I'm not sure what got me interested in the remake of VII, but I downloaded the demo and quite enjoyed the combat system. However, what struck me was the amount of effort the creators have gone into crafting an actually decent narrative, something I am generally quite critical of in games. Story has never been something I found overly compelling in the games I play, preferring to watch movies or read a good book for my fix of that. However, even in the demo you could tell the creators both love and respect this game quite dearly and have gone to great lengths to make in a legitimate expositional experience.
Finishing the game left me in an awkward, alien state - I've never been depressed about completing a game before. The desire to continue the journey (even though I know vaguely what happens) was strong with this game and having to put it down from a narrative standpoint was sad and disheartening. If this is what FF fans or story game players feel and look for in games then I can safely say that I get it now. I wouldn't say its the healthiest state to be in constantly, but the fact that a video game has the capacity to do that is remarkable to me. It truly is the best entertainment medium.
Visually the game is impressive too, pushing PS4 technology to the limits with the latest Unreal Engine tech. Although its capped at 30fps on the console (hopefully this improves) the level of detail in the environments in certain places is beyond ridiculous. I would say the term 'overkill' is both appropriate and accurate to describe the detail the creators have put into sections of this game, particularly from a visual standpoint. My PS4 is audibly struggling (i.e. fans cooling) to the point where I have put my old laptop cooler underneath it to not stress it too much. On PC this game is going to look gorgeous, and play even better!
Gameplay wise it is also a blast and would have had to be for me to stick around playing it at all. It is a good mix of real-time and ATB modes that requires you to employ both to have any degree of success. You can control any member of your party, but while doing so, other party members wont do much more than attack (occasionally) and guard (thankfully). Sometimes the AI here is a little frustrating, having characters run off and even face the wrong way at times. Tifa I found was especially bad at this for some reason. I would have personally tweaked this to not have to babysit non-active members so much - doing nothing is fine, but doing less than nothing is cancer. However, when things work, the combat is chunky and visually impressive with the damage numbers during staggers (enemy incapacitation) feeling rewarding almost every time.
After completing the campaign, playing the game in Hard mode and attempting the endgame VR Arenas has been a solid challenge. Some of the VR battles contain monsters that are not seen anywhere else in the campaign, and the rewards for defeating them are basically best in slot. Not being able to use items means you need to consider how much Mana Points (MP) you are using as you can't just spam spells and brute force your way through. Even simple monsters hit like a truck, so making a build with some solid defences and sustain efficiency is also critical. You don't do any damage when you are dead, as they say.
I do hope they continue releasing content for remake and not just work solely on the second chapter. A few more difficult arenas to conquer would cater towards crazies like myself for awhile yet, and be minimal work at best. Here's hoping Square Enix realises this and finds the time. Otherwise, solid game, easy recommendation, 10/10.
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