FFVII Remake is unlike any piece of media I have ever engaged with. I'm in awe of how much this game expects out of its audience with its lack of explanation of lore and the huge divergences it takes with it' plot, and as someone who finished the OG for the first time immediately before playing the remake, this is a great companion piece and sequel to the original.

I love how much care is put into the presentation of this game. This could have easily been a straight retelling, but what is the point of that? In a market flooded with remakes and reboots, creating a sequel under the guise of a remake is genuinely shocking, and really caught me off guard.

I love the battle system, and the way that each character feels totally unique when cycling through party members mid fight. The vibe of Midgar is immaculate, with the sickly green Mako powered lights and the false stars of the upper plate sky at night really making this space feel real.

My only complaint is with the pacing. This is maybe one of the worst paced games I have played in a while. Whole areas that took 5 minutes in OG are stretched out to 3 hour long segments, and there is a really brutal run of 6 boss fights in a row at the end that was very punishing.

Overall, this is a great experience, and exactly what I'm looking for in a triple a game. Nice to see that Square is willing to take a risk with one of the most iconic franchises in gaming history, one that could have easily backfired. This is a huge success imo, and I'm really excited to keep up with this project and see where they decide to take things.

Hope everyone is ready for Tifa to get the business end of Sephiroth's katana this time around!