LogFAQs > #972050626

Chapter 7 A Trap is Sprung.

Differences between this and the original: An extended version of the Mako Reactor 1 becomes a public execution to fan the flames of war.

You know when FFVII:R is at it's best? When it has energy. When it has urgency. When it's about pushing forward as quickly as possible. These type of linear narrative driven games are usually at their best when the goal is presented early in the chapter and everything you're doing is to affect the end of it.

Chapter 7 rules. Honestly, of all the changes they made so far, this I'm 100% down with. Changing the Airbuster from this random mech you fight at the end of Mako Reactor 5, to this looming threat you're actively trying to sabotage the best you can because you're immediately aware how dangerous it is. Shinra doesn't just show up at the end to gloat, they're showing you throughout how they're allowing you to scurry around thinking you're making a difference. To fuel propaganda both against AVALANCHE and Wutai, and turn the slums against them. And that the Shinra president wouldn't be dumb enough to show up in person. I just very much appreciate the narrative focus of this section of the game. Watching how the trio react to the news, I think this is Barret's best chapter. Tifa's unease about this entire thing and Cloud doing barely anything to ease her feelings on the entire thing. And yet as they move forward you can see how each gains more confidence. Heck, look at something as simple as the level pushing moment. Tifa and Barret excitedly high-fiving, and even Cloud, while still refusing to completely let loose, offering a rather full-throated endorsement of Tifa's performance.

Gameplay is a lot of fun, too. Deciding how best to downgrade the Airbuster, the rooms being a bit samey is disappointing but there's something about climbing a tower up and up while taking on wave after wave of enemy is still fairly satisfying. But it's got a nice mix of close and ranged combat. On another notice, I'm using a mod that makes your party members a lot more active in terms of attacking, which probably makes the game easier but honestly just makes things a lot more manageable.

The Airbuster fight itself is great. Although it still is frustrating to do something like accidentally hit a Limit Break right during a boss phase change, it's a nice little test of knowing how to use each character to deal with this boss. It's one of the few fights where I'm actively switching between all three, when needing to range attack, when a character is stunned, to avoid major attacks, etc. The only fight so far where I had to worry about characters getting incapacitated. It's sad because we're about to go a looooooooong time before we hit 3 party members again, and I think of the possible trios, these three our my favorite.

Even though I'd like to deduct a point or half for the repeated room designs, there's just so much right with this chapter and of all the ones I completed in my initial run, this was my favorite.

10/10