Final Fantasy VII Remake

The original game means so much more to me than nostalgia- as it does to many people. When the original released there were not many games of its scope, its wackiness, its maturity or its willingness to play with themes ahead of its time. Needless to say I was worried square would mess this up after FF13 and FF15 (at release). I was even tempted to not preorder after having my faith in the series shaken since FF12.

Needless to say (as my opinion is in the title)- but this game is incredible. I will be replaying this game for a long time.

Without ruining anything- yes- it has changed things- but only for the better. Elements that needed fleshing out have been- there are no unnecessary elements (only side quests/mini games if you want them) and the finale is absolutely outstanding.

From a graphical standpoint, never have I felt so happy to have invested in a pro and a 4k tv- and this is from someone who thought that when I played God of War. It is breathtaking in every section.

The soundtrack is, again, incredible. From the intro to the outro I found myself occasionally just amazed with how well this game all fits together- and the music is the glue- I will be downloading it after writing this review. The voice acting is absolutely amazing, even from third party characters of passers by- there is nothing that annoys me more than screechy terrible voice actors constantly yabbing as you wander through an area- but in this they all talk about relevant (game) world matters and its really interesting to catch some of their conversations.

The gameplay (especially battling) has the welcome element of challenge and a really decent variety- in normal and hard. You have to actually consider equipment, skills and materia in this. It is not a button masher. There is plenty of choice of approach too- not just one method to beat someone or something- as well as varying small elements through player choice though we all meet many of the major story beats. I would akin it story path wise more to uncharted 4, than to say the Witcher- there is player choice and an interesting world to explore- but it is not open world. The story is amazing. Thats all im saying about that.

For those as familiar with the original as I am then there are so so many small and large elements to kick up your nostalgia. So many. I absolutely loved seeing what was a 2D painted environment brought into a living breathing world. Finding all it was super fun- and I am replaying now.

All in all, it is as my title says, an absolute pleasure for your eyes, your ears and your heart. If you had lost faith in square like I had started to- then please give them a chance- you wont regret it.