Jeff Lam

Before I give praises to this game, I think I should explain where I belong in the audience. I am a first-timer entering the series— I had known about the Final Fantasy series but never really got into it as a kid. Likewise, newer game entries such as Final Fantasy XV were games I didn't want to pick up, mostly due to my lack of knowledge on the series itself (even then, I still don't understand it— like how each entry is a story itself in the same universe? I'm sure I'm spouting non-sense at this point). However, I grew interested upon the addition of Sephiroth in Smash. So as I tend to do when something piqued my interest, I looked up who he was and got tethered in a string of Fandom wikis talking much about the original Final Fantasy VII lore: Jenova, Cetra, Mako, Professor Hojo, etc. While I haven't necessarily spoiled myself fully of the original game's plot, I think I pretty much have spoiled all that it had to offer if I were to pick it up today. Somehow, Final Fantasy VII Remake was a game that went undetected under my radar (I am generally open with various game genres and series, but I have a bad habit of still selectively following a few franchises and therefore tunnel visioning). Though because I dug up so many information regarding the original game, I came across this remake iteration and decide to try it out. From start to finish, I enjoyed every moment of the game. I quite honestly lost sleep trying to push myself to play as much as I could each day, and I don't regret it. All aspects that me, just a common individual, can generally list— music, gameplay, story, graphics, etc— deserves to be commended as phenomenal. The music is filled with wonderful JRPG soundtracks; the gameplay is, how I may describe it, a unique blend of turn-based and beat-'em-up gameplay that never grew old as I kept playing (that Command Menu feature is ingenious IMO); cutscenes and game design breathtakingly rendered; there's countless things I can write about! I heard there's a Part II in the making, and I'm highly anticipating for its release! Square Enix, despite some of the criticism I heard (though what gaming company at this point doesn't have a bit of notoriety?) has made a pulchritudinous game— just as enticing, if not more, as its other franchises like Tomb Raider or Life is Strange that I had played. I highly recommend this game! (though maybe semi-spoil yourself or you may be confused on some plot— or don't...)