When I did my review on the PS5 edition of the Final Fantasy 7 remake, I was probably a bit biased and wearing nostalgia googles. I maintain my review stance and still say it’s a 10 out of 10 game. This however, is a true 10 out of 10.
This game is truly a behemoth in it’s own right as well as being the second game in a planned trilogy. Now I know this game really does aim for fans of the original more than anyone and it does rely heavily on having played that on PS1 or recently enough to know what the fuck is going on.
Without trying to spoil too much, this game doubles down on the ending of the remake with the multiverse time lines. As well as really bringing in aspect of other stories from the surrounding game series. Taking a more prominent role is Zack from Crisis Core, theres a few flickering scenes that’d you blink and miss from the film Advent Children, as well as character tweaks and outright changes.
From a story point this is a true masterclass in story telling, and this is namely done in the writing and world design. The characters are so well fleshed out and actualised. From all the interactions from the benign chatter as you run around, to the carefully design synergy attacks during combat. Everyone has their time to shine and given reason to care for. The voice acting is of a gold standard across the board helping bringing the correct nuance and intonation as they talk. Having dedicated side quests where a certain companion takes centrefold. You can deepen your bond by selecting the correct dialogue choice and actions. This doesn’t amount too much but you do get to hang out with one of your chums at the end of chapter 12 depending on who you are closest too.
The party comprises of Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barrett, Red XIII, Yuffie and Cait Sith with the remaining Cid And Vincent being present but not playable. I think this game does a real service to making them all stand out as well as when controlled in combat all of them feel like they could be the protagonist of any JRPG series themselves. My party usually consisted of Cloud, Tifa and Yuffie and Using Tifa as the main heavy.
Whilst fighting you can do the standard of attack, dodge, and defend. Whilst charging up your ATB gauge to use spells, items and abilities. New to this title is being able to use synergy attacks as well which also grant temporary boons, like increasing the ATB gauge to three instead of two or temporary unlimited MP or nulifying physical damage etc. You also have Limits and summons to help dealing even more damage.
I think the fighter is tighter than the remake and more engaging. You have less control over the builds as your character, weapon and party level all increases. You get stat increases to the character as well as the weapons stats. You can pick the order you unlock your character skill trees but you can obtain them all with two playthoughs which you’d need for the platinum. You definitely hit harder but in return also get hit harder. This time round the devs really upped the sheer amount of boss fights as well as making them far harder. It’s by no means the hardest game in existence but some bosses do cause you a wee bit of grief. Along with a few hidden bosses the most prominent being Gilgamesh. Where once you’ve completed all the protorelic missions which there are 4 to each region. Something I wasn’t the biggest fan off you unlock his island which ends in a fight with him.
The game world covers nearly all of the planet this time rather than just the linear Midgar of remake. Now rather then being a complete open world it’s more of a connected up overworld with self contained open areas. Now you get Chocobos to run around faster which each come with their own terrain specific abilities which help traverse the grasslands or desert of Cosmo Canyon. I think this game looks phenomenal and not just graphically. I think some may disagree but the sheer level of detail and effort gone into each areas design is outstanding. From lush pastures, to thick forest encompassing ancient ruins or the rocky terrain lording above the desolate desert below. Or the chilled summer vibes from the beach resort at Costa Del Sol.
As you go around each area, there are a plethora of enemies just plumming it around to run into and battle. Now most bigger enemies or mini bosses only spawn from finding all of the areas intel and summoning them or from a side quest that takes place. Having the variety to fight makes for battling again being better then remake. I thought remake was a bit limited in enemies as well as very little in open areas which stunted it somewhat.
I should probably mention Chadley a returning Professor Hojo created shinra cyborg who helps you by acting as a guide, materia merchant as well as giving you access to beating the summons such as Titan, Odin and Bahamut to use in battle. He pops up all the time, and if you find a life spring, do a battle challenge, the protorelic quests for each area or activate a beacon he will pop and chat some shit at you. It’s fairly constant. I didn’t mind it all that much though, but I think that I played this game from release until recently and it was broken up that much I was never exposed to him in big chunks. He even creates an AI himself called Mai who then also chats shit at you.
The game only has I think something like 34 side quests which isn’t loads but for the most part they are such an improvement over remake. They mostly count for something or help expand on the world and lore of everything. But what this game does have in absolute spades is mini fucking games. I’d argue this is my one draw back from this game. There is an endless stream of them. Now I like mini games as much as the next person but this on regular interval forces you to play them. The games platinum is locked behind them if that’s something you’d usually go for. Having to complete them on hard mode which is unlocked once initially completing them. Most of them I didn’t mind and I often go the highscore with minimal effort but some of them just blow ass.
This sentiment isn’t bestowed upon the might that is Queens blood. My favourite addition to the series. This is what Gwent was to the Witcher. I loved it in fact I wish there was more of it, and more trophies specific to this pass time. I did everything to do with this, I collected all the cards, beat everyone and I wanted more at the end of it. The story that centred around it was weak but it needed to be there to give you more reason to play it. Chocobo racing was fun as well, very Mario Kart like, I did however hate those bastard Cactuar gates which are designed to ruin your life.
Tonally this game is peak Final Fantasy, you have such sincere heartfelt moments which are broken up by the grittier darkness of the looming dying planet. The mental struggles of Clouds fragmented mind from the five years of torture he endured and then you randomly find yourself battling in a colosseum whilst a past villain is on the DJ decks and his cronies are rap battling at you. I find the levity something to behold. This happens through much of the game with the last few chapters really failing up sadness and serious nature of the main story. Forgoing the campiness and comedic moments that are sprinkled throughout.
I do have complaints about the lack of Zack and Sephiroth in the 40 hour long story. I assume this is because they’ll be used more in part 3. I do like how they’ve made Sephiroth straight up evil though whilst retaining the madness he gained in his pursuit of Jenova. I think this was the right choice stylistically and creatively with the game being expanded in such a massive way. Really abusing Clouds psyche against himself by repeated getting him to try and kill his companions.
So some slight downsides as much as I don’t want to admit them. The overworlds were sometimes not fun to go around, Gongaga was a bit shite, you had to bounce around on big ol’ mushrooms in specific orders. This was mildly infuriating but nothing major, now I hated Cosmo Canyon, you had use your Chocobo to glide around to platforms which you were kept afloat by fans on the ground and air. Some times you had to loop around near half of the map. Luckily you can fast travel to markers everywhere, from settlements, any side stuff you’ve cleared, Chocobo stops you’ve fixed so the more you do the easier it is along with the fetch quests that send you here there and every fucking where.
I really enjoy this story and I love the way it’s gone, expanding it’s own universe by using all the media that has subsequently being released since 1997. The over reliance on knowing everything that happened in all these games just stunt the end somewhat. I think the open ended nature of the game is left so we can all sit and speculate what it means. Who knows what, who’s from which timeline, which ones were merged, destroyed, whose swapped places. As well as not really explaining the black or Holy Materia enough. As well as taking away the scene of Cloud putting Aerith in the water. Which is beyond iconic. Now I do personally believe this will be in the last game as a moment of clarity when everything is fully explained but we will see.
Honestly this game is superb. I can’t physically rate this any lower then 10/10. It’s Real Fuckin’ Tasty.
As long as you are intending to play the entire trilogy and just played the main scenario you’d be in for a real treat. The nearly fully realised world of Gaia, as a party of expertly written characters trying to save it. Along with tight and precise combat that’s never a slog. It’s hard to not want to keep going and put the game down. It’s only hampered by slight pacing issues caused by an over abundance of mini games which I think because the developers put so much effort into it they wanted to make sure you played them. I can’t recommend this game enough.
Released 29th February 2024 on Playstation 5.
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