Review: Final Fantasy VII (PS5)

NB this is a review of the base game only, I haven’t played the Intergrade additional content yet. There will be some minor spoilers in the story section, but only vague and items relating to the premise.

 

Story

So, a quarter of a century of so after the original game came out for the original Playstation we have the PS4/5 version. The story is not identical. For a start, it only covers the first portion of the original multi-disc game. In addition, some areas are more fleshed out, or slightly altered. The additions are fairly significant, in terms of both main story midway through, and optional side-quests.

For the most part, these work well. An especially good aspect is that there’s a not-at-all-subtle explanation for why things work out the way they do, and the ending of the story does give overt notice that things might be substantially different going forward.

Pacing is mostly good but there are times when it can be jarring. When one character is rushing to save a child, the game decides to throw a needless very mini-quest (30 seconds work) that is done at walking pace and pointlessly steals away the sense of urgency. However, for the most part the story is handled well.

 

Gameplay

This is the area where I changed my mind most from the demo on the PS4 to finishing the game. I really liked the materia system, and have no problem with either standard turn-based battles or the ATB approach of the original. Materia is kept in this game, and works well (as might be expected), but the ATB system has been substantially reworked. You now have two ATB slots which are slowly filled over time, and more rapidly when you attack. Most things (spells, abilities, and items) require a single slot although some abilities require both.

This actually worked very well and prevents the real time nature of basic attacks getting swallowed by spamming spells. In addition, the varying nature of the four playable characters does make a big difference, with Tifa super-fast and Barret able to deal plenty of damage (especially at range) but rather slower. Initially, I thought it was just button mashing, and while that can work with more basic fights, smart use of materia and understanding how the system works makes a big difference for tougher foes.

Beyond your usual fights there are also optional arena style locations/events (Shinra’s combat simulator, or Corneo’s colosseum, for example). The latter is especially worth visiting as some of the optional fights here can yield more powerful limit breaks.

And there’s a darts mini-game in Seventh Heaven, which I quite liked. Looking forward to when we visit the Golden Saucer.

 

 

Sound

I’ll be honest, I own several varieties of One Winged Angel so I was wondering how the score would stack up. It’s fantastic, building on the excellence of the original and generally adding more, including the boss theme (particularly when fighting the Airbuster) and One Winged Angel. The only thing I felt could have been better musically was the reactor theme.

There’s also voice-acting. Some of this is very good, particularly Barret (John Eric Bentley) who gets some great lines and delivers them very well, covering the range from heartfelt emotion to overblown comedy and the occasional dry remark. Cloud, being somewhat of a dick, was a difficult character to pull off, but he’s likeable enough to work as the protagonist without losing his capacity to be pretty laconic. The friendship between Cloud and Barret developing is handled very well, and that’s a combination of good writing and a strong voice performance.

 

Graphics

Comparing the game from the late 20^th century (which, even at the time, had poor character models) to today’s effort is a bit like comparing the drawing you did as a five year old to the one you did in your thirties. Overall, the graphics are very impressive, particularly the grand set pieces and character models for the main characters. They tread the line between realism and larger-than-life very well.

There are a few weak spots. Minor characters can have, er, interesting faces, and here and there textures are distinctly muddy. On the whole, however, it’s good stuff.

One minor weak point is that there’s a photo mode (which can also be used in almost every cutscene, exempting only FMVs) but because the player only ever controls Cloud (excepting rare times when he’s absent) you can’t really focus on other characters. Also, there’s no posing, as per Dragon Quest XI S’ mode, or facial expressions, as per Ghost of Tsushima. However, there is an array of filters and some other settings to fiddle with.

 

 

Bugs and Other Issues

During my playthrough (about 35-36 hours) I encountered no crashes, hangs, freezes, or other problems. I’m sure there is a flaw somewhere, but I didn’t find it. Overall, very impressed with how smooth the sailing was.

 

Replayability

Haven’t started this yet, but completing the game unlocks the hard difficulty (which can be played on a chapter-by-chapter basis). In addition, at least one chapter (there are 18) has differing endings, it seems. Overall, choices are not that common and you’re mostly on rails. However, the hard mode will suit those who like a challenge. There are also multiple languages, and I might try a German playthrough at some point.

 

 

Conclusion

It’s a bit weird playing such an up to date take (with some amendments) of an old favourite, but I think the Final Fantasy VII Remake is a very enjoyable game. If you’re on the fence then check out the demo (if it’s still available), but I’ve got to say that during the course of my playthrough I liked it more and more, and am looking forward to the next part.

 

Thaddeus

 

PS Having some technical woe so apologies for the lack of proofreading and any ensuing errors.

Review: The White Song (Chronicles of the Black Gate Book 5), by Phil Tucker

This is sort-of the last book in the series (there’s a sixth but it’s a prequel), which I’ve enjoyed reading over a couple of years.

Reviewing a fifth and final (in chronological terms) story is a little odd because if you’ve made it this far and liked the four preceding books then it’s nigh on certain you’ll like this. Naturally, major spoilers for preceding entries abound, so read on at your own risk.

 

***

The pinnacle of the empire is about to be under attack from a seemingly unstoppable horde of demons and while the medusa and Tharok (and the kragh generally) are now allies rather than foes, it seems the world is about to be doomed. Obviously, that doesn’t happen in the first few chapters or it’d be a short book, but the odds are very much against the good guys.

One thing I’ve always liked about this series has been the varying character of protagonists in terms of both capability and attitude. Audsley has been one of the most entertaining, and his fall from grace last time is redeemed (at least to an extent) by his intelligence and bravery in this one. Asho is as defiant as ever, and there are strongly differing opinions from major figures regarding how to try and save the world.

The various discordant allies must try to come together, for if they fail then all will be doomed. And when an ancient and immensely intelligent former enemy offers to assist it remains to be seen if he, or the medusa, can be trusted. For that matter, can they even win?

It’s difficult to elaborate much more without ruining the plot, but I will say I found it enjoyable, once again, and a fitting conclusion.

Overall, I enjoyed this fifth and (sort-of) final part of the Chronicles of the Black Gate. It’s been a fairly old school sort of read, managing to keep the black-and-white distinction of good and evil in some areas (demons) while having more complicated hues with the likes of Tharok and, especially, Audsley. The world-building has been great, with a good combination of intrigue and action.

As already mentioned, characters have been nicely varied, making them both interesting in their own right and also bringing different strengths (and weaknesses) to the table, including legitimately varying perspectives.

Looking forward to reading the prequel, but for those in any doubt I would definitely recommend giving this series a look. The first five parts can be bought as a box set e-book, which is the most cost effective way of doing it and also means you’ll have (probably, I only got it later on) a larger sample size to find out for free if it’s your cup of tea.

 

Thaddeus

Review: Berlin: The Downfall 1945, by Antony Beevor

Yes, it’s shockingly modern, but recently(ish) I read this book recounting the end of the Second World War, primarily from the Eastern aspect involving the Russians rather than the Allies. A note that I actually finished this a month or so ago but I’ve been relatively busy hence this review only being written/posted now.

World War Two is far more recent than my usual periods of classical history or medieval England, so I can’t comment on context/accuracy etc, but I did find this retelling of the events leading to the fall of Berlin to be both compelling and easy to read. Easy to read in terms of a straightforward style, that is. As might be expected with such a book there are grim aspects that are necessary, as their removal would soften reality to the point of deceit.

There’s a lot of politics alongside the military matters, and, from what I can tell (given my general ignorance of the period) there does seem to be an even-handed and honest approach to figures of history in terms of how good/bad they were. Wenck, for example, stands out as a moral man, trying to save as many of his people as he could, whereas Hitler seemed to consider the citizens of Berlin to be the kindling for the pyre of his dreams.

Politics largely gives way to military matters once the end draws near, as one might expect, (although it was present on the other side too, with Stalin and the NKVD constant sources of fear for Soviet troops). Widespread rape by Soviet soldiers is not pleasant reading, and makes the juxtaposition of the Soviet commander in Berlin after the conquest providing the population with food seem all the stranger.

With the remnants of the generation that experienced these horrors dying out, it’s important to remember the lessons of the past, without being chained by them. This book was engaging, and I read it more rapidly than I imagined it would. Not for those who are easily upset, though.

Thaddeus

Review: Series 1 of Blake’s 7

Yes, finger on the pulse as always, reviewing a sci-fi series from the late 1970s. It was the heyday of British sci-fi, when special effects were dire and writing was excellent. I’ve had the notion of watching Blake’s 7 for ages and finally watched the first series.

I had a good feeling before the show even started because I saw the name Terry Nation and, having read plenty of Doctor Who books and seen more than a few episodes of the show, knew that was a very positive sign. And the augury proved true.

In terms of spoilers, I’ve got to talk about the premise and main characters but will try and keep any plot points beyond the obvious to a minimum.

The first episode is a little bit of its own animal as Blake has lost his memory (or, more accurately, had it reprogrammed by a dictatorial government). He discovers through the aid of some political freedom fighters that he once was a leader in a rebellion against the government but when he was captured they used mind-altering techniques to turn him into a model citizen and poster boy for his erstwhile enemies.

His new allies end up being of little use, though, and Blake gets put on trial with a view to fitting him up for harming children and using that as a pretext to get him away from where he might cause harm. Cue episode two, when he’s on a prison ship bound for a penal colony. From this point he starts being more himself, putting together a band of rebels intent on doing good.

I drifted away from New Who some time ago, which happily means that while I’m aware of the idiotic character assassination that has recently occurred I’m less concerned than if I were still into it (Doctor Who was one of my favourite TV shows as a child). Defeating cybermen with happy thoughts, and deus ex screwdriver do not good plots make. Terry Nation is of a different era, and it’s all for the better. It was so refreshing to have intelligent villains making rational plans to try and trap Blake and his crew, and it made the success of Blake et al. all the more impressive. There are two main recurring villains in the first series: Travis, a soldier with a serious grudge against Blake, and the Supreme Commander, who is a very wily (and utterly ruthless) lady.

On Blake’s side, including himself and the ship’s computer Zen, are seven individuals. These range from the telepathic Cally to ex-smuggler Jenna. My favourite is easily Avon, who is a highly intelligent, calculating man who might yet betray Blake and has some cracking one-liners (when another crewman complains of a sharp pain right behind his eyes, Avon asks if he’s considered amputation [NB this is early in the second series]).

Mostly the 13 episode first season is a set of self-contained stories, although the story arc of Blake being incarcerated for a crime he didn’t commit and being shipped off does occupy the first few episodes. Likewise, there are recurring villains, and the final two episodes do form a two-parter rather than separate stories.

Effects-wise, things are charmingly ropey. That may put one or two people off, but the sharp writing, smart plots, and entertaining characters more than make up for it.

If you’ve not really heard of or considered watching Blake’s 7 I can strongly recommend giving it a go.

Thaddeus