Final Fantasy 7 Remake Demo Review

Intro

Some may believe it’s a bit obscene to review a demo of a game, but this is Final Fantasy 7 Remake I’m talking about. Before playing this game it gave me a plethora of emotions that were hard to explain. While I was excited and hopeful, I was also scared of this game and what its changes would entail. Now that I’ve played the demo I have the utmost confidence in it. I streamed my first impressions of the game on my Twitch. Since then I have played the demo one more time so I could write this review. The two focuses of this review are to cover the two most important aspects in any game, Gameplay and Story. For those wondering, I’ve only played the game in Normal Mode, so my opinions are not based around that of Classic Mode.

Gameplay

Since the story of Final Fantasy 7 is already a masterpiece, the main thing I was looking forward to trying out was the game’s battle system. I played in Normal mode, and found that the game was far more fluid and fun than the gameplay in Final Fantasy 15. The basis of the combat is using your regular attacks to attain ATB levels which are shown below the character’s health bars.

After filling up the gauge either half or full way you can unleash a powerful attack, use magic, or use limits. What’s great about this system is the fact that some of the normal ATB attacks feel almost as powerful as unleashing a limit. In fact some attacks such as Braver and Power Shot were in fact Cloud and Barret’s first limits in the original game.

Similarly to the FF13 Trilogy there is also a stagger bar below enemies HP bar. When the stagger bar hits the tip the enemy will then be inflicted much more damage from your attacks than usual. I really enjoyed this part of 13’s battle system and I welcome it with open arms. Strategics to achieve stagger are prominent, finding what attacks are most effective against the enemy is key to winning just like any RPG. This game isn’t a “mash attack button to win” title. While attacking is great what matters more is what you do with your ATB levels once they have completed.

Cloud’s Gameplay

Along with different attacks for each character, each character has a unique ability that dictates their gameplay. Since Cloud and Barret are the only two playable characters in this public demo, I’m only going to be able to review each of their gameplay.

Cloud’s unique ability is being able to change has battle style by going into either Operator mode or Punisher mode. By default Cloud is put into Operator mode where he has the abilities to dodge, move quickly, and dish out good damage. Cloud’s Punisher mode can be switched to at any time. In Punisher mode Cloud does even more damage with each blow and unleashes a counterattack against physical enemies when they are guarded successfully. However, to compensate for his power he is slower and he’s unable to dodge against ranged attacks. Cloud does more sustained damage than Barret, but Barret has range to compensate that loss.

Barret’s Gameplay

Barret functions as a ranged party member that has the unique ability Overcharge. Passively, Barret charges overshot which deals a few shots of significant damage when used and restores ATB. To charge overcharge faster you can press triangle which will let it recharge a fixed amount based on how high the bar is. The lower the bar the more charging will have an effect. Barret’s standard attacks do little damage except for the last hit. Unlike Cloud Barret can move while attacking, but his walking and running speeds are significantly slower.

Due to Barret’s attacks taking time to deal damage I would recommend using Cloud for most of the dirty work. Barret’s playstyle is more difficult and his DPS feels lower than Cloud’s. However, in this demo Barret has access to Lightning magic (which Cloud had in the original) and Lightning is effective against mech based enemies. Barret’s ATB abilities are also more flexible than Cloud’s. Cloud’s are about raising Damage and stagger, while Barret’s ability sharpened skin gives him better defensive stats. This and his High HP will allow him to stay in fights longer.

Perhaps most importantly, Barret’s ability to shoot down enemies from range allows him to disable annoying Sentry Ray turrets.

Did I enjoy the Gameplay?

There was not a single fault I felt in the battle system while playing. This game plays what I feel like 13 should have been. Out of combat the game is reminiscent of a more polished 13-2.

The corridors don’t feel like hallways and exploring different pathways is key to attaining items you could otherwise pass by. All in all, I give this Demo’s gameplay a 9.5 out of 10. I give it this rating because the combat is even more engaging than the original in my opinion.

Story

I’m not a Final Fantasy 7 elitists or anything, (I totally am) but the story of Final Fantasy 7 is already a masterpiece. Based on those merits alone I knew that I would be getting a good story when I saw the first trailer of this game back in 2015. What the Remake does to add on to the story however, is truly remarkable.

In the original game Barret’s behaviors and attitude towards Cloud were different. While Barret swore and had his classic attitude, he also carried a sense of hopelessness.

What Avalanche is doing may not change a thing in the grand scheme. Barret was constantly putting himself, his comrades, and his own daughter in danger to achieve a goal that seemed unattainable.

This is not the Barret that was shown in the demo. In the demo Barret was haughty, and carried himself even more distinguishable than before. His attitude towards Cloud is still there but the sense of hopelessness he had before has been revoked. He tries his best to put himself above and show that he’s the capable leader he needs to be.

What Cloud and Barret’s relationship ends up transpiring into is one of the things I’m most excited to view in the whole game.

Along with Barret’s writing being different the story telling as a whole has gotten better. Being able to see Shinra’s view on what Cloud and Barret were doing was another amazing addition that made me get hype.

The Story gets a 10/10 from what I’ve seen.

Conclusion

In the end I am a firm believer that this game remains as promising as it was the day it was announced. The remade Gameplay is so much fun. I recommend any action RPG or Final Fantasy fan to try out this demo. I rate the demo as a whole a 9.75/10. April 10th can’t come sooner. Stay hype Final Fantasy 7 fans.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

