Obligatory disclaimer: I've always been aware of FF since I've been gaming, I've tried playing 7 but got stuck, I goofed around with 7's remake for an hour just to get a feel for it and plan on returning to it, but this is the first game in the series I've finished. I'm aware I lack the series' context as to why certain changes might have hampered the experience of longtime fans, so this will be through the eyes of a newcomer.
That being said, I absolutely loved this game. I usually log games here after I complete them, but I had to do another playthrough because it was too fun not too. I couldn't wait any longer and this was the game that made me get a PS5 when I did. I obviously was excited since the DMC5 combat director was involved and considered this his best work (although I'd have to disagree, DMC5 still has the best combat in any action game I've played IMO). While it isn't quite my favorite system, it's super addicting and the Eikon abilities have a surprising amount of depth to them, the thought of another playthrough to experiment with the system even more is super compelling to me. Then the boss fights? Good lord the bosses here were incredible, arguably on par with some of FromSoftware's best fights (I'll admit the Bahamut shmup section was a little weak, but the final phase makes up for it).
The sidequests have been criticized a lot, and I can't really disagree with them being one of the weaker aspects of the game. Most of them are basic fetch quests, several of them are confined to the same room, but a few do actually build on the characters further and make the finale even more compelling. This did not bother me too much, but I get longtime fans being let down.
I did find the story compelling, but the GOT-esque negotiation scenes kinda took me out of it (not the fault of the game, just kinda was over GOT from a while back, being exposed to constant hate over its finale had that effect on me). But I became immensely attached to the characters, Clive is one of my favorite protagonists in games right now, I found his romance with Jill to be genuinely sweet, Torgal is good boi, and even the minor supporting characters really grew on me and helped my investment in the story. It's been a while since I found myself THIS invested in an entire cast of characters, and it makes me love the game even more.
Performance on PS5 is stable for the most part. A few cutscenes dip a little, but the combat is a steady 60 fps where it matter most (i'm certain the PC port will fix this, but for now I'd rather it falter where it matters less).
Anyways, needless to say I love this game. I'm definitely getting the Pixel Remaster and plan on playing every FF up to this point (except maybe 11 and 14, I'm really not into MMOs). I'm curious to see where this entry stands when I finish the classic games, but for now this made me a fan and I can't wait to go through them. For now, I'll likely come back to this game for the rest of the year. Not quite my GOTY, (sorry, but Hi-Fi Rush will be a hard act to top) but a close second.
Strong 9/10
That being said, I absolutely loved this game. I usually log games here after I complete them, but I had to do another playthrough because it was too fun not too. I couldn't wait any longer and this was the game that made me get a PS5 when I did. I obviously was excited since the DMC5 combat director was involved and considered this his best work (although I'd have to disagree, DMC5 still has the best combat in any action game I've played IMO). While it isn't quite my favorite system, it's super addicting and the Eikon abilities have a surprising amount of depth to them, the thought of another playthrough to experiment with the system even more is super compelling to me. Then the boss fights? Good lord the bosses here were incredible, arguably on par with some of FromSoftware's best fights (I'll admit the Bahamut shmup section was a little weak, but the final phase makes up for it).
The sidequests have been criticized a lot, and I can't really disagree with them being one of the weaker aspects of the game. Most of them are basic fetch quests, several of them are confined to the same room, but a few do actually build on the characters further and make the finale even more compelling. This did not bother me too much, but I get longtime fans being let down.
I did find the story compelling, but the GOT-esque negotiation scenes kinda took me out of it (not the fault of the game, just kinda was over GOT from a while back, being exposed to constant hate over its finale had that effect on me). But I became immensely attached to the characters, Clive is one of my favorite protagonists in games right now, I found his romance with Jill to be genuinely sweet, Torgal is good boi, and even the minor supporting characters really grew on me and helped my investment in the story. It's been a while since I found myself THIS invested in an entire cast of characters, and it makes me love the game even more.
Performance on PS5 is stable for the most part. A few cutscenes dip a little, but the combat is a steady 60 fps where it matter most (i'm certain the PC port will fix this, but for now I'd rather it falter where it matters less).
Anyways, needless to say I love this game. I'm definitely getting the Pixel Remaster and plan on playing every FF up to this point (except maybe 11 and 14, I'm really not into MMOs). I'm curious to see where this entry stands when I finish the classic games, but for now this made me a fan and I can't wait to go through them. For now, I'll likely come back to this game for the rest of the year. Not quite my GOTY, (sorry, but Hi-Fi Rush will be a hard act to top) but a close second.
Strong 9/10