Hey Era, I need some advice regarding FFVII (original) and the new remake

[Deleted member 3017]

Hey all,

So I'm about 12 hours into the original FFVII game on PS4 (my first time playing). It's pretty obvious with my time so far with the game that it's pretty special and must have been a mindblowing experience back in 1997. However, I'm struggling to continue with it. In a lot of ways, from its visuals to some of its gameplay systems, the game feels outdated (obviously, as it's 23 years old!). I just think I've been spoiled by newer RPGs and games in general, featuring lots of QoL features that make the experiences more enjoyable. I'm really enjoying the world, characters, music, etc.....but I'm really struggling to enjoy many aspects of the actual gameplay. And it seems I have around 25 hours left to go.

The reason I'm playing the game is because I purchased FFVII Remake recently and wanted to play the original game for context first. But the more I've seen about the new game, the more I'm absolutely DYING to play it. I almost always finish a game once I've started, but I really don't want to waste another 20+ hours if I"m not having fun.

Soooo....my question is this: should I tough it out and finish the original FFVII before starting the Remake? Will the context of having played the original greatly enhance my experience with the new game? Or am I fine watching something like this:



....instead?

Thanks for the advice! I just want to make sure I'm getting as much out of FFVII Remake as I can and if you all think I should play the game itself instead of watching a recap video, I'll do it!

 

[Bradford]

You should finish the original first for reasons that are hard to elaborate on.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

If you're already 12 hours into the original game, you've covered everything the remake covers and more. You could just switch over now.

 

[Aurc]

Please don't play the remake before finishing the original. Don't make my mistake. I'm playing the original now, and this should've been the one I played first, not after.

 

[Chainshada]

If I were you and I wasn't enjoying the original, I'd just play the Remake, but avoid the video. Then once the full series of remakes are out, watch it and see how different things were.

Personally I love the original and would always advocate playing that first, but if you're really struggling to find the motivation to finish it and you're not enjoying it at all, then just go for the remakes.

 

[Eeyore]

It's hard to really comment on the Remake without getting into spoilers but there are definitely details you'll appreciate by finishing the original game. However, I wouldn't force yourself to do so. Just be aware you may end up lost as Remake winds down to its own ending as anyone who hasn't finished the original game would probably be very confused.

 

[Keyouta]

I'd say playing the original is best for the context of what happens in the remake. Watching it won't just be the same. But then again if you're struggling I wouldn't suggest playing another 30 hours. Doesn't the PS4 version include the cheats like speed up, max limit break and 9999 damage? Just turn those on maybe.

 

[Aja91]

you've covered a lot of what FFVIIR covers . If anything if you start FFVIIR pretty sure after you finish it you will immediately want to jump back into FFVII OG

 

[Massicot]

Trying to be as vague as possible to answer the question while also avoiding outright spoilers.

I think the absolute best way would be to finish FFVII yourself if you at all can manage. A lot of the story elements OG VII require learning about specific events, and then recontextualizing those same events when new information is made known. A video can suffice, sure, but I think the impact of those revelations will be lost. And then the remake will (very slight/vague remake premise spoiler) play with your knowledge of everything that happened in the original.

 

[Quinton]

Whereabouts are you in relation to the story right now? 12 hours in doesn't tell me much, personally, since I'm slow as a snail with RPGs. (The idea of FFVII OG being only ~37 hours long will never, ever be true for me, though it's certainly doable.)

It's a tricky ask because VII Remake relies on player familiarity with the original game in a few ways, especially toward its end, in order for stuff to fully click. But it's perfectly enjoyable despite that. I can't say so definitively, per se, but I know a few folks who never touched the original game and had a blast with Remake. So... on the one hand, yes, go for it.

But on the other hand, you'll benefit even more from being familiar with the entirety of VII. So it's a tough decision IMO. Ultimately, if you're really itching to hop over to Remake now, do consider returning to the original afterward. You may find yourself thirsty for answers. :D Watching YouTube story summary videos has never been my thing, though, so I can't recommend it.

 

[Lost Knight]

Play the original, for reasons that I won't spoil, the remake is made for people who played the original, which is unfortunate.

 

[Deleted member 3017]

Doesn't the PS4 version include the cheats like speed up, max limit break and 9999 damage? Just turn those on maybe.

Click to shrink...

It does, but those cheats go against everything I believe in!! haha....that being said, if I decide to finish the game, maybe I should use them.

 

[skeezx]

the remake is IMO tailored for new players... to some extent. obvs nostalgia bombs and whatnot but if you're new to "FF7" then i wouldn't bother with the original unless you want to go whole hog on a 20 year old game (which, is perfectly doable. but i'm guessing most wouldn't want to spent 40+ hrs with the OG and play the remake for "total immersion")

 

[Ayirek]

I would absolutely not start the remake before finishing the original. Trust me. If the game play is getting you down just use the boosters to turn off encounters and experience the story.

 

[Deleted member 3017]

Play the original, for reasons that I won't spoil, the remake is made for people who played the original, which is unfortunate.

Click to shrink...

Ok, lots of responses similar to this one. So, a detailed recap video of the original game wouldn't suffice? If not, I'll go ahead and finish the original game.

 

[Temperance]

It does, but those cheats go against everything I believe in!! haha....that being said, if I decide to finish the game, maybe I should use them.

Click to shrink...

Before the game came out people were trending no. I think some people would now have you finish it, do it via cheats if you have to.

 

[Khanimus]

There are plenty of ways the remake is accessible to new players (my partner went in completely fresh and was enthralled), but the game knowingly teases things out if you know what you're looking for, and plays with those expectations.

 

[Laser Ramon]

Use the cheats, experience the story

 

[Deleted member 3017]

For context,

Spoiler: FFVII spoiler (around 12 hours in)

I just left Red XIII's hometown

 

[MayorSquirtle]

As someone who played the original for the first time right before playing the remake, I suggest you finish it. If you're enjoying the world and story but not getting anything out of the combat, I strongly suggest just using the cheats to blast your way through it.

 

[ciddative]

12 hours is enough to know whether the gameplay is for you.

Dont force yourself to slog through another 20 hours in a game you aren't enjoying cos the internet says so.

Watch a youtube story explanation, Oni Black Mage is excellent, laying out events as they occur in the game rather than a dump.

EDIT: Or cheat and blast through the critical path

 

[WhoaIsThatMars]

Speaking as someone that didn't play the original all the way through before Remake because I just couldn't get into it:

I 100% disagree with people that say playing the OG is a prerequisite. I enjoyed Remake so much that it got me to play the OG immediately after and it made me appreciate it way more. You don't need context to play Remake. Anyone who says otherwise is just gatekeeping and wants everyone to experience stuff how THEY experienced it.

With that said, do whatever you want. (Don't watch that summary video though if you have very little idea of what happens in the game)

 

[Keyouta]

It does, but those cheats go against everything I believe in!! haha....that being said, if I decide to finish the game, maybe I should use them.

Click to shrink...

I mean if you weren't going to play it, but are interested in the story, I'd turn cheats on. No harm or foul, it's a single player game.

 

[Truant]

So just to be clear, the remake is a lesser experience if you haven't played the original? For some reason I was under the impression that it was kinda like God of War 2018, where certain parts of the story are totally different depending on your knowledge of the franchise or if it's your second playthrough. No one experience is better than the other, just very different. Must have dreamed it.

 

[Kieli]

So just to be clear, the remake is a lesser experience if you haven't played the original? For some reason I was under the impression that it was kinda like God of War 2018, where certain parts of the story are totally different depending on your knowledge of the franchise or if it's your second playthrough. No one experience is better than the other, just very different. Must have dreamed it.

Click to shrink...

Spoiler: ENDING SPOILERS

The remake is a sequel to the original.

 

[Neiteio]

My beloved Beardy:

I recommend just starting Remake.

I played through the entirety of the original for the first time several years ago. It was fun but I had honestly forgotten much of it by the time I started Remake. I'm now re-learning the original plot by poring over fan sites as I excitedly think about ways they will adapt the rest. And I've been fine.

 

[Truant]

Spoiler: END SPOILESR

The remake is a sequel to the original.

Click to shrink...

Dude, you might want to be a little more specific/descriptive of such a spoiler.

 

[Neiteio]

So just to be clear, the remake is a lesser experience if you haven't played the original? For some reason I was under the impression that it was kinda like God of War 2018, where certain parts of the story are totally different depending on your knowledge of the franchise or if it's your second playthrough. No one experience is better than the other, just very different. Must have dreamed it.

Click to shrink...

Being vague here...

The ending of Remake (the last hour, basically) goes in a wildly new direction. Remake doesn't actually replace the original... They're connected, actually. And it's a really neat connection, and one not even the vets immediately understood, but with a bit of discussion it quickly became clear. It's elegant enough to explain without anything reachy, and it makes me SUPER excited for Part 2.

But it's nothing overwhelming or inaccessible for someone who skipped the original. They will have some questions but the answers will be easy enough for them to understand.

 

[WhoaIsThatMars]

Being vague here...

Click to shrink...

that's not even remotely vague lol

 

[Deleted member 27471]

Speaking as someone that didn't play the original all the way through before Remake because juI st couldn't get into it:

I 100% disagree with people that say playing the OG is a prerequisite. I enjoyed Remake so much that it got me to play the OG immediately after and it made me appreciate way more. You don't need context to play Remake. Anyone who says otherwise is just gatekeeping and wants everyone to experience stuff how THEY experienced it

Click to shrink...

I dont know, nobodies recommendation has come across that strongly here. In fact, YOUR opinion sounds pretty adominant that its YOUR experience that needs to be the way someone needs to play it. There's a strong argument for playing the OG first, but it doesn't mean you have to. I would personally recommend ppl play the original, however, I also wouldn't want someone to do something they don't like just because ppl said so.

If you're into the story OP, I would play it with skip battle options on and anything to help you get through it. If your not liking it at all, just play Remake because even though there is reasons why ppl are saying to play the OG first, it doesn't really work if your not invested in the OG anyways. Theres always all the recap videos, analysis stuff to watch after you play through the game.

 

[MaverickHunterAsh]

I would tough it out and finish OG FF VII first if you can. But you said you're playing the PS4 version, so why not just triple-speed and god-mode your way through the rest of the game? You can even turn encounters off whenever you want. Taken together, those (very welcome) QoL options will let you experience the rest of the story with minimal effort and time investment compared to playing the original PS1 version.

 

[Renna Hazel]

If I weren't having fun playing and just wanted to see the story, I'd just enable the cheats and storm through. Just don't cheat in the remake and you wont feel bad about it.

 

[WhoaIsThatMars]

In fact, YOUR opinion sounds pretty adominant that its YOUR experience that needs to be the way some play it.

Click to shrink...

thanks for leaving out the bit where I literally say:

With that said, do whatever you want.

Click to shrink...

 

[ultima786]

finish the OG! YOU GOT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Neiteio]

I actually think playing Remake first and then OG second would be more enjoyable, since it will tide you over for Part 2 and help you imagine Part 2, and you will have a better sense of characters like Hojo who in the original weren't the most detailed depictions

 

[Deleted member 21220]

As someone who had the exact same problem with the original I can say that it just didn't get better for me and I actually just ended up both disliking the game and kinda confused about everything.

I'm now playing the remake and there's definitely things in it that you'll better appreciate by finishing the original and not just watching a video. I still really dislike the original but it does help with alot of things they're just throwing around in the remake and enjoying the references or foreshadowing. I haven't finished the remake yet though, but I'm definitely liking it better.

 

[LegendofLex]

So I'm about 12 hours into the original FFVII game on PS4 ...And it seems I have around 25 hours left to go.

Click to shrink...

You don't, necessarily.

I think I beat the game in about 20 hours the last time I played. (I also don't like the game very much, but at least it's about the right length for a JRPG.) Now, granted, I did use a guide to look up where to go on the world map, to streamline the story, which probably wouldn't be the best way to play the game for the first time. But it's really not that long and grueling if you don't focus a lot on side content.

You're not there for the gameplay at this point anyway, so no harm in guiding/cheating your way through.

I also don't necessarily think that you NEED to play the original before the remake. But the new stuff they added to the climax definitely hits differently if you played the original and know the significance of that stuff.

 

[Kieli]

Dude, you might want to be a little more specific/descriptive of such a spoiler.

Click to shrink...

Edited the spoiler tag.

 

[IMCaprica]

First time Final Fantasy player here: I finished FF7R having never played FF7 and it's my new favorite game of all time. I found the way Remake wraps up to be really fun and interesting, while also motivating me to listen to longtime fans' takes after the fact. And the reason that works is that no one who knows the original story who is talking about Remake in relation to the original is saying anything about the rest of the adventure. So yes there are spoilers, but nothing like "here's what's likely to happen in FF7R-2 & 3". So you're safe there probably. I'd call these "safe spoilers" for reasons I can't really get into here.

Here's my suggestion:

1. Stop playing the original.
2. Don't watch that video.
3. Play Remake to completion.
4. Watch Easy Allies' free Spoiler Mode featuring Maximilian Dood.

Do that and you'll be fine.

 

[MegaSackman]

Play Remake, forget the original. Just know that Remake ending will leave you confused but we that played the original are confused as well so play Remake, don't worry. :)

 

[Yabberwocky]

I would tough it out and finish OG FF VII first if you can. But you said you're playing the PS4 version, so why not just triple-speed and god-mode your way through the rest of the game? You can even turn encounters off whenever you want. Taken together, those (very welcome) QoL options will let you experience the rest of the story with minimal effort and time investment compared to playing the original PS1 version.

Click to shrink...

Yes, this. If gameplay is the primary issue, it can be minimized considerably in the PS4 version to speed through it.

 

[LowParry]

You're that far in already, might as well finish it up. Then hop right into Remake afterwards.

 

[Deleted member 3017]

Thank you SO MUCH everyone for all the replies. Greatly appreciated!

So, I think I'm going to turn cheats on and play for a few more hours. If I'm still not having a good time, I'll just stop the game and start the remake.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Aurc]

I 100% disagree with people that say playing the OG is a prerequisite. I enjoyed Remake so much that it got me to play the OG immediately after and it made me appreciate it way more. You don't need context to play Remake. Anyone who says otherwise is just gatekeeping and wants everyone to experience stuff how THEY experienced it.

Click to shrink...

Uhh... no. I played the remake first. I regret doing that. I hated

Spoiler

the ending not making any sense.

 

[Deleted member 27471]

thanks for leaving out the bit where I literally say:

Click to shrink...

You edited that in after I was writing to you, and it doesnt change the tone of your message. But I'm not here to argue, just didn't think it was unreasonable for ppl to suggest that playing OG first because of legitimate reasons should be classified as gatekeepers. It does provide important context for the game. Whether someone cares or not is up to them. Can still be enjoyed by not knowing anything and waiting for the next game, or watching analysis videos that tell you everything.

 

[Yuntu]

Uhh... no. I played the remake first. I regret doing that. I hated

Spoiler

the ending not making any sense.

Click to shrink...

It also doesnt with playing the OG. Its pretty much made to leave a ? with players.

On topic: OP just play the Remake. You will be fine without playing the OG, I promise. There is only 1 scene that you wont quite get in the moment its happening but they will very likely expand on that in future parts anyways.

 

[mindsale]

It was my favorite game for a decade of my life. I bought a PSOne for it, I skipped school for it. Played it hundreds and hundreds of hours. Now it's an absolute nightmare to even navigate the static backgrounds. Just play the Remake.

 

[Astral]

The remake is much better if you played the original first. You just left Cosmo Canyon and not much has happened yet honestly. If the gameplay isn't gripping you, I suggest trying to get deeper into the materia system. I had the most fun with the gameplay when I was basically breaking the game finding busted materia combinations. Also 3x speed is like a must most of the time. The game can be so slow and I wonder how I got through some of it without getting annoyed at how slow animations were sometimes.

 

[Mung]

I agree with those saying that you don't need to play the original. I feel that a lot of the benefit from playing the original is actually the added nostalgia gained from it, which you won't get if you play it now. You can enjoy some story elements differently if you don't know the (likely!) outcomes.

Furthermore if you are finding the original a grind now it'll just be tedious to finish it and spoil the game experience. And you've already seen the midgar section.

 

[Sheng Long]

Finish the original. You'll never be able to play Remake the first time having played the original first.