Topic: Final fantasy discussion thread

@Herculean I finally ended up skipping most of the extra missions. Like I said in my other post, I got the trophy for completing 25% of them and then I did a few targeted ones that had significant rewards, so probably ended up around 30% completion of those. Which is crazy because I think I did about 50 of them it seems. Once they got to 5-star or higher they get a little tough, and a lot of the rewards for them aren’t that useful or they are materia I already had. With the shops and materia fusion you can get plenty of strong materia even without going too much out of your way. There are definitely some materia which helped with the final area and final bosses though. I was sure to do a late game activity that gave me access to Costly Punch materia which is quite OP for some enemies. But there’s so many strong materia which can help, and many ways to do a good build.

The last area of Ch 10 is quite large, compared to the others, and complex. There’s a large section of the level that I didn’t even explore because I couldn’t figure out the puzzles to get there and it was optional and I was so close to the end that I just skipped it entirely.

I ended up at 51% trophy list completion, for what it’s worth.

But yes, the story beats are really interesting and I’d be curious how it intersects with Rebirth. I probably won’t play it for a while, I’ll get to it maybe later this year. I can see how it relates to the OG FF7, but the way Remake and Rebirth have modified things, I’m not sure how it will interweave.

@Th3solution (I moved this to the Final Fantasy thread instead. Seemed a better place to continue our conversation )

Thanks for the helpful advice I hadn't actually considered playing the OG FF7, but at the current price point, I'm not averse to giving it a go. Does this mean that there are substantial differences between the OG and the remake? I sort of figured that the remake was just an expanded OG split in three parts but otherwise basically the same game updated with modern graphics and mechanics.
I guess what I'm getting at is if the remake will feel like a retread of the OG, story wise, if I were to play them both?

@FuriousMachine Yeah about those changes... All I say is that the remake defies what is classed as a remake.

I played the OG game back in the day... And flipping loved the remake. It is not for everyone though, and can see why people didn't like it as much.

@JohnnyShoulder Interesting.
Those who didn't like it, was that down to story changes, gameplay changes or both, in your estimation?
I suppose some of it would be "don't touch my holy relic, it is pristine and shouldn't be changed", as there is always a contingent of those, but what is your sense of the reasons for the dislike, overall?

@FuriousMachine Yes, as a follow up on the controversy of the Remake, a lot of the Remake hate from FF7 fans was due to some retcon of events and characters from the original story. Some purists were upset with the change in gameplay but overall that part was well received and the bigger issue seemed to be the narrative.

The original FF7 is indeed held up as a holy relic of gaming and so the negative reaction to story changes is always amplified in that situation. I think that discourse has calmed quite a bit though after people realized this was never intended to be a note-for-note remake. It really is a reimagining of the game and story. When I first played Remake, I was one of those who pushed back against the direction the game was taking the storyline, but as time has passed I’ve come to appreciate what Square-Enix has done. The modern game trilogy was not ever meant to replace the original or rehash the original, and yet it’s roughly the same basic characters, world, and conflict. It’s quite a unique situation in gaming. Remakes of games will often change and update minor things, but FF7 has changed much more than even something like Resident Evil 2. And yet it’s not a full different story like God of War 2018 that reboots the whole franchise. It’s this interesting in-between space.

As far as playing the OG FF7, I’m reluctant to press you too hard toward it because it really is an old game and although I think it holds up, the last time I saw someone play it as a first-timer to the series a few years ago, they didn’t really care for it (that was RogerRoger if you remember them). So I’d say if you have any adoration of PS1 era JRPGs, then try to play the OG first, for it will re-contextualize the new games and probably enhance enjoyment of the whole series. However, the fact you’ve not ever played a single FF game leads me to think you’re probably a better target audience for the remade games, so probably start with FF7 Remake. Also, be sure to play the DLC expansion “Intermission” because I believe it will be important added info for Rebirth.

@FuriousMachine I think Sol summed it up pretty well there! Good job as my memory is a bit hazy of the details.

I was expecting a standard remake, and at first I did not know what to make of the changes. Once I had gotten my head round what on earth was going I was fully on board with the new version.

I've yet to play Crisis Core or Rebirth, but i do intend to. Playing Metaphor Refantazio earlier this year has kinda JRPG'd me out for the time being, so I'm not sure when that will be.

@Herculean Well said. It is interesting to note that they left Crisis Core’s story untouched. If my understanding is correct (never having played the original on PSP) the CC Reunion version is more of a traditional remaster and the story, dialogue, interactions, and core gameplay is faithful to the original. If that’s true, it’s amazing that they made the game look and feel as good as it does, and also be a good bridge for the Remake and Rebirth games, with their associated narrative changes, and yet also an effective prequel for the original game and its story.

@Herculean Oh, I was always going to play, the only question was if I was going to play it first or after Crisis Core (and, to my surprise, possibly after the OG) 🙂

@Th3solution That really clears things up for me, thanks mate! 🙂I don't have any experience with PS1-era JRPGs, so that doesn't factor all that much into it. I don't mind playing old games with archaic mechanics, I mean, I recently completed "Pool of Radiance" from 1988 and loved it, so if the OG shows it age, I should be able to enjoy it nonetheless.

I think I will try the OG and if it doesn't click with me, move on to the Remake, then do Crisis Core, etc.

I'm also toying with the idea of playing the very first Final Fantasy, but I'm more eager to get into 7 so I'll prioritize that, unless any of you guys feel it would be better to play the old ones first (I understand they are entirely separate, story-wise, right?)

@Zazu No intrusion, always happy to hear people's views and opinions 🙂
I'm starting to really look forward to trying it out; I think it will be my next game, after I'm done with "Uncharted 4", which I'm currently playing.

Hey everyone, I am a newbie on playstation store and I am having an issue with FF VII remake.

I bought a used copy of the ps5 version and just finished the main campaign but when I tried to start Intermission dlc it asked for the code which I tried from the box but obviously it was already used (I did not realise the dlc was separate).

Ok, I guess I have to buy it however the store says the dlc is not available to me because I do not own the game...

Any ideas what to do?

Thanks

@Balta666 The only thing I can think of is maybe the original owner somehow has the game connected to their console. I am not sure cause I dont have a PS5 but that's what it sounds like to me.

@Tasuki I saw on Reddit someone mention that square does this so people don't buy used copies... Apparently the dlc simply cannot be bought separately... So freakin stupid imo (if true)

@Balta666 That would make sense it saying what it says. Only way I can think around that is buy the game when its on sale if you indeed cant buy it used.

@Tasuki yeah, I thought the same and have added it to wishlist. Meanwhile it is also available on PS+ so I may subscribe for a month to play it

@Balta666 Have you tried to restore your licences on your PS5? To restore licenses on your PS5, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses, and then select Restore. This process revalidates your digital game licenses with the PlayStation Network servers. It's a good idea to do this if you're experiencing issues like padlock icons on games, can't find purchased content, or if a game is crashing.

@JohnnyShoulder yep, I did that first. Thanks for the suggestion though

@Balta666 This brings up an interesting question: If you sub to PS+ for a month, add the game to your library, buy the DLC (which should be possible, right?), can you then still play the DLC with your disc after the sub expires? I wouldn't be surprised if there are barriers in place that would prevent this (the DLC is tied to a unique ID generated for the digital version upon adding it to the library, for example), but ethically it should be possible, at least in my opinion. You own the game legally and should therefore be able to buy and play the DLC without having to buy the game a second time, but greedy companies doesn't always see it that way.

@FuriousMachine my idea was to just subscribe and play the dlc but that would be nice (although I doubt it will work hahaha).
I was surprised by it as on Xbox I have definitely bought dlc for games I do not own (because it was at discount) or only through GP

@Balta666 Yeah, and that's how it should be, if you ask me. It is not good that you can't buy and use an add-on unless you bought the game through the same storefront.
And, cool, if the DLC is also on PS+ then just playing it during your sub month seems like the best way to go, absolutely. Would love to hear how it works out for you in the end 🙂

@FuriousMachine I will! For now I have contacted playstation support but they were unable to help and I am now trying with SE...