Summary
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis significantly different from the originalFF7in a lot of ways, but it’s possible to make it feel a lot closer to the classic experience. It’s no surprise that taking a turn-based RPG from the 1990s and expanding it into three huge action titles would result in something largely new, even when overarching reverence to the source material is maintained. For all the upsides to the new approach, however, an average playthrough ofFF7 Rebirthtends to reveal some elements that don’t feel as tight or as interesting as the classic game.
WhereFF7 Rebirthtends to falter most is in its extremededication to a bigger-is-better approach, which introduces plenty of fun new material while also bogging things down with some repetitive filler. One thing that made the originalFF7a classic was how consistently exciting it was compared to the average JRPG, packing a huge story and constant shake-ups to both the plot and gameplay into a reasonable runtime.FF7 Rebirth’s diversions can be enjoyable in their own right, but participating in them definitely does some damage to the overall momentum.
One Small FF7 Remake Part 3 Change Could Save A Lot Of Wasted Time
FF7 Rebirth makes one element a lot more time-consuming than it needs to be, and it wouldn’t be hard for FF7 Remake Part 3 to fix the issue.
FF7 Rebirth’s Hard Mode Is More Like The Original Game
Streamlining The Story Keeps Up The Momentum
BeatingFF7 Rebirthunlocks a new way to experience the game through theaddition of a Hard Mode, and this might be the perfect way to recapture some of the originalFF7’s strengths withinFF7 Rebirth’s framework. As noted by Reddit userpostulate4,it’s possible to completely remove some of the more distracting elements ofFF7 Rebirthin Hard Mode. After completing side quests and world intel on the first playthrough, electing to maintain that progress when starting Hard Mode removes them from the picture. Zack’s storyline, the biggest addition to the canon, can also be skipped entirely.
FF7 Rebirth Dynamic Difficulty Explained (& How Normal, Hard Modes Are Different)
Dynamic mode is a different difficulty setting from anything Final Fantasy has offered before, but it could be the right choice for a lot of players.
Not all ofFF7 Rebirth’s flights of fancy are relegated to side material, and changes like the cruise ship adventure or the overhaul of Corel Prison still won’t feel much like the original game in Hard Mode. Even so, the change brings things much more in line with the original game’s pacing, making it easier to focus on appreciating the peaks of the new presentation. It’s still possible to skip side content on a standard playthrough, of course, but Hard Mode removing it from the picture can make even completionists who already tackled the side material enjoy a slimmer experience.
Progression in a standard playthrough is also built around the assumption that players will do at least some side content, so ignoring everything prior to hard mode doesn’t tend to feel like the intended experience.
Hard Mode Makes FF7 Rebirth Combat Strategic
Button Mashing Won’t Cut It Anymore
The other big way thatFF7 Rebirth’s hard mode brings the game closer in line to the original lies in the combat, which is obviously hit with an uptick in difficulty. In a standard playthrough, the action combat can often mostly come down to button mashing, with the majority of the main story bosses failing to demand any particular strategic mastery. Although some optional side content significantlyraises the level ofFF7 Rebirth’s challenge, it often does so by simply tossing more tough enemies into an arena, which feels much messier than the original game’s turn-based approach.
12 Best Weapons For FF7: Rebirth’s Hard Mode
FF7 Rebirth’s Hard mode difficulty features stronger enemies and bosses, who you will want to challenge with every party member’s best weapons.
Making the main story fights harder, on the other hand, puts the focus on the strategyin a manner more reminiscent of the classicFF7experience. Fully understanding the possibilities of the many menu options becomes a necessity rather than an accessory to spamming attacks, and planning out how to tackle battles in advance can add a more considered aspect to the tactical elements.Rebirthalso has a Classic option for combat to automate actions and put the focus on menu commands, but it’s an awkward solution that doesn’t work quite as well as Hard Mode’s challenges.
There’s nothing wrong with embracing how different theFF7 Rebirthis from the classic experience, and Hard Mode definitely isn’t for everyone. The originalFF7is still great today, and anyone looking to scratch that itch perfectly can always start it up instead of embarking on aFF7 Rebirthplaythrough. As far as makingFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthfeel like the game that started it all, however, there might be no better way to align the strengths of each rendition than taking Hard Mode for a spin.
Source:postulate4/Reddit
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the sequel to Final Fantasy 7 Remake and will see Cloud and his friends set off beyond the walls of Midgar to explore the world, stop Sephiroth’s machinations, and see the world outside their slum prison. Now that the whispers of fate no longer guide the characters along the pre-destined path set in the original PlayStation classic Final Fantasy 7, the heroes (and villains) will shape the future. The game will still visit prominent locales and revisit crucial story points, but it will be a more significant departure from the first game from the source material.
