feel far more dynamic than they were before. When you get into a flow state with it, particularly during the game's many boss battles, it feels great and is a natural extension of the formula they crafted in the previous game.
As for Rebirth's open world, ultimately, I found it to be the poster child for the phrase 'too much of a good thing'. It's filled with the usual Ubisoft open-world guff of towers and challenging enemy encounters that seem to mostly exist simply to pad out the exploration some more, but there are also some truly excellent side quests and artifact hunts that feed into the game's larger narrative and world-building that are almost always worth seeing through.
And then there's Queen's Blood. I'm not even a fan of card games at all and QB just dominated my playthrough. Honestly, if Square releases it as a standalone game on the level of Hearthstone, I'm going to be even more unemployed than I already am.
All of this extra stuff is really great; however, it's an absolute overabundance. By chapter 12, you basically get given another 10+ hours of new side content to do and at that point, I just wanted to see the story through to the end.
Regardless, FF7 Rebirth is a real 'above and beyond' type sequel. It's by no means perfect and it has its faults here and there, but those highs are so high that the third entry will have to do a lot to supersede it.
9.5/10
Well, to clarify, 95% of it is everything I wanted and then some. That 5% isn't nearly enough to kibosh the entire experience for me but the fact that the vast majority of it was truly stellar is a triumph, honestly.
Rebirth needed to do a lot following up from Remake, and it does pretty much all of it to such a high level that it's baffling that a game of this magnitude could even be possible in such a short development time. Of course, I'm referring to both playtime and scale, but also to how lovingly crafted and relentlessly charming it is in all 60+ hours of the journey it takes you on, with only a handful of missteps along the way.
The overarching narrative and, most of all, the character writing in Rebirth are the strongest they've ever been. Characters that were presented well in the original are somehow made even better here, with backstory and banter that's consistently such a treat to listen to. If you manage to even make Cait Sith compelling, then you've got a real winner on your hands. The story beats and their wider implications differ from the original, as with Remake, and not all of them hit. However, again, the vast majority of them I found to be much more compelling than ever before, thanks to the greatly expanded scenes and dialogue present throughout.
The ending is indeed as divisive as you might have heard and while I won't go into it here, I did enjoy what it presented; however, I can absolutely see where and why people would dislike it, as the execution feels very slapdash. I totally get what they were going for and it went the way I figured it would but it's indicative of an ending that's spinning too many plates at once, both narratively and thematically.
But as I said, that falls under the 5% that wasn't as stellar as the rest of the package.
Gameplay-wise, there's not really much to add that hasn't already been pointed out by everyone else—it's just Remake but better, with tighter controls for each of the characters and much more mobility with air combos and team attacks now entering into the mix to make battles feel far more dynamic than they were before. When you get into a flow state with it, particularly during the game's many boss battles, it feels great and is a natural extension of the formula they crafted in the previous game.
As for Rebirth's open world, ultimately, I found it to be the poster child for the phrase 'too much of a good thing'. It's filled with the usual Ubisoft open-world guff of towers and challenging enemy encounters that seem to mostly exist simply to pad out the exploration some more, but there are also some truly excellent side quests and artifact hunts that feed into the game's larger narrative and world-building that are almost always worth seeing through.
And then there's Queen's Blood. I'm not even a fan of card games at all and QB just dominated my playthrough. Honestly, if Square releases it as a standalone game on the level of Hearthstone, I'm going to be even more unemployed than I already am.
All of this extra stuff is really great; however, it's an absolute overabundance. By chapter 12, you basically get given another 10+ hours of new side content to do and at that point, I just wanted to see the story through to the end.
Regardless, FF7 Rebirth is a real 'above and beyond' type sequel. It's by no means perfect and it has its faults here and there, but those highs are so high that the third entry will have to do a lot to supersede it.
9.5/10
Skull and Bones
2024
The water looks good sometimes
This review contains spoilers
Despite having a myriad of combat issues and some of the weakest villians in the franchise, LAD:Infinite Wealth still manages to stick the landing thanks to its phenomenal cast and rock solid story.
While Like A Dragon focused on Ichibans adjustment to the modern world and discovering what happened to his Yakuza family, Infinite Wealth pivots to a search for his allegedly alive mother, with plenty of twist and turns that complicate this simple task. As someone who admittedly didn't care much for LADs story, I'm pleasantly surprised that Infinite Wealths hooked me from the very start. A main reason for this being in part to just how good Infinite Wealths main cast is in comparison to LAD, with a much better sense of comradery between the party (both new and old) and much better side characters. Eric Tomizawa and Chitose Fujinomiya make for outstanding additions to the Heroes Of Tommorow that contrast Ichiban in a way that makes them so much more interesting when compared to LADs party (Nanba still da goat though). Of course Kiryu also comes to Hawaii (with his dumb haircut) and the dynamic between both dragons make for some pretty memorable moments throughout. Besides those IWs supporting cast is also pretty damn good, with my favorite belonging to the creepy but cool Yabai, who channels Kuze in his determination to bring Ichiban down. Combat has also had some improvements, with the main one being the ability to actually move around. While it isn't as important as RGG thought it would, I still appreciate the addition and other things like the combo attacks and changing tag team moves to a bar instead of just another MP move also make things better overall. The job system is also much better in regards to switching, as most of the stats come from levels instead of jobs, which was something so simple I can't believe it wasn't in LAD originally. On the subject of the hub I do think Hawaii is one of the better large maps in the series, with so much to do it can be overwhelming. From crazy delivery to Suijimon league the game has plenty to do on top of the usual content like substories (which remain pretty solid but a bit weaker compared to LAD cuz most of them are callbacks to it). Although I will say all of Kiryus exclusive side stories fucking rule and that's purely because of the amazing fan service they all offer.
Before I get into the story I'd say the biggest issue with Infinite Wealth is just how much of it feels like RGG didn't learn what made the combat in Like A Dragon so rough. While the job system changes and movement are welcome additions the endgame still devolves into spamming whatever does the most damage while barely chipping away at the massive health pools bosses have. I'd also say that the incentive to switch jobs isn't really a thing for Ichiban/Kiryu as Hero and Dragon Of Dojima reign supreme for the entirety of the game (DOD in particular gets fucking RIDICULOUS in the second half). I'd also say that Infinite Wealths grind can be a bit worse compared to LAD, with frequent visits to the dungeon being necessary for some of the later bits (thankfully the dungeons are much improved from LAD and offer multiple versions). On a more subjective note the side content in this game really didn't appeal to me, with the Sujimon league being incredibly basic and boring alongside farming sim (which I don't care about).
STORY SPOILERS START HERE
Infinite Wealths story is pretty great but MAN are these villains pretty weak overall. Starting with Tatara Hisuka the vtuber that cancels Ichiban early in the story and jumpstarts his adventure to Hawaii. I actually didn't mind the idea of a vtuber being the catalyst for so much of the games drama but what hurts her is just how predictable the reveal feels. Not only because of how skeevy Chitose is for a majority of the story but also because RGG decided to show her directly messaging the villians at the end of one of the chapters (which feels so fucking weird since other twist villians like Baba did the concept so much better). Dwight Mendez (voiced and mocapped by Danny Trejo) isn't too bad but I wish he had more screen time because he appears near the start of the game and just goes away until the very end, though his final scene might just be one of the goriest in an RGG game. On the Hawaii side of the story is Bryce Fairchild, a cult leader who channels the Jingweon Mafia from 2 (and some parts of Bleach Japan). He has some pretty unsettling moments and an awesome boss fight but is also revealed really fucking early and just dissapears until the endgame (noticing a pattern?). Probably the best villian is Eiji Mitamura (or Ei-chan as Ichiban calls him). A former Bleach Japan member who has a bone to pick with the Yakuza, he serves as the most consistently appearing character and has some pretty great moments (especially in the ending). Going from him to the main dude is Masataka Ebina, the half brother of Ichiban and man also stiffed by the Yakuza (mainly cuz his Dad basically ruined his life). While it is a bit of treading old ground for the villians to be connected with Ichibans past I don't actually mind it in IW and his motivation is pretty solid. What I have issue with is HE'S FUCKING KIRYUS MAIN VILLIAN. Bringing back Kiryu from 6 isn't a bad idea on paper and I do think IW gives him a pretty solid sendoff (though I still like how 6 did it more) but his reasoning to fight Ebina feet incredibly forced, with the excuse of wanting to be forgiven feeling nonsensical since all the stuff that happened to Ebina being far before Kiryu's tenure as fourth chairman. All these combine to make villians that almost rival 4 in how meh they are (though Munakata is still the absolute worst).
STORY SPOILERS END
At the end of the day Infinite Wealth is just another Yakuza RPG. A great locale and story hamstrung by a system that just makes the entire experience drag. I'm hoping that the Judgment side series continues because this RPG future for the once brawler series is starting to grind my gears.
8/10
While Like A Dragon focused on Ichibans adjustment to the modern world and discovering what happened to his Yakuza family, Infinite Wealth pivots to a search for his allegedly alive mother, with plenty of twist and turns that complicate this simple task. As someone who admittedly didn't care much for LADs story, I'm pleasantly surprised that Infinite Wealths hooked me from the very start. A main reason for this being in part to just how good Infinite Wealths main cast is in comparison to LAD, with a much better sense of comradery between the party (both new and old) and much better side characters. Eric Tomizawa and Chitose Fujinomiya make for outstanding additions to the Heroes Of Tommorow that contrast Ichiban in a way that makes them so much more interesting when compared to LADs party (Nanba still da goat though). Of course Kiryu also comes to Hawaii (with his dumb haircut) and the dynamic between both dragons make for some pretty memorable moments throughout. Besides those IWs supporting cast is also pretty damn good, with my favorite belonging to the creepy but cool Yabai, who channels Kuze in his determination to bring Ichiban down. Combat has also had some improvements, with the main one being the ability to actually move around. While it isn't as important as RGG thought it would, I still appreciate the addition and other things like the combo attacks and changing tag team moves to a bar instead of just another MP move also make things better overall. The job system is also much better in regards to switching, as most of the stats come from levels instead of jobs, which was something so simple I can't believe it wasn't in LAD originally. On the subject of the hub I do think Hawaii is one of the better large maps in the series, with so much to do it can be overwhelming. From crazy delivery to Suijimon league the game has plenty to do on top of the usual content like substories (which remain pretty solid but a bit weaker compared to LAD cuz most of them are callbacks to it). Although I will say all of Kiryus exclusive side stories fucking rule and that's purely because of the amazing fan service they all offer.
Before I get into the story I'd say the biggest issue with Infinite Wealth is just how much of it feels like RGG didn't learn what made the combat in Like A Dragon so rough. While the job system changes and movement are welcome additions the endgame still devolves into spamming whatever does the most damage while barely chipping away at the massive health pools bosses have. I'd also say that the incentive to switch jobs isn't really a thing for Ichiban/Kiryu as Hero and Dragon Of Dojima reign supreme for the entirety of the game (DOD in particular gets fucking RIDICULOUS in the second half). I'd also say that Infinite Wealths grind can be a bit worse compared to LAD, with frequent visits to the dungeon being necessary for some of the later bits (thankfully the dungeons are much improved from LAD and offer multiple versions). On a more subjective note the side content in this game really didn't appeal to me, with the Sujimon league being incredibly basic and boring alongside farming sim (which I don't care about).
STORY SPOILERS START HERE
Infinite Wealths story is pretty great but MAN are these villains pretty weak overall. Starting with Tatara Hisuka the vtuber that cancels Ichiban early in the story and jumpstarts his adventure to Hawaii. I actually didn't mind the idea of a vtuber being the catalyst for so much of the games drama but what hurts her is just how predictable the reveal feels. Not only because of how skeevy Chitose is for a majority of the story but also because RGG decided to show her directly messaging the villians at the end of one of the chapters (which feels so fucking weird since other twist villians like Baba did the concept so much better). Dwight Mendez (voiced and mocapped by Danny Trejo) isn't too bad but I wish he had more screen time because he appears near the start of the game and just goes away until the very end, though his final scene might just be one of the goriest in an RGG game. On the Hawaii side of the story is Bryce Fairchild, a cult leader who channels the Jingweon Mafia from 2 (and some parts of Bleach Japan). He has some pretty unsettling moments and an awesome boss fight but is also revealed really fucking early and just dissapears until the endgame (noticing a pattern?). Probably the best villian is Eiji Mitamura (or Ei-chan as Ichiban calls him). A former Bleach Japan member who has a bone to pick with the Yakuza, he serves as the most consistently appearing character and has some pretty great moments (especially in the ending). Going from him to the main dude is Masataka Ebina, the half brother of Ichiban and man also stiffed by the Yakuza (mainly cuz his Dad basically ruined his life). While it is a bit of treading old ground for the villians to be connected with Ichibans past I don't actually mind it in IW and his motivation is pretty solid. What I have issue with is HE'S FUCKING KIRYUS MAIN VILLIAN. Bringing back Kiryu from 6 isn't a bad idea on paper and I do think IW gives him a pretty solid sendoff (though I still like how 6 did it more) but his reasoning to fight Ebina feet incredibly forced, with the excuse of wanting to be forgiven feeling nonsensical since all the stuff that happened to Ebina being far before Kiryu's tenure as fourth chairman. All these combine to make villians that almost rival 4 in how meh they are (though Munakata is still the absolute worst).
STORY SPOILERS END
At the end of the day Infinite Wealth is just another Yakuza RPG. A great locale and story hamstrung by a system that just makes the entire experience drag. I'm hoping that the Judgment side series continues because this RPG future for the once brawler series is starting to grind my gears.
8/10
Tekken 8
2024
My first Tekken and one I bought purely for the multiplayer. Don't have much else to say besides its a fantastic fighter with one of the most impressive rosters in a modern FG.
Tekken 8
2024
Rating is only for Singleplayer.
Story + Arcade Quest both are really good. Didn't even play a Tekken Game before, yet i loved the Story. Will focus on Online now and maybe you will see me in TWT :)
Story + Arcade Quest both are really good. Didn't even play a Tekken Game before, yet i loved the Story. Will focus on Online now and maybe you will see me in TWT :)
Will keep this one short because there's not much to say with GOTG 2021. An excellent story about the Guardians that perfectly captures the spirit of the group saddled with some of the most mediocre gameplay makes this one an aggressively average one to go through. I won't say I hated my time with it but man it did not need to be as long as it was (about 20+ hours). Would only recommend if you don't mind the most basic gameplay and are more of a narrative driven person.
6/10
6/10