One step away from disaster
ShinRa, the mega-corporation that rules the city of Midgar, exploits the planet by robbing it of mako , the life energy that feeds the comfortable lives of the city’s inhabitants. Avalanche, a group of environmentalists who don’t hesitate to blow up the ShinRy mako reactors, hires Cloud, a mercenary and ex-Soldier from the ShinRy special unit. A fight begins between the two sides – the military and official ShinRy propaganda versus Avalanche’s determination.
This year’s Remake is actually the first part. The plot was more elaborate than the original. As for the plot axis, the main events, the main characters – much has not changed. Old (e.g. part of the Avalanche group) and new side characters (Leslie) as well as residents-extras got their stories and quests. Some side character quests are part of the main storyline, others distract from it, offering a journey through different parts of the city.
Square Enix
The downside to the original plot is the character of the main antagonist, Sephiroth. In the first part of the remake – if you don’t know the original game well – you can be disappointed and confused about its character. It is not entirely clear what he is doing here, although some may like the mystery.
Some changes were inevitable, but the Shadows, mysterious characters appearing out of nowhere, were watching over the plot not to diverge compared to the original. It is thanks to their intervention that the main characters meet – Cloud and Aerith. At the same time, the ending of the first part of the game leaves the possibility that the later plot will differ from the original one. I’m curious about it! Since it has to be a game in parts, I am happy with this turn of events.
What a beautiful dystopia
The graphics and soundtrack are of a high standard. Characters can now be watched for hours – they are carefully crafted, as are locations, enemies and attacks.
Square Enix
The soundtrack is a mix of old and new again (“Hollow” theme). The old audio themes – used in various Final Fantasy games – are making a comeback as collector’s CDs and musical themes to discover in new locations. This gesture will be appreciated above all by players who have a mania for collecting everything.
It’s good that, as with other Final Fantasy games in Europe, the original soundtrack was preserved and there was a choice of subtitles in English (and, by the way, in French, Italian, German and Spanish). For me, it was extra fun to listen to the original dialogues. The more that both the characters in the team and the passing residents talk to each other and comment on the events. Here is a small minus for not all dialogues have been translated.
Conduct and think
By default, the game is set to the classic type of game (Classic) – the most similar to turn-based combat from the original game. Characters perform basic attacks themselves, run and dodge (although they are not very clever) – it is enough for the player to select special or magic attacks for the characters from the team at the right moment (the whole fight slows down during this time). Normal mode (easy and normal difficulty) requires you to focus more on your character’s attacks and dodges. Hard Mode unlocks after completing the game.
Square Enix
Classic mode is a good solution for new players, but also for people who play primarily for the story – it’s hard to die with such settings.
Playing outside of combat also requires a little thought from time to time. You have to move the containers with the use of cranes to unlock the passage; you have to move the levers synchronously, etc. Fortunately, the game does not leave the player alone – either your teammates will tell you something, or an introduction will be displayed. And probably the most important – depending on the situation, the player has to control various characters from the team. Instead of Cloud, the first violin is played by Aerith, Tifa or Barret.
The aforementioned side quests allow you to break away from the main storyline and diversify the game. Sometimes you have to find kittens, babies, or find and kill monsters. You can also test your reflexes by doing squats or pull-ups. Side quests can extend the game by up to several hours if we want to unlock all achievements.
