FFVII Remake: Intergrade Yuffie DLC Announced

Erotic Materia

[CONFUSED SCREAMING]
I’m hopefully not a broken record. I don’t even want part 2 to be open world. It’s too obvious that open world games are absurdly hard to do well, and even when they’re done well they often struggle in the story department. I am in FF7 for the story and characters, spectacle and fun gameplay, and story and characters are my sacred cows. Anything that dilutes that or creates more potential to water down those elements is something I’d rather them just avoid altogether, especially since I find nothing inherently special about open world games.

I’d rather them just go with zones and usher is through a linear path like Remake did, to focus on what’s really important. I think God of War is a good example here. Both how linear parts were great examples of pacing and how the open world parts clearly sapped away more important elements, like diverse boss battles (which God of War kinda sucked at). More evidence to me to lean towards a linear story with zones rather than open world.
This is where you and I definitely differ in preference. I absolutely want open world, squirreled away secrets, the urge to poke in every little corner. Give it all to me.
>thinking about how Cloud plays the main theme on Tifa's piano
I've always wondered how that was first figured out... there's nothing obvious pointing it out to the player. Anyone know?
 

ForceStealer

Double Growth
I'm ambivalent on the "open world" front, if only because possible definitions for that term are super broad. I think FFXII/XIV-style zones are a good compromise. Allows them plenty of room to "squirrel" stuff away, without necessarily requiring the gobs of development time that a proper open-world demands. But, really, if the game's good, I don't care what they go with.

I've always wondered how that was first figured out... there's nothing obvious pointing it out to the player. Anyone know?
Doesn't he automatically play it in the flash back?

Correct
 

Mayo Master

Pro Adventurer
I've always wondered how that was first figured out... there's nothing obvious pointing it out to the player. Anyone know?
The weird thing is: when I first played the OG (with no guide), and there was the opportunity to play the piano, I spontaneously tried to see if I could play the main theme with it, and it worked out! (well, the first time around, you don't get anything, but Tifa comments that you're playing well). When I checked online guides later, I simply realized that many other folks had the same inspiration.
 

ultima786

Pro Adventurer
AKA
ultima
This is where you and I definitely differ in preference. I absolutely want open world, squirreled away secrets, the urge to poke in every little corner. Give it all to me.
I get that you want it. I also “want it”, in the same way I want a cancer free world and peace and love among all people..., but I’m familiar with game development and how insane open world development is. Based on practical considerations I say just skip it altogether cuz, I won’t die if I can’t explore a huge world but I will if the story and characters doesn’t live up to the legendary OG.

We already know combat is fun as hell so that’s in the bag.
 

cold_spirit

he/him
AKA
Alex T
So apparently some gaming sites are reporting on a bit more than what Square has released in their official press statements:

"In addition, the new version of the game gets various quality-of-life changes like changes to make setting your Materia load-out easier. There are also new trophies, a new boss battle, new arena challenges, a boss replay mode, and even a photo mode."

https://www.rpgsite.net/news/10804-...s-definitive-edition-is-coming-to-ps5-june-10

Hot damn, a boss replay mode is a godsend. I have a few save files before some boss fights (Jenova/Rufus/Arsenal specifically), but it's a pain to manage them all.

Hopefully the new materia feature allows you to swap entire materia sets between characters, just like the original game.
 

Lex

Administrator
You people finally brought up that feature enough times that I interrupted my work day to boot up FF7 and see just what the hell you keep talking about.

And...huh. I never thought to move the cursor left past the left-most materia on the Exchange screen.

I still remember that time years ago I taught Shademp you could swap materia between characters by selecting the character's name in the exchange menu. A glorious memory :P

And yeah this was an issue for me in remake.
 

Highwind

Pro Adventurer
So apparently some gaming sites are reporting on a bit more than what Square has released in their official press statements:

"In addition, the new version of the game gets various quality-of-life changes like changes to make setting your Materia load-out easier. There are also new trophies, a new boss battle, new arena challenges, a boss replay mode, and even a photo mode."

https://www.rpgsite.net/news/10804-...s-definitive-edition-is-coming-to-ps5-june-10

Hot damn, a boss replay mode is a godsend. I have a few save files before some boss fights (Jenova/Rufus/Arsenal specifically), but it's a pain to manage them all.

Hopefully the new materia feature allows you to swap entire materia sets between characters, just like the original game.
Sadly, that's all from a fake leak prior to the official announcement of Intergrade:
FINAL FANTASY VII: EVER CRISIS is the definitive edition of the critically acclaimed FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE. With additional features and stunning visual enhancements, the award-winning video game takes full advantage of the powerful new console. The new additions include
  • Performance Mode which targets 60fps with 1440p render resolution and 4K output or Graphics Mode at 30fps with ray tracing at 1440p render resolution and 4K output (PlayStation®5 exclusive)
  • Full DualSense support (PlayStation®5 exclusive)
  • Two brand new chapters: Chapter 8.5 "All Dressed Up" and a mysterious Chapter 19
  • A new boss battle, various new arena battles and a Boss Select Mode
  • Materia Quick Change
  • Photo Mode
  • New set of trophies
FINAL FANTASY VII: EVER CRISIS will launch globally on April 10, 2021 for PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®5 and can be purchased for $59.99/€69.99/£59.99. Pre-order now to receive the exclusive in-game weapon "Butterfly Edge" for Cloud Strife.​
 

ForceStealer

Double Growth
lol, well geez I didn't know that either. Even just now I only tested weapon and armor.

But....before the endgame (in the OG, I mean), I'm wondering how often it's useful? Before everyone has 8-slot ultimate weapons on, how often do two characters have the same loadouts in terms of available slots? Much less the same in both weapon and armor.
 
I used quick-swap of materia quite often in my playthroughs of OG FF7, though usually only for a few materia at a time. Typically swapping out which character gets to have the most overpowered materia for when I grind their enemy kills in order to unlock limit breaks on disc 1.

The quick-swap is also a godsend for when you don't have characters in your current party but you forgot to unequip their materia earlier, so you just go to the Exchange menu and unequip- or swap materia from there. No need to go to the PHS menu and have a character join your party just so you can remove their materia and change out the character again. The only thing really lacking was a way to unequip accessories and change armor from characters not in your party.
 

ForceStealer

Double Growth
The quick-swap is also a godsend for when you don't have characters in your current party but you forgot to unequip their materia earlier, so you just go to the Exchange menu and unequip- or swap materia from there. No need to go to the PHS menu and have a character join your party just so you can remove their materia and change out the character again.

Well sure but the Exchange screen does this normally even without the swap everything functionality
 

LNK

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Nate
This is where you and I definitely differ in preference. I absolutely want open world, squirreled away secrets, the urge to poke in every little corner. Give it all to me.

I've always wondered how that was first figured out... there's nothing obvious pointing it out to the player. Anyone know?

While I'm more a fan of linear stories, I don't mind open world. When it comes down to it, I always have the option of not doing every single side quest. So bring on the open world please!
 

LegendarySaiyan

AKA: SalihGuclu
I am usually for Open World games, but for some reason I would love to see the later parts of FFVII REMAKE with Wide Linear Interconnected Zones without any loading. More like God of War 2018. That way, they can keep their focus on making the details to the environment much denser and in higher quality.
 
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Smoothie King

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Pat
I am usually for Open World games, but for some reason I would love to see the later parts of FFVII REMAKE with Wide Linear Interconnected Zones without any loading. More like God of War 2018. That way, they can keep their focus on making the details to the environment much denser and in higher quality.

Yes. ALL the yes. Further, no one ever stops to say... hey, it's much more believable and realistic to think that this group of people on a very specific mission wouldn't just abandon it before it starts, in order to travel to the other side of the world and go fishing. Open world games are a cool technological achievement, and I actually enjoyed Oblivion and Skyrim, but let's face it... those games are gimmicks. There's no story there. We are fans of Final Fantasy. We know open world hijinks are anathema to the story that we are in the middle of experiencing. You want an open world? Wait until you're ready for the Northern Crater. Open world should be something you earn. It's not a participation trophy. I mean, come on, we have to follow Sephiroth!
 

Ite

Save your valediction (she/her)
AKA
Ite
It’s something I’m strugging with in Dragon Age Inquisition. While it’s the first DA game to really hook me, and I really love the environment designs and the sense of growing your influence by “clearing out” the zones, the whole crafting material/pinecone hunting/letter delivery stuff is really grating. Whenever it deviates from its (assumed) mission statement of casting you as the lead in an action adventure story, it does so to its detriment. It’s no surprise that most players put the game down forever upon reaching the Hinterlands, because (I quote my friend here) “the game’s too damn big.”

I wouldn’t go as far as to call the Elder Scrolls games gimmicky, but I would call the now-mandatory crafting that you find in every game since Skyrim gimmicky. In Elder Scrolls, a robust smithing system is there so that you can enjoy a whole playthrough as a smith character if you like. If I were to play a gruff old blacksmith in D&D, my playtime with my character will be spent fighting monsters and travelling with the party, and not smithing. In Skyrim, my smith can actually smith, because I have the freedom to do boring shit that would waste other people’s time in a TTRPG setting. Rather than being gimmicky, Elder Scrolls offers a unique game experience and fills a specific need that narrative focused RPGs ought to lack. Sadly, Skyrim’s popularity has given the industry the idea that boring open world shit is what we want in every game. That’s where it becomes gimmicky.

Another exception to my “crafting bad” opining is Horizon Zero Dawn, as a hunting survival game you only make what you need to hunt robot fuckin dinosaurs mate. And crafting is as simple as clicking on an ingredient and voila, your stick is now an arrow. You can imagine that Aloy hid in some tall grass and whittled without wasting any time finding a crafting table or “learning a new recipeh.”

The “story” of an open world game (of which TES has always been King) is a unique confluence of your imagined role playing and the random machinations of its AI systems. The plot and NPCs, meanwhile, are convincingly bland to facilitate your second life. That’s a fine cup of tea (I’ve spent 1000+ hours in every TES game since Morrowind) but it’s not the mission statement of a narrative focused RPG like Dragon Age or Final Fantasy (although since the announcement of Final Fantasy XI, I am ever more confused as to what exactly the mission statement of Final Fantasy is...)

I mentioned this in the “One Year Later” thread but when Final Fantasy VII indulges in non-linear content like literal ratcatching, the NPCs are Elder Scrolls levels of bland*, their designs were outsourced to the Italian candy guy, their models and animations lack polish, and the narrative, characters, and setting aren’t developed at the slightest. Compare this to the (only?) sidequest in the original Final Fantasy VII: the stolen materia quest. What a sidequest! Similarly, companion quests in BioWare games (Mass Effect 2 particularly) are about as “open world” as I like a narrative RPG to be. That’s where the development efforts should be going. I did not play FFXV, but it’s idea of an “open world” experience pushes all the wrong buttons, especially since the interesting side content is all DLC and tie-in movie.

*FF7R’s good sidequests all involve the Angel of the Slums. She looks great and her quests actually develop the setting.

There’s a blurry line in a narrative-focused RPG, where exploration exists kind of outside of reality. Before I did the ratcatching quest in 7R’s chapter 3, I was literally doing laps around Scrap Boulevard fighting rats because Cloud and Tifa were kicking ass. But as soon as they slapped a quest marker on the rats the fun died. I don’t think I’m the only one who experiences that.

So, in regards to Part 2... Do I want to spend the rest of my life running around sunny grasslands fighting Levrikons with Cloud, Tifa, and Red XIII? Fuck yes. And, as a guy who likes to get lit and unwind with a fantasy game, I’m perfectly okay with having huge swaths of pretty landscape with nothing to do. Maybe even a hidden chest! Fun. But do I want quests markers that send me there? Fuck no. I don’t want to fish or collect pinecones, I don’t want to cook or pee in a bush to mark my territory. I just wanna run around in circles in the sunshine.
 

Odysseus

Ninja Potato
AKA
Ody
The fact fort condor has been shifted into a board game tells you everything you need to know about back-tracking in the future parts, anyway.
 

Ite

Save your valediction (she/her)
AKA
Ite
The fact fort condor has been shifted into a board game tells you everything you need to know about back-tracking in the future parts, anyway.

Hmmm... does it? I see how you’ve drawn that conclusion, but I don’t think anything is guaranteed.
 
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