Final Fantasy VII Remake on the field: we already feel like the one reserved for jaded JRPG fans

LOS ANGELES – I have not seen or played enough Remake of Final Fantasy VII to confirm the exact course of the game when it was released on PlayStation 4 consoles in March 2020. What I can say up to now, at least, is that I am far from being an apologist for Final Fantasy or from JRPG, yet an hour and a half later. The debut in E3 2019 of the game m & # 39; have absolutely excited.

Really, I am shocked to admit it. Yet, familiar elements, new fights and an incredible finish in the presentation and dialogue have convinced me that I would be a full day FFVIIR player, no matter how good, weird or mediocre the last part. So, I'm here to talk about why I feel so – and what remains to be confirmed or explained about this ambitious, bleak, "first of an indeterminate series", which comes back to the days of glory of Square Enix.

Weigh for a legitimate fight

The press conference organized by Square Enixr at Monday's E3 confirmed some things about FFVIIR, refreshed visuals with expanded history and its new recorded dialogue. But first of all: what does it mean to play the sacred thing?

The press conference clearly showed that the game included an up-to-date version of JRPG's fight and that the mechanical details we had learned sounded pretty good as a selling point. But participating actively in the demo helped confirm how good we feel in action – and how separate he feels the other tariff "action-RPG" Square-Enix (Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Hearts).

These other games allow players to use joysticks to run their characters on battlefields filled with enemies, but effectively, this movement does not change their heart: a turn-based fight, driven by a menu and resembling the former JRPG. In comparison, FFVIIR is really a brawler. Overwrite a main "attack" button for a default melee or ranged attack (depending on the chosen character and his equipped weapon). Press a button to launch the dodge or hold down the lock button to resist attacks that you probably can not dodge. And regardless of the distance or distance to the enemy, there is an element of risk / reward, which makes you more likely to be hit while putting yourself at hand to inflict damage (or , on the contrary, making sure you manage your characters remotely). away from combat to maximize their far-firing potential).

Instead of offering a Devil can cryarray of caliber attacks and combos, however, FFVIIR Breaks his most dramatic attacks into a "pause" menu that slows down the time of analysis. Here, you can activate special attacks, magic spells and items, each of which costs one bar of the active combat bar (ATB) of your characters. (This menu also offers a welcome respite during frenzied moments to reposition the game's camera and switch active control over different heroes, or assign ATB tactics and moves to those you do not control.) ATB bars fill up at as you shoot more successive attacks – and fill up faster when you are in direct control of a particular hero. Thus, you will want to use the D-Pad to exchange your direct control between the heroes on a regular basis.

Take a position (or two)

I have personally enjoyed the rhythm that results. Half of the management of classic menu attacks in JRPG paid off with more vivid attacks and effects, and I also remained enthusiastic while managing my active strikes, dodging and placing on the battlefield on a regular basis. In addition to these elements is FFVIIRThe secret sauce of "positions". Characters can switch between one of two positions by pressing the triangle button on the PS4 controller. This changes the default behavior for the main attack and the dodge of your active character.

In Cloud's alternative "puncher" stance, for example, he starts swinging heavier strikes with a wide multi-enemy arc but moves much slower. In his alternative attitude, Barret will begin to shoot concentrated explosions resembling shotguns. Thus, for both characters, you are essentially rewarded if you rush forward, if you are in an alternative posture, if you inflict damage, and then change position again. (But this can reduce your ability to dodge or block effectively, so you'll have to decide when to go crazy.)

After watching the producers of Square Enix play the oldest part of the game, which consisted mainly of grunt-fighting soldiers and drones loaded with turrets, I struggled to fight similar waves of villains. This was followed by a fight against the first boss of the game: Scorpion Sentinel, a huge robot robot that turns into more defensive and offensive forms at various damage thresholds.

While the basic grunt fight was engaging enough, this boss battle really demonstrated the importance of positioning, character swapping, ATB pause, activation of special attacks, and active combat in general. (The positions were disabled in my practice, unfortunately.) I had to lead my characters to the shelter when an attack was about to land. I had to change the character to free the captive when another was caught by the scorpion's claws. All the while, I had to time my blocks and dodges to keep my heroes up.

Square Enix registration image