![]() Hearing Barret shout the victory fanfare theme song as you rush from fight to fight is enough to make you smile. Every player is likely going to try something different that works for them: that’s how effective the materia system is even decades later.Įven if the combat system isn’t getting you going, a lot of the emotional narrative appeal of the remake spills through to the combat. ![]() Tifa was my thief with her steal materia always equipped and held up the rest of the elemental bargain with air and ice magic. I decided early on that Cloud was responsible for “fire and ice,” while Barret focused on tanking with damage-drawing support materia and a penchant for lightning to boot. ![]() Trying to figure out the best possible builds for each party member was a lot of fun. The former foundation is predicated on “buying” new stat increases or passive powers through a skill tree (more of a skill solar system, really) and the latter allows you to get creative in assigning roles to characters by slotting in different pieces of materia. In Remake, you spend SP (earned through battles) to upgrade your weapons and AP (also from battles) to level-up materia. Part of the reason I had a smooth experience is because I spend an exorbitant amount of time in menus, building my characters. ![]() It prevents you from spamming potions or cure spells, putting the pressure on you to act wisely and make every choice count in some of the more complex battles. Forcing players to expend ATB bars (which is built up over time by attacking or taking damage) to use abilities, spells or items is a smart move. It’s not the most tactical or difficult RPG combat system to master, but there’s a lot to like. You can move around, dodge and defend at will, then queue up a menu of commands (like magic, items, or abilities) that essentially stops (drastically slows) time. Cloud and Tifa are the close-ranged king and queen, with Barret fulfilling a ranged damage role and Aeris as the spellcaster. Tifa is arguably the most interesting party member, sporting a fighting game-like skillset with launchers and abilities that combo off of each other.Ĭombat is like a mix of an action game and a traditional JRPG. If this was my first time ever experiencing the FFVII story, I’d still be enamored by these characters.Īnother obvious change is combat, which is kind of like a more restrained and refined version of FFXV (or an evolution of another recent Nomura project). Remember when I said that each character had more of a chance to shine earlier? The new combat system also facilitates that. Plus, she made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion with her zingers, which is always a plus. Aerith (Aeris) is perhaps the remake’s biggest direct triumph, as she gets more of a chance to shine beyond her duty as a healbot that only had a place in select parties. Midgar, which has been ingrained in popular culture for several decades, is more alive than it’s ever been. Seeing kids frolicking in the playground in the intro that was once barren in the original PlayStation entry gives us new context for the city and the class-based politics that define it. There’s brand new cast members, several of which slot right in naturally and a few that are clear sequel-bait.īut really, it’s the atmosphere of Midgar that wins out as the true pivotal character of the remake. Previously throwaway characters now have motivations and personality thanks to modern technological advancements and a bit of creative storytelling. There’s a lot that’s changed, and it’s safe to say this is one of the most comprehensive remakes ever created. I know what you’re thinking, but this isn’t really about nostalgia: the remake is a straight-up good RPG that builds off a great foundational story.
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