I've gotten pushback elsewhere on this, but there are bits of dialog here and there which pretty much embarrass the original game. But that's probably more to do with presentation, better translation, vocal performance, and a few more decades allowed to properly distill.
I've gotten pushback elsewhere on this, but there are bits of dialog here and there which pretty much embarrass the original game. But that's probably more to do with presentation, better translation, vocal performance, and a few more decades allowed to properly distill.
This is my feeling also. I think the issue for people very critical of Remake is basically this: “there are 2 or 3 plot points that were handled X way in OG and Y in Remake that OG did better. So the Remake sucks because these few things are a big deal to me and make it hard for me to see the triumphs of this game.”
I personally would say this: “there were 2 or 3 plot points that were handled better in OG than Remake. And Remake did hundred things better than OG so far, especially with characters and world building (and cinematography, and music and and and and and…)”
Final Fantasy VII is my favorite game of all time. But Midgar has always been my least favorite section to replay (in fact, for yeas, I had a save file for just outside Midgar when I wanted to play the game). I prefer this Midgar to that Midgar.
This is my feeling also. I think the issue for people very critical of Remake is basically this: “there are 2 or 3 plot points that were handled X way in OG and Y in Remake that OG did better. So the Remake sucks because these few things are a big deal to me and make it hard for me to see the triumphs of this game.”
I personally would say this: “there were 2 or 3 plot points that were handled better in OG than Remake. And Remake did hundred things better than OG so far, especially with characters and world building (and cinematography, and music and and and and and…)”
This is probably the most productive framing I’ve seen of that core issue. It’s not my only issue, but I don’t have just one issue with the Hobbit movies either. And until Remake’s Chapter 16, I was very close to being in that second camp, with a few nitpicks like pacing and busy work that would not have impacted my recommendation in the slightest. But you phrased it very well: Chapters 16-18 were “a big deal to me and make it hard for me to see the triumphs of this game.”
I’m going to save that first paragraph in my phone.
This is my feeling also. I think the issue for people very critical of Remake is basically this: “there are 2 or 3 plot points that were handled X way in OG and Y in Remake that OG did better. So the Remake sucks because these few things are a big deal to me and make it hard for me to see the triumphs of this game.”
I think there comes a point though where what people take issue with in Remake can’t really be compared to the OG because there’s no OG version of the Whispers to compare it to, in particular. Which makes some complaints boil down to “the OG was better because it just didn’t have all that”, but that doesn’t say much about how well the idea is executed, only that you don’t like it period. It’s really not much of a criticism if the only improvement you can think of to the Whispers is just not doing it. Like it or not, it’s still a thing and it’s here to stay.
So I feel like still getting worked up over the Whispers existing is pretty fruitless at this point, and a more productive conversation would probably be one looking at how those ideas and other new elements can be handled as best as possible instead of just tossing them away altogether. Anybody still looking or hoping for some kind of a replacement to the OG is doomed to be disappointed, doubly so if what you took away from the OG doesn’t align with what the creators took away from it in the first place. Might as well strap in and just see where this goes, especially if you pretty much already gave SE your money for the next few years like me lol.
I disagree. I didn't look at it that way. I think if they were to have made the game to "please everyone," they could've left out the whispers and done the more action combat. I think that would've pleased everyone much more than what we got.
Are there any particular moments that you thought were particularly memorable?
Without spoiling anything, there's a scene at the end that I poured my heart into. I didn't know that you-know-what was going to happen and I got really emotional about it myself - in that moment it was a very genuine reaction.
Unfortunately, I clipped the mic so we couldn’t use the take! I was like: “Nooooo! It was real!” (laughs).
More than anything else, I have to think Square giving up on developing purpose built engine for every game will speed up development times considerably.
I feel like it was a Yoichi Wada business decision to expand their revenue potential by renting out their game engines and shit but I dunno if that was ever confirmed or not.
It's like they made that engine for Advent Children from scratch and it went well so they're like "let's do this!" even though that was for a movie and not a game.
Its not so much that as using off the shelf wasn't common on the Japan side back then. And it's not like they've given up on developing in house engines either, Luminous Studio still exists basically to continue that development.....its just not gonna be gambled on their big tent properties anymore.
It's amazing that Square struggled so much with these in-house engines, but it seems they've re-tooled Unreal to be like, the most amazing engine ever.
I wonder if Luminous finally found it's stride with Forspoken?
One thing about FF7R which still baffles me, is how "Solid" all the characters feel. Like, they have amazing weight to them, and steadiness (with zero jitter). Look at chapter 1 where Barret pushes Cloud out of the way... Cloud feels so 'heavy', and reacts like a normal [super] soldier would. One thing about FFXV that would bother me a lot is how the characters felt weightless, even in cutscenes, and would judder a lot, even with high spec PCs
It's amazing that Square struggled so much with these in-house engines, but it seems they've re-tooled Unreal to be like, the most amazing engine ever.
I wonder if Luminous finally found it's stride with Forspoken?
One thing about FF7R which still baffles me, is how "Solid" all the characters feel. Like, they have amazing weight to them, and steadiness (with zero jitter). Look at chapter 1 where Barret pushes Cloud out of the way... Cloud feels so 'heavy', and reacts like a normal [super] soldier would. One thing about FFXV that would bother me a lot is how the characters felt weightless, even in cutscenes, and would judder a lot, even with high spec PCs
The only time they struggled with their engines was during the transition between the PS2 and PS3 era... like a big part of the industry (especially in Japan). The problem is it has lasted for a very long time.
I thought this bit about the creative process was interesting. Makes me appreciate Sonon's character more.
Was it challenging to find the right balance?
I found it was easy to slip into a more aggressive, rage-filled interpretation, especially with what he’s gone through - that Sonon who’s filled with anger and hatred.
But, for me, Sonon is also someone who’s a skilled fighter, who’s disciplined. It was hard to keep that balance, but I had a lot of help from the director.
He would pull me back when we went too far off the deep end, and basically say: “hey, you’ve got to calm down a little bit here. Yes he’s angry, but he’s also disciplined and focused on the mission. He’s not the type to let his anger get ahead of him when there’s something that needs to be done or someone that needs to be protected.”
His pride doesn’t come first, and that was one of the hardest things to find in the performance.
I mean, thats par for the course for just about the whole English cast, no? I haven't heard a significant amount of people (apart from the Operation Reunion fanatics) who prefer the old to the new cast...
I forgot about that Operation Reunion thing…was there ever any validity to their claims about ViacomCBS interfering with the casting? Sounds like something that belongs on an iceberg tier lol
Seems awfully unlikely, but who knows with showbusiness. My headcanon was that some Square fan who was part of the large groups that really didn't like the Compilation voice cast had ascended in the company enough to convince them to change everyone. But occam's razor said it was probably just cheaper to replace everyone. I'd say they did a pretty good job since with one or two exceptions everyone is as good or better.
As I said from the beginning, I was a little bummed about Beau Billingsley because he never got any good Barret material and I know that he would have killed it. But John Eric Bentley is killing it just fine on his own and is great, so I have no objections.
The new Zack voice is eh...but I admit the new guy had some things working against him. Primarily that he's the only person that
had to redo a scene that had been voiced before, word-for-word, but without any of the context that Rick Gomez had. And also that I was already pissed by that point of the ending He sounded a little better in the Intermission ending, but Gomez really was perfect.
The new Sephiroth guy basically sounds like he's doing an impression of Newbern to me, so, whatever.
And this is the first time they've ever had a good Aerith, so that's cool.
