So...when does Rebirth pick up? (Minimal spoilers pls)

So I just got a chocobo about 4 hours in and it's just been kinda...mediocre? I loved Remake but it just feels so overwhelming with the huge maps and all the exploration. The predecessor felt so crisp and streamlined but maybe that's just a me thing.

Am I just the minority?

Second 1

It's just a very different game than Remake, try to reset your expectations, I'd say!

Even in the OG, not much is happening at this point in the game in terms of "main plot". Focus more on the character interactions and the gameplay.

Final Fantasy 7 is the book version of The Hobbit. Final Fantasy 7 RE is the film version of The Hobbit.

Just depends how much you like a small story being expanded upon.

The first couple chapters are a bit on the slower side, along with the grasslands being huge. Picks up majorly around chapter 5 and beyond. Incredible incredible game :)

I'm on chapter 8, about halfway thought the game, and have disliked all of the open world content, which has taken up over half the total playtime.

However, I would still say I am liking the game a lot.

Take of that what you will.

The game definitely has an extremely slow start though. If you do the demo skip, I would say the first 2ish hours of the game are just straight up bad.

Without a doubt it's got a slow start. I got used to and comfortable with the open world after getting the chocobo, but found myself a bit tired of the open world stuff once I got into the second region... ...at first. I grew to appreciate it a little bit more as I progressed and realized that it can all be done in bite-sized bits that you can always return to (barring a few sequences where you temporarily lose backtracking). They're good to knock out in short playsessions at a time. Some of the minigames are miss but a few are fine. Honestly, it's a lot like how JRPGs always used to be on Disc 3, just now it's from the very beginning.

I'd say it officially hits its stride when you get to Upper Junon. The main story starts to get quite a bit more interesting when you get there, and the game goes really, really hard on certain bits of plot. Every single party member is a bestboy/girl candidate this time around.

I was ho-hum about it all at first but without a doubt it picks up speed. I've not yet felt the need to grind which is a plus, combat gets much more satisfying the farther you get in, the more abilities you unlock, and the more materia slots you get. My hope is that if there's a part 3, the pace starts on the higher end of the bell curve now that what I assume is the formula going forward is established.

I think the best takeaway is that we don't have a "remake of FF7" so much as a new game following the story of the original game with a ton of reverence for it. I found myself grinning ear to ear on more than a few occasions after things did get going.

If youre not feeling the open world content, just skip it. There is no requirement to play it. Personally I enjoy it because its presented in such a convenient way with the ability to fast travel to any location and only a few things to do per tower, but the game really does just let you mainline it. At least up to where I am.

I'm on chapter 9 and this game is amazing.

Can go at whatever pace you like, blitz through the story, do side quests, do a bajillion minigames, play some Mario Kart. So much variety that I don't find myself tiring of any of it.

LightningStrikes posted...

If youre not feeling the open world content, just skip it. There is no requirement to play it. Personally I enjoy it because its presented in such a convenient way with the ability to fast travel to any location and only a few things to do per tower, but the game really does just let you mainline it. At least up to where I am.

This is where I'm at now, a few days after my last post. You can mostly skip past it just like running directly to the next town on a JRPG's world map.

That said, some of these mandatory minigames / "play as another character with their unique gimmick" sections are ass. Chapter 11, looking at you.

In the last chapter now, I stopped doing any open world content after chapter 10 and it makes the game astoundingly better. Basically everything that isn't the mainline quest or Queen's Blood is not great at best.

I've been mainlining from chapter 4 and it's definitely better to skip the open world stuff, but the mainline still has a bunch of lame gimmicks. And cool gimmicks of course. But the ratio seems worse than 7R1. e.g. ( long and boring military drill section vs exciting and surprising Honeybee dancing section)

Chadley is definitely a plague for this game

below Eiko and Fran tier which I didnt know was possible for this series

I'm on Chapter 9 and I've liked every second of it

so I'm the wrong person to ask

Also chadley rules

Accel_R8 posted...

lay as another character with their unique gimmick" sections are ass.

These were all almost universally good.

Can't believe people are mad that they had to play everyone that wasn't boring lame Cloud.

The ones near the end of the game are pretty dreadful. The first chunk are fine, though.

The problem isn't playing as other people. The problem is "here's a unique gimmick you'll never use again that is just annoying".

Chapter 11 is the worst example though. Most dogshit section of any game that I'd rate 10/10.

Maybe I'm just old but normal mode just feels too hard for me and my pride won't let me put it on old man settings. Feels bad man

Also chadley was cool in remake but pretty annoying so far in this one... :(

There is absolutely no shame in turning a game to easy when you're not clicking with it. I've turned almost every AAA "Prestige Narrative" game released over the last half decade to easy in the last 20% or so just so I could get though the story because I was getting bored.

You can go in the setting and make Chadley shut the fuck up during fights.

The game definitely is harder than Remake.