I'm at roughly the halfway mark, and I think I can safely determine now that I Love This. FF7 is one of my personal most important games, and this remake does it pure justice in almost every way.

The only thing I take issue with here is the pacing, which for a guy like me who can only play games 1-2 hours at MOST in a day where video games are possible...well it can be a little trying. The Midgar segment of FF7 is essentially burned into my DNA, and I find it a bit jarring just how stretched out the various bits of that chapter become in this remake. Some segments that only last several minutes in the original game become entire hour long chapters here. I think this is mostly successful but it can be a bit repetitive when all it does is string together a few more one off puzzles (robot hands, i am looking at u) or connect a few more samey rooms together with corridors and fights. At the same time, this thing has blown many of the original set pieces right out of the water and I absolutely cannot wait to see how it finishes.

The character designs, plots, personalities, voice overs -- all are wonderful and I have fallen in love with them all. Nothing more to say there.

I think that the side questing is handled well enough for a modern final fantasy. They sorta play out like FFXV, but with some actual continuity and character and a whole lot less tedious travel. Plus, the side quests lead to some excellent battles. I like them, and they don't overstay their welcome. They even contain little bits of meaningful world building that I appreciated very much.

I was also pleasantly surprised at just how engaging and challenging the combat can be in this game. The materia system has plenty of depth, and there are far fewer stat-related consequences to experimenting with different combinations than there were in the original. This game actually has defeated me a handful of times! That is more than can be said about FFXV, ha. There are a couple of boss battles in particular that have some NASTY moves late in the fight. Again, can't wait to see how the late game bosses play out.

I might even bump this up to a 4.5 after finishing the game, but as a Dad With No Time To Play Games, I felt the need to say my piece about it now. The game is GOOD and a real love letter to everything FF7.