SPOILERS FFVII:R Chapter 1 Spoiler Discussion

Claymore

3x3 Eyes
Chapter 1 was a really surreal experience. It all feels like such a dream. Having played the demo quite a few times - as well as the speedrunning challenge for the site - it really didn't kick in that I was actually playing the real, full game. I kept waiting for the penny to drop, for another cutscene to kick in and for everything to suddenly be taken away from me. But after the escaping from the Mako Reactor, to suddenly be thrown back to the group as the chapter ends and the next one arrives ...

I still can't believe it.
 
There must have been about 100 changes to the sound design in Ch1 of the retail game compared to the demo. Multiple sounds in the menus and in the overworld now have more OOMPH to them. Setting the shortcuts almost sounds like equipping materia in the original game.

A select few changes in voices as well: President Shinra was completely silent in the demo, while here he at least gets an "Hmph" at the end of his first scene. This matches with the Japanese version of the scene, where even in the demo he had this "Hmph" line.

The voice when the bomb timer is set ("Twenty/Thirty Minutes Until Detonation") is way more muffled in the demo. In the retail release this voice is way more clean and crisp so you'll have no trouble catching what is being said even if you don't have subtitles on.


Actually did perform the Retry-from-Last-Battle exploit and grinded Potions and Moogle Medals...and EXP! The demo did not preserve EXP gained during a battle if you selected RfLB after already having defeated a few enemies. Levelled up Cloud TWICE before I moved on and stopped my 1-hour grind. :wacky:

I believe the drop rate for Moogle Medals was lowered substantially. In the demo I would easily have 20 or more Moogle Medals once I had grinded up to 70 Potions. When I did the same in the retail version, I only had 7 Moogle Medals. Either I had massively bad luck or the drop rate was indeed lowered for the final game.

Confirmed that items gained during battle, like Grenades, are not preserved when you select RfLB. EDIT: Acquired gil is not preserved either.


Lovely seeing all the changes, many of which I haven't even covered in this post. I hope there will be the option that when you select New Game that you don't have to see the staff credits. If Square's reasoning is that we can get the "clean" version from YouTube and that this will be our only way to view that, well... I would be rather uppity about that. :monster:
 
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Back To Black

Pro Adventurer
Have to say I'm loving the Remake.

I love the designs of everyone. Barret looks beastly, Cloud looks spot on and Tifa looks good to. I liked that they have fleshed out the scenes with Jessie, Biggs and Wedge.


Midgar looks gorgeous and Cloud's ptsd moments crank up the intensity and removes any comfort/confidence I had returning to this game.

Scorpion was intense.

Only criticism I have is that it can feel a little button mashy at times but its minor.

Onto the next chapter.

ps, Just when I wondered where the victory fanfare was Barret sings it....

Genius!
 

Maidenofwar

They/Them
That's amazing Ryvius! I feel like I spoilt the hell out of everything but still there's just something about playing it in real time and I didn't watch any playthroughs or anything just saw images and read a lot of stuff :pinkmonster: I managed to finish Chapter 1 then the game kicked me out to finish installing so I went back to bed. The team wasn't kidding when they said boss fights were something else this time, I was Barret kin in that fight yelling on my god why isn't this thing ded yet :smashedmonster: I'm having a lot of fun switching between allies to save others (set Barret as my lead while I could), issuing orders, etc. Biggs, Wedge, Jessie, I love them, I was being ridiculous and trying to dodge all the lasers properly on the first go so Jessie praised me and I felt chuffed but of course I kept screwing up at the last set of lasers haha. Also I might have been dreaming because I was very tired and sleepy and basically conked out at some point but I think Cloud saved Jessie from rubble twice? So that's two little moments they had already ;o Loved the Cloud and Wedge scenes, and also the Jessie and Biggs banter, do I sense some tension from Biggs there? :shifty: Going to be keeping an eye out for more of this! It's funny since for a while I thought Wedge was going to be my favourite of the Avalanche trio but Biggs putting up some stiff competition here! I'm heading off to play some more, hopefully the installation's finished now!
 

Mayo Master

Pro Adventurer
Hey guys! My quick impressions on the 1st chapter.... although I'd like to mention that I had managed to keep myself in the dark since E3 2019.

- The first visuals of Midgar were amazing... and the remake of the opening sequence zooming out from Aerith was an amazing thrill.
- A bit surprised about how angry Barret acted in the bombing mission... that seemed a little too much over-the-top, for me.
- Mixed feelings about the mini-flashback that Cloud had about remembering Tifa in Nibelheim as a child. On the one hand, I like the sequence itself, but I didn't really like that the sequence was placed in the middle of the action. When Jessie asked Cloud about his relationship with Tifa, I was like 'look, Jessie, now's not the time.'
- The Scorpion Sentinel fight was great, and way tougher than I had anticipated. I had been breezing through the mob like it was nothing, and then the Scorpion Sentinel almost got me! I was down to 3 potions and 0 phoenix down at the end of the fight... and I felt like 'hoo boy, I sucked!'
- The combat system is awesome, but I feel like I have a long way to go before being proficient at it.
- So far I feel like the acting is a little too 'anime-esque' and a bit too 'over-acted', if that's a word (especially in this chapter). Cloud is spot on though, which is probably the most important thing.
- I didn't really like the plot change where Heidegger sabotages the mako reactor, IMO it kind of removes the moral burden the Avalanche members should be standing. But eh, I'll roll with it.
- I'm actually sharing my playthrough with my spouse and a friend who's here for a whole weekend sleepover (we've been each other's only social interaction since the COVID business started and we're not under complete lockdown, so that's fine). We're taking turns playing the game, it's really neat.
See you later for chapter 2 impressions!
 

Rydeen

In-KWEH-dible
That's amazing Ryvius! I feel like I spoilt the hell out of everything but still there's just something about playing it in real time and I didn't watch any playthroughs or anything just saw images and read a lot of stuff :pinkmonster:

I should specify that I was essentially unspoiled for Chapter 1 (I did see some pics though). I had seen a smattering of non-plot related leaks as well as the final trailer, so when it comes to the game in general I would not consider myself entirely fresh, but it's probably fresh enough to be novel - a lot of folks are really strict with the spoilers whereas I kinda took a middle ground. I also saw a gifset with
Rufus and Tseng
that was a bit spoilerific (not sure if I'll regret), but I've left it as untouched as I could muster.

I managed to finish Chapter 1 then the game kicked me out to finish installing so I went back to bed. The team wasn't kidding when they said boss fights were something else this time,

Ikr? Glad I wasn't the only one who thought it was pretty challenging for a first boss. Chapter 1 wasn't nearly as bad as the first mission of Nier Automata though.

Going to be keeping an eye out for more of this! It's funny since for a while I thought Wedge was going to be my favourite of the Avalanche trio but Biggs putting up some stiff competition here! I'm heading off to play some more, hopefully the installation's finished now!

I love it when Jessie flirts with Cloud and Biggs says "Here we go." Looking forward to more exchanges between them. I love the cocky Cloud, especially the smirk when Jessie calls him cool. I also liked it when Cloud broke the fourth wall slightly and says to Jessie "you're not helping" when she keeps telling him to hurry.

There's really too much for me to say without writing a novella about it.
 
If you play this in Hard Mode, Scorpion Sentinel actually uses its tail laser twice in a row.
Caught me off guard. D:
Not gonna lie, I feel a bit spoiled now.
Even though I'm happy to hear that Hard Mode is in fact a thing. I assume you may only unlock Hard Mode by completing the game?
Personally I'm going to avoid mention of this thing in any thread that isn't full-game-spoiler thread, but I won't insist on everyone else doing the same.
 
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Tennyo

Higher Further Faster
I'm not sure if it was because when the demo dropped I spent so much time exploring the reactor and everywhere in the demo that maybe it just wasn't doing it in the game, but the first chapter felt somehow different than the demo? It seemed like there is slightly less banter between Cloud and Barrett, but maybe that's not the case?

I also felt like the scorpion seemed a lot harder in the game than it did in the demo. Cloud KO'd twice.

All-in-all I feel like they upped the difficulty for the actual game. Honestly I can't see myself being able to make it through a run on hard mode, but maybe I'll get better at it as things move on?
 
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Maidenofwar

They/Them
About to start a Hard mode run from the beginning. Does anyone know what Crescent Moon Charm actually does? "A charm imbued with the fervent desire to be by one's side by eternity" like if I equip these to Aerith, Barrett and Tifa before starting from c1 again will Cloud take less damage or something, or will it have any impact on affection ?
 
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