Final Fantasy 7 Remake Demo - It's here! This is not a Drill!!!!! Also Impressions

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

It's alright...

I really hate how JRPGs have to tutorial the shit out of everything. Why can't the whole battle system be open from the start? Why can't I run at the start? Why is there a tutorial for getting through simple turn off & on laser beams? I was trying to switch modes via triangle from the start and I couldn't do it until I was allowed to, same thing with running. It's only an issue in the beginning of the game and all but it's just annoying. Platinum literally gives you their entire battle system (that's more complicated than this is) the second you start playing their games. During the boss fight, Cloud says to use lightning magic so I go through both his and Barret's spells and none of them have lightning magic and I'm like WTF. Then, a few minutes later, I check back and Barret now has a lightning spell. Why wasn't it there from the start when he joins the party so you know all your options? That's it for opening nitpicks that won't be present for 99.9% of the game.

I'm not really finding the battle system too engaging, it like wants to be an action combat system but it's not really that good at it. The enemy telegraphing of attacks has issues. First, when I'm playing as Cloud melee attacking the boss, I can't see the aerial rocket attack launch. Second, the electrical AoE attack can't be avoided when you see the "warning" circle as you just can't move out of the radius in time. I guess you're supposed to block that then? If there was a jump button, you most likely would be able to get out of the way. I'm also not a fan of any game where the controls change when you're in combat and out of combat and this game does that. I knew there was a last turret gun thing escaping when I went to run and couldn't thinking all the enemies were dead. I may have missed something about how lock-on works but is there a way to stay locked-on without it switching just by moving the camera? I recall the tutorial saying to switch with the d-pad I think. I was trying to have Barret shoot the shield generator thing on the boss but the lock-on keep switching from the shield generator to the standard boss lock-on just by slightly adjusting the camera since they're so close to each other. It seems like the lock-on just there to show you what enemy (enemy part) your character's gonna hit vs it actually locking onto said thing. The running behind cover thing on the one boss attack was just like pointless and boring, what's the point? You have like 10 seconds to run behind conveniently dropped cover that's like 10 feet away. It only serves to make the fight take longer. The Sweeper fights were also pointless because it's almost impossible for the thing to hit you and you're just wailing on it watching an HP bar drop rather slowly. It's trying to be both action and turned-based and both elements are making the other element worse. The action side doesn't feel all that satisfying and the tactical decision type stuff doesn't feel that important.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

The tutorial is there because the system is too complex usually and you won't have time to become used to all systems in the game if they throw everything at you from the start, while if they slowly drip it down you'll be used to each thing every time it is added.

We have the perspective of people who have played dozens of Jrpgs but if it's a complete newbie at the helm they'll instantly be super overwhelmed by all the things you can do.

Also, a lot of people won't even be willing to sit through a hour long tutorial as they start the game whereas multiple 10 minute ones are more tolerated.

 

[CritialGaming]

It's alright...

I really hate how JRPGs have to tutorial the shit out of everything. Why can't the whole battle system be open from the start? Why can't I run at the start? Why is there a tutorial for getting through simple turn off & on laser beams? I was trying to switch modes via triangle from the start and I couldn't do it until I was allowed to, same thing with running. It's only an issue in the beginning of the game and all but it's just annoying. Platinum literally gives you their entire battle system (that's more complicated than this is) the second you start playing their games. During the boss fight, Cloud says to use lightning magic so I go through both his and Barret's spells and none of them have lightning magic and I'm like WTF. Then, a few minutes later, I check back and Barret now has a lightning spell. Why wasn't it there from the start when he joins the party so you know all your options? That's it for opening nitpicks that won't be present for 99.9% of the game.

Barrett had Thunder available the whole time for me? Are you sure you just didn't miss it? The same goes for the controls, running worked by holding R2 well before the tutorial popped up. So I don't really see the issue there.

Also as for your thing about tutorials, it IS a demo, so it makes sense to be heavily tutorialized for people clueless about getting into the game.

During the boss fight it sounds like you were too aggressive and the game punished you for it. If you stay in and smash attack you will not be able to dodge away in time for the AOE. Also there is NO animation canceling so if you are doing an attack that animation will finish before your character will dodge or block.

Admittedly I had defensive struggles with the boss the first time, but knowing better on round two, I played a little more causiously and paid closer attention to when it was safe to attack and how to attack. Which meant that even though i attacked LESS I actually was able to beat the boss faster.

This is not an action game, though it might look like one, it really is an ATB based RPG at the core and you'll get in trouble treating it like a brawler.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

Admittedly I had defensive struggles with the boss the first time, but knowing better on round two, I played a little more causiously and paid closer attention to when it was safe to attack and how to attack. Which meant that even though i attacked LESS I actually was able to beat the boss faster.

This is not an action game, though it might look like one, it really is an ATB based RPG at the core and you'll get in trouble treating it like a brawler.

I already planned to play through the demo a second time. Seeing that the second time is actually better just for understanding how the game works a little better is really good, though. That even in the demo, there's enough depth to it that your second run is significantly different to the first.

 

[Drathnoxis]

I watched SGF play it and it looked... not great. The voice acting/script is bad and Barret will not shut up! It's just non-stop snark, all the time and gets tedious pretty quickly. The enemies seem to have far too much health so the combat just drags on and on and seems really boring. Maybe he was just bad though, I don't know.

What the heck was with Shinra blowing up their own reactor? That did not happen in the original. It makes AVALANCHE look inept, and it makes Shinra look dumb.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

What the heck was with Shinra blowing up their own reactor? That did not happen in the original. It makes AVALANCHE look inept, and it makes Shinra look dumb.

It's possible that AVALANCHE only intended to destroy the Mako pump, shut down the reactor, at least for a while. Shinra went out of their way to destroy the entire thing to score a PR blow against AVALANCHE: "these maniacs blew up the entire thing, they need to be stopped!" At least, that's how I read it.

Besides, "that didn't happen in the original" isn't a particularly strong argument for... anything, considering.

The enemies seem to have far too much health so the combat just drags on and on and seems really boring. Maybe he was just bad though, I don't know.

Was he using a variety of abilities, or was he just hacking and slashing? Monsters have a lot of HP/defense to require that you use varied tactics to take them down efficiently. Magic, special abilities like Punisher Mode's counter, rushing to a Stagger with Focused Stab/Focused Shot, things like that. The same thing doesn't work on every enemy, either.

 

[stroopwafel]

Cool to hear it doesn't disappoint. Personally will skip the demo just like I did with RE2 Remake demo. I have the game pre-ordered anyway and I always find demos of games I'm really looking forward to make the wait unbearable.

 

[Casual Shinji]

The voice acting/script is bad and Barret will not shut up! It's just non-stop snark, all the time and gets tedious pretty quickly.

It also doesn't help that he sounds like the most archetypical anime black guy. When he started expositing in the elevator about shit Cloud and ponytail girl already knew about just to convey information to the audiences, I was kinda done with him. So yeah, I doubt I'm gonna get too emotionally engaged in these characters.

The combat was pretty neat, I can see how I might like it if I spend some more time with it. I really liked the fight against the scorpion robot, but fighting those ninja dudes was fucking awful. I was getting my ass kicked, and shit was happening way to fast and the screen was filled with too many flashy effects for me to tell why.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

The combat was pretty neat, I can see how I might like it if I spend some more time with it. I really liked the fight against the scorpion robot, but fighting those ninja dudes was fucking awful. I was getting my ass kicked, and shit was happening way to fast and the screen was filled with too many flashy effects for me to tell why.

The Shock Troopers dodge your attacks, but all of their attacks are melee. Best way to handle them is to use Cloud's Punisher Mode, since that counters melee attacks. Once they're in hitstun, you can wail on them. Barret's Thunder spell is also guaranteed to hit whatever he's locked onto.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

The tutorial is there because the system is too complex usually and you won't have time to become used to all systems in the game if they throw everything at you from the start, while if they slowly drip it down you'll be used to each thing every time it is added.

We have the perspective of people who have played dozens of Jrpgs but if it's a complete newbie at the helm they'll instantly be super overwhelmed by all the things you can do.

Also, a lot of people won't even be willing to sit through a hour long tutorial as they start the game whereas multiple 10 minute ones are more tolerated.

The game's systems aren't very complicated. Why do we need a tutorial for getting past lasers that turn off and on? Or why is there a tutorial for smashing boxes? I also don't like when games control differently in and out of battle, you can't actually fool around outside battle trying out your moves for example because of that.

Barrett had Thunder available the whole time for me? Are you sure you just didn't miss it? The same goes for the controls, running worked by holding R2 well before the tutorial popped up. So I don't really see the issue there.

Also as for your thing about tutorials, it IS a demo, so it makes sense to be heavily tutorialized for people clueless about getting into the game.

During the boss fight it sounds like you were too aggressive and the game punished you for it. If you stay in and smash attack you will not be able to dodge away in time for the AOE. Also there is NO animation canceling so if you are doing an attack that animation will finish before your character will dodge or block.

Admittedly I had defensive struggles with the boss the first time, but knowing better on round two, I played a little more causiously and paid closer attention to when it was safe to attack and how to attack. Which meant that even though i attacked LESS I actually was able to beat the boss faster.

This is not an action game, though it might look like one, it really is an ATB based RPG at the core and you'll get in trouble treating it like a brawler.

After booting up the demo and just playing the 1st few minutes, I'm pretty sure Barrett did have the spell because I realized you can't see your spells when you don't have the action points to use them. I didn't realize Cloud had the fire spell 1st time playing until the Sweeper fight because going into the command menu without the needed action points greys out special attacks, spells, and items. So you can't even go in and see what you have. I'm assuming it lists that stuff if you go to the full-on pause menu but not just when hitting X. But, again, it's not the reason(s) for me not liking the game much because those issues that won't be there for 99.9% of the game.

I was totally too aggressive and more so brute-forcing it more than anything, and I realized I could've beat the boss much more efficiently. That doesn't change the fact that the enemy tells are poorly done. I just watched a some other guy playing much better than me and he got hit with the same attacks I was talking about because they're poorly telegraphed. I don't care if you can't or can cancel animations, I play Monster Hunter that actually makes you feel like your using Cloud's big ass sword. I'm pretty sure you can't move out of the way of the electrical AOE even if you are inbetween attacks and start dodging away the second you see it. I also got back to the tutorial explaining lock-on and I don't get the point of it when the tutorial literally says the R-stick changes your target, which means you can't move the camera and stay locked-on to what you want, then what's the point of it?

I completely realize what type of game it is, I know it's not a pure action game. What I'm saying it's both a watered-down action game and strategy game. There is never a time the action combat feels satisfying nor moments where you're making important strategic decisions. You're really just finding basic weaknesses to stagger enemies faster, then unloading on them. All the enemies are pretty much complete cannon fodder except for the boss fight, which makes me question why I'm even fighting them when there's no challenge, no execution skill in the action combat, and no important strategic decision making; I'm literally just mashing attack, doing a special attack here and there, and that's it. It's not very engaging gameplay at all. Pick action or pick strategy, trying to both only waters down both of them. Also, it would be nice if when you got a ATB charge, your weapon would flash once, and then it would flash twice when getting the 2nd charge so you wouldn't have to look at meters in the bottom corner of the screen to know when you can do your specials.

I watched SGF play it and it looked... not great. The voice acting/script is bad and Barret will not shut up! It's just non-stop snark, all the time and gets tedious pretty quickly. The enemies seem to have far too much health so the combat just drags on and on and seems really boring. Maybe he was just bad though, I don't know.

I have never played FF7 so I have no attachments to it. Barrett seems very caricature-ish but I'm sure scenes and dialogs are missing, they better be because if this is the complete opening, it leaves a lot to be desired. I was mainly indifferent to most of the characters and dialog so far; nothing to really make me want to see more but also nothing to think it sucks either. I will say Cloud was kinda annoying me a bit already. The one chick asks about Tifa and Cloud starts talking about her for like 2 seconds and the elevator opening up interrupts him and he doesn't continue the conversation when they're on the elevator ride.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

I have never played FF7 so I have no attachments to it. Barrett seems very caricature-ish but I'm sure scenes and dialogs are missing, they better be because if this is the complete opening, it leaves a lot to be desired. I was mainly indifferent to most of the characters and dialog so far; nothing to really make me want to see more but also nothing to think it sucks either. I will say Cloud was kinda annoying me a bit already. The one chick asks about Tifa and Cloud starts talking about her for like 2 seconds and the elevator opening up interrupts him and he doesn't continue the conversation when they're on the elevator ride.

Spoiler: Some full game spoilers from a video on Youtube

According to a video produced by Eurogamer recently, in the full game, the scene in question is actually extended. When Jessie asks about Tifa, Cloud has a brief flashback to their shared childhood in Nibelheim.

This can be seen at approximately 4:15 in the video: /watch?v=5aEZoLhQYNc (I couldn't make the embed work.)

 

[Yoshi178]

just realized this game comes out on April 10, the same day as the public holiday Good Friday and EB games doesn't even open on public holidays.

GOOD JOB SQUARE ENIX! *slow claps*

 

[CritialGaming]

What the heck was with Shinra blowing up their own reactor? That did not happen in the original. It makes AVALANCHE look inept, and it makes Shinra look dumb.

Actually in the original game, Jesse says that she didn't expect her bomb to be THAT destructive. The crew are very shocked and kind of horrified that what they did ended up causing innocent people to die.

The scene from Shinra actually explains why the explosion was far greater than expected and also shows how Shinra used Avalanche to further the public opinion on their own motives.

It's really well done.

 

[meiam]

What the heck was with Shinra blowing up their own reactor? That did not happen in the original. It makes AVALANCHE look inept, and it makes Shinra look dumb.

Wait what? Why would they change that? Maybe they don't like the idea of main character being terrorist so they tried to change it to shinra being responsible... That's not a good news... It'd be pretty dumb to try and use that turn public opinion against avalanche since they're such a small outfit, it's not like they got follower or anything. Plus it's not like shinra ever needed public opinion on their side... Even if they really needed to create bad publicity for avanlanche, why not disable the reactor and create back out, would still piss off people and they would still have the reactor, those things can't be cheap and if shinra is really all about "the evil of money" they wouldn't blow up their own asset.

 

[CritialGaming]

What the heck was with Shinra blowing up their own reactor? That did not happen in the original. It makes AVALANCHE look inept, and it makes Shinra look dumb.

Wait what? Why would they change that? Maybe they don't like the idea of main character being terrorist so they tried to change it to shinra being responsible... That's not a good news... It'd be pretty dumb to try and use that turn public opinion against avalanche since they're such a small outfit, it's not like they got follower or anything. Plus it's not like shinra ever needed public opinion on their side... Even if they really needed to create bad publicity for avanlanche, why not disable the reactor and create back out, would still piss off people and they would still have the reactor, those things can't be cheap and if shinra is really all about "the evil of money" they wouldn't blow up their own asset.

Please read Post #33

 

[CritialGaming]

I have never played FF7 so I have no attachments to it. Barrett seems very caricature-ish but I'm sure scenes and dialogs are missing, they better be because if this is the complete opening, it leaves a lot to be desired. I was mainly indifferent to most of the characters and dialog so far; nothing to really make me want to see more but also nothing to think it sucks either. I will say Cloud was kinda annoying me a bit already. The one chick asks about Tifa and Cloud starts talking about her for like 2 seconds and the elevator opening up interrupts him and he doesn't continue the conversation when they're on the elevator ride.

Spoiler: Some full game spoilers from a video on Youtube

According to a video produced by Eurogamer recently, in the full game, the scene in question is actually extended. When Jessie asks about Tifa, Cloud has a brief flashback to their shared childhood in Nibelheim.

This can be seen at approximately 4:15 in the video: /watch?v=5aEZoLhQYNc (I couldn't make the embed work.)

Fixed [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5aEZoLhQYNc&t=255] (normal embedding doesn?t work on this site anymore AFAIK. Same for signatures.)

Yeah SE could?ve taken a cue from Naughty Dog on conversation interrupt/continuance, but maybe it?ll be fixed in the full game.

I DL?d the demo but haven?t had a chance to play yet. Hopefully tonight.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

I have never played FF7 so I have no attachments to it. Barrett seems very caricature-ish but I'm sure scenes and dialogs are missing, they better be because if this is the complete opening, it leaves a lot to be desired. I was mainly indifferent to most of the characters and dialog so far; nothing to really make me want to see more but also nothing to think it sucks either. I will say Cloud was kinda annoying me a bit already. The one chick asks about Tifa and Cloud starts talking about her for like 2 seconds and the elevator opening up interrupts him and he doesn't continue the conversation when they're on the elevator ride.

Spoiler: Some full game spoilers from a video on Youtube

According to a video produced by Eurogamer recently, in the full game, the scene in question is actually extended. When Jessie asks about Tifa, Cloud has a brief flashback to their shared childhood in Nibelheim.

This can be seen at approximately 4:15 in the video: /watch?v=5aEZoLhQYNc (I couldn't make the embed work.)

Fixed [https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5aEZoLhQYNc&t=255] (normal embedding doesn?t work on this site anymore AFAIK. Same for signatures.

Yeah SE could?ve taken a cue from Naughty Dog on conversation interrupt/continuance, but maybe it?ll be fixed in the full game.

I DL?d the demo but haven?t had a chance to play yet. Hopefully tonight.

It still doesn't change the part that I didn't care for in the scene where Cloud starts answering her question "Tifa and I..." and stops because the elevator dings and they ride it in basically silence. There definitely could be more there in the actual game as stuff feels very disjointed in the demo.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

I quite enjoyed the demo, and I did my best to avoid any of the hype for the remake. Hype never helps a game in my experience, and I'm better off going in blind.

I do have some concerns, primarily that of Jon Eric Bentley as Barret. I'm hopeful that the way he talks in the demo is just the "pre-character development" Barret, because if he talks like that the entire game, it's going to make me roll my eyes harder than my skull can take. It's not even that it's bad, it's just so...overdone. You think of the most stereotypical "angry black dude" voice, and you've pretty much got it.

On the flip side, I quite liked Cody Christian as Cloud. He comes off as someone who is perhaps trying a little too hard to sound cool, but at the same time, it's great to hear a snarky Cloud. I actually genuinely laughed at several of his lines.

Gameplay wise, I felt the combat was very well done. I thought it felt a bit repetitive, having to charge the ATB constantly with basic attacks, and it feels a bit odd to not be able to use items on a whim. At the same time, however, that gives the combat more depth. I can't just tank an attack, then instantly heal, because there's a good chance I'll need to charge my ATB a bit to heal, which might give the enemy an opening, for example. I'm looking forward to seeing how summons will work (I'm sure they showed them in previous trailers and such, but read the first paragraph).

In short, despite some areas in which the demo fell short, I still had an overall great time playing it, and am contemplating pre-ordering, something I very rarely do, and will NEVER do without a demo. I'm also one of the apparently weird people who enjoyed the changes from the original game. Having Shinra blow up the reactor completely, rather than AVALANCHE, takes away from the grey vs black morality, but at the same time, it always felt weird having the good guys be terrorists who completely disrupt the lives of people just trying to live because planet. I also loved the moment where they seemed to be recreating the moment that Cloud falls into the church, but he instead platform jumps his way to safety. If the final game has more moments like that, where it seems to be setting up a scene from the original but subverts it, I'm all in favor.

 

[meiam]

What the heck was with Shinra blowing up their own reactor? That did not happen in the original. It makes AVALANCHE look inept, and it makes Shinra look dumb.

Wait what? Why would they change that? Maybe they don't like the idea of main character being terrorist so they tried to change it to shinra being responsible... That's not a good news... It'd be pretty dumb to try and use that turn public opinion against avalanche since they're such a small outfit, it's not like they got follower or anything. Plus it's not like shinra ever needed public opinion on their side... Even if they really needed to create bad publicity for avanlanche, why not disable the reactor and create back out, would still piss off people and they would still have the reactor, those things can't be cheap and if shinra is really all about "the evil of money" they wouldn't blow up their own asset.

Please read Post #33

Yeahhhh no, not at all.

In the original, Shinra is so worried about avanlanche destroying their reactor that they decide that it's worth leveling an entire sector just to stop them from destroying even one more reactor. This establish clearly that shinra power is backed by the reactor and that it value those above anything.

In the remake, shinra are so worried about avalanche (an outfit that has yet to do anything) destroying a reactor that they... destroy a reactor? And this worries them so much that they'll evnetually decide their only recourse to prevent themself from destroying any more reactor is to level the sector? So in the remake shinra doesn't value reactor at all? So what do they value? They're already the dominant military and political power so it's not like they have anything to gain from blowing up their own reactor. It just make them seems callously stupid, evil for the sake of being evil.

 

[Dansen]

What the heck was with Shinra blowing up their own reactor? That did not happen in the original. It makes AVALANCHE look inept, and it makes Shinra look dumb.

Wait what? Why would they change that? Maybe they don't like the idea of main character being terrorist so they tried to change it to shinra being responsible... That's not a good news... It'd be pretty dumb to try and use that turn public opinion against avalanche since they're such a small outfit, it's not like they got follower or anything. Plus it's not like shinra ever needed public opinion on their side... Even if they really needed to create bad publicity for avanlanche, why not disable the reactor and create back out, would still piss off people and they would still have the reactor, those things can't be cheap and if shinra is really all about "the evil of money" they wouldn't blow up their own asset.

Please read Post #33

Yeahhhh no, not at all.

In the original, Shinra is so worried about avanlanche destroying their reactor that they decide that it's worth leveling an entire sector just to stop them from destroying even one more reactor. This establish clearly that shinra power is backed by the reactor and that it value those above anything.

In the remake, shinra are so worried about avalanche (an outfit that has yet to do anything) destroying a reactor that they... destroy a reactor? And this worries them so much that they'll evnetually decide their only recourse to prevent themself from destroying any more reactor is to level the sector? So in the remake shinra doesn't value reactor at all? So what do they value? They're already the dominant military and political power so it's not like they have anything to gain from blowing up their own reactor. It just make them seems callously stupid, evil for the sake of being evil.

I think a few trailers suggest that Shinra is using Avalanche as a pretext to attack the Wu Tai. Basically false flag attacks on their own facilities to further a narrative for further expansion. The Wu Tai are probably going to be heavily reworked for the next game to justify the invasion mini-game which I'm sure will be revamped. I dunno it could work.