im not going to spoil this game. much as i want to discuss it, i will hold off. i know it's been a few months since the game released but my god. never have i had such fun in the ff7 universe. many were worried about "nomuraisms" leaking into the remake of this classic, but I think he's been held back by a team that truly loves this game and its characters to pieces. one can really see this by how the women are actually well-written.

there is a bit of meta silliness at play, especially towards the end, but i think the overall journey makes it totally worth playing. the nonstop references, the transition from blocky ps1 2d to gorgeous setpieces that brought tears to my eyes. this is my game of the year, and i'd be surprised if anything tops it.

that being said, my one small critique is that because the game took so long to develop, it feels like a lot of the minigames are super refined by people who playtested them far too much. the piano minigame especially. regardless, this is the best game of 2024 no shot.