Replaying this for the first time in eleven years and I’m quite disappointed by it.
After playing the first six games, I’ve become spoiled by the simplicity of 2D exploration and how fun it is to visit charming locales that's quick and easy. Unfortunately, Final Fantasy VII bogs down this experience with the 3D jankiness in trying to navigate through its muddy pre-rendered backgrounds. Maybe they looked better on a CRT of the 90s, but playing them with my zoomer tendencies just makes the whole endeavor feel miserable.
Combat is interesting because I really love the materia system and all the combinations you can experiment with, but at the same time the ATB system feels so gutted in how wonky I have to select things and how the whole UI feels. Storywise, this game is definitely uncontested as the best final fantasy narrative, the cute love triangle going on, the cast bickers and banters, how each character has their own arc to go through, all of its is just so riveting to play through that FF7 definitely feels the closest a cast of party has ever been. Sephiroth is just an amazing villain and all the build up and twists around him just keeps me guessing in awe as every payoff just delivers.
Honestly though, I don’t think I’m going to complete this second playthrough. As a game it doesn’t do enough to keep me invested as I’ve already beaten it once and know what happens next. This is still a great game, but definitely not on the higher echelon as I used to think it was. Maybe I’ll come back to it, who knows, however there’s a million games that I want to play more right now.
After playing the first six games, I’ve become spoiled by the simplicity of 2D exploration and how fun it is to visit charming locales that's quick and easy. Unfortunately, Final Fantasy VII bogs down this experience with the 3D jankiness in trying to navigate through its muddy pre-rendered backgrounds. Maybe they looked better on a CRT of the 90s, but playing them with my zoomer tendencies just makes the whole endeavor feel miserable.
Combat is interesting because I really love the materia system and all the combinations you can experiment with, but at the same time the ATB system feels so gutted in how wonky I have to select things and how the whole UI feels. Storywise, this game is definitely uncontested as the best final fantasy narrative, the cute love triangle going on, the cast bickers and banters, how each character has their own arc to go through, all of its is just so riveting to play through that FF7 definitely feels the closest a cast of party has ever been. Sephiroth is just an amazing villain and all the build up and twists around him just keeps me guessing in awe as every payoff just delivers.
Honestly though, I don’t think I’m going to complete this second playthrough. As a game it doesn’t do enough to keep me invested as I’ve already beaten it once and know what happens next. This is still a great game, but definitely not on the higher echelon as I used to think it was. Maybe I’ll come back to it, who knows, however there’s a million games that I want to play more right now.