Games Happy

Earlier this yr, whereas discussing the Change 2 model of Ultimate Fantasy VII Remake, I discussed taking this chance to renew my lengthy dropped playthrough of Ultimate Fantasy VII Rebirth, now that the remake sequence is being port to my favourite console. Regardless of my keen pleasure for it initially, I simply couldn’t find time for Rebirth when it got here out in 2024. The plethora of facet content material on provide simply overwhelmed me on the time. Additionally, given how lengthy AAA video games take to make today I didn’t need to simply sit with that for practically 4 years like I had prior. I put it again on the shelf till we obtained phrase of the third and last recreation within the trilogy.

With the teasing that the third recreation is not going to solely launch on all platforms without delay, but in addition on the Change 2, I assumed it might be enjoyable to restart my Rebirth playthrough from scratch on this platform. Initially on base PS5, I had made all of it the way in which to Barret’s hometown in Corel initially once I tapped out, roughly 25 hours in. This isn’t that lengthy within the grand scheme of this huge recreation, however for a man who already works a full time job I simply wanted a break. I used to be unhappy to seek out out that I finished enjoying simply as issues began to get actually fascinating.

This time round I’ve made all of it the way in which to Chapter 9, doing each little bit of facet content material I may get my fingers on. After clearing out all the presently obtainable facet content material in Corel at round 36 hours, I’m getting ready to maneuver on to the subsequent area of the sport. For over 11 hours of gametime I’ve been experiencing Rebirth with recent eyes. I’ve grown to understand much more of the expertise as a complete. Perhaps it’s simply because the Change 2 makes it very straightforward to play, however I’ve been diving headfirst into quests and world exploration that I simply began skipping on my unique playthrough. Which was a real disgrace on my half, as a result of now I discover it fairly rewarding.

Rebirth is an adaptation of the center chunk of FF7, the place the sport modifications tone dramatically after leaving the linear and atmospheric Midgar part. It is a huge tonal shift, but it surely’s essential to have an understanding of the dimensions of the world and the folks in it. By extension, Rebirth turns into considerably of an aimless hang around recreation. You will have a driving drive guiding you from place to position, but it surely largely exists as an excuse to see the websites and have Cloud spend time with the celebration. 

There’s an amazing variety of issues to do, and the minigames do get overbearing at instances, however the writing feels extra on level than ever. I used to be anxious about revisiting this recreation after being very underwhelmed with Remake’s quest writing, but it surely appears the dev group took some criticism to coronary heart. Even when a quest itself isn’t essentially the most fascinating factor you’ve ever seen, every of them sees Cloud paired off with a selected member of the group. In serving to this individual, you’ll typically be taught an anecdote about your buddy’s life. Even when the open world intel gathering isn’t your cup of tea (I really fairly like checkbox open world mechanics, even when I admit it isn’t essentially the most deep), the facet quests are greater than price it. 

I believe if I had performed this every other means however the base PS5 model working the sport in efficiency mode, I might need had extra points with Rebirth on Change 2. The sport in my restricted expertise has by no means been a looker within the decision division, which was one of many widespread criticisms it acquired on launch. This new Swith 2 model has no graphic settings to toggle between, and we’re left with a single preset that makes use of DLSS to enhance the picture high quality as a lot as potential. You’re left with a blurry picture that’s discernable however can go away so much to be desired. In case you have been as impressed as I used to be with the Change 2 model of Remake, Rebirth would possibly provide you with whiplash. This was at all times a way more bold recreation, particularly while you’re within the open world sections, so this hole in readability was additionally felt on the unique {hardware} it was launched for.

Having spent my justifiable share of enjoying this recreation docked and undocked on Change 2, I discover each to be merely enough. On my 4K OLED TV, at a traditional viewing distance, docked play with its DLSS implementation felt much like efficiency mode on the bottom PS5. I doubt the precise decision rely is shut, and it’s not as visually clear as Remake was when docked, however I believe it will get the job achieved. Undocked play takes a much bigger hit to inside decision than I anticipated, with rather more upscaling artifacts current. On close-ups and through cutscenes the sport seems to be simply high quality, however the decision can drop a bit greater than I would love out on the sphere. Neither mode’s decision dips all the way down to be really unplayable, however it might be positively a good suggestion to take a look at the Change 2 model’s demo earlier than getting this model of the sport. 

Whereas I discovered the decision greater than ok to maintain my very own playthrough, it’s laborious to not discover the outright cuts to asset complexity simply to get this engaged on the {hardware}. Some geometry has been simplified, together with any set dressing asset to offer the world life. Sure issues have been simply minimize all collectively, like objects on cabinets or decorations on tables. Foliage within the subject has additionally been lowered considerably, and I used to be shocked to take a look at comparisons on-line and see simply how sparse Rebirth seems to be on the system. Essentially the most blatant this obtained was through the parade phase early on. The pre-rendered video that performs early on exhibits bustling streets filled with folks, solely to chop to the in-engine model the place the gang density drops to such a low quantity that I began to noticeably doubt Rufus’ recognition.

The port’s worst downside by far although needs to be pop-in. Whether or not or not it’s belongings, textures, shadows, or LOD your immersion can be interrupted typically by it popping in awkwardly. NPCs will randomly pop in, or foliage will go out and in as you stroll by the world. Typically shopkeep NPCs will not even load in while you go to click on the immediate, main so that you can wait to browse their wares till the mannequin takes a number of seconds to pop in. It takes what ought to be a stunning world and muddles the presentation of it. The surfboards at Johnny’s resort have edges so jagged they might minimize you, or Divine Intel Shrines having a garbled mess of textures. After I see a low high quality texture, I’m by no means precisely positive if it was simply compressed by default or if it was struggling to load in. This pop in is the place I believe the porting group ought to be specializing in for post-launch assist. That, and perhaps larger high quality textures. Whereas I respect the decreased file dimension, I promise you I’d obtain a texture and asset enlargement pack simply to get the sport wanting a little bit nicer. 

If it wasn’t for the truth that the framerate was persistently hitting its 30 fps goal with minimal enter lag in most areas, I believe I’d be so much harsher on the port. Regardless of halving the framerate goal I used to be used to with my unique playthrough, I barely felt a distinction. It’s a responsive and clean degree of efficiency, improved additional by what is probably going the day 1 patch dropping the day earlier than this was set to go reside. I had no points with traversal stutter or fight, with the one drops I observed being within the recreation’s cities. However for the meat of the sport, exploration and fight, I wasn’t hampered by the decrease framerate cap in any respect. Given all you are able to do in battle now, and all that’s occurring with the big maps you struggle fiends in, that’s fairly spectacular. 

Content material smart, this matches every part you are able to do within the unique recreation. All of the mini video games are right here, all of the story is right here, and all of the battles are right here. The hours I spent looking by the open zones to filter out all of the towers, difficult fiends, or simply constructing the proper Queen’s Blood deck. I swear, a minimum of 5 of these 36 hours of playtime was devoted to Queen’s Blood. Please, make an app model of this card recreation. I can not get sufficient of it. Rebirth may not be the centered recreation like the primary half, however the content material on provide has been a delight this go round. I am additionally consistently shocked in any respect the little prospers, like complete dungeons you’d solely learn about from facet quests or the ridiculously excessive variety of distinctive battle themes. This really looks like Sq. Enix’s “tremendous recreation”.

Ultimate Fantasy VII Rebirth on Change 2, with it’s utilization of DLSS and lowered visible constancy, feels just like the PS4 port we by no means obtained. In my e book, that makes this model fascinating. It’s clearly not what this recreation was meant to run on for those who needed one of the best presentation potential, however contemplating that it runs in any respect given the {hardware} it was designed aroun, I do discover it to be only a bit spectacular as a complete bundle. It may not have met my wildest goals earlier within the yr as I speculated for an additional miracle port, but it surely’s a high quality strategy to play the sport. In case you’ve by no means performed the unique model, I believe you would possibly end up not too bothered by all this. As soon as I had caught as much as the unique recreation and every part began to really feel really new, I additionally stopped actually minding. I had gotten used to it, and was capable of simply totally take pleasure in Rebirth as a recreation by itself. 

I’m not likely positive how the ultimate a part of the Ultimate Fantasy VII Remake trilogy will play out. Perhaps this was meant to be the one massive scale entry of the trilogy, with the ultimate half focusing extra on linear setpieces like the unique recreation. With Sq. Enix properly conscious of the recognition of the Steam Deck and Change 2, I sincerely hope the ultimate trilogy recreation is correctly being designed round smaller scale {hardware}. I additionally wouldn’t be shocked if these Change 2 ports have been a good way for the group making these video games to scale their constancy down for weaker {hardware}. Both means, I’m fairly enthusiastic about what’s to come back. I’ll be ending my playthrough on Change 2, hoping they discover methods to enhance it extra within the coming months. Then, to maintain the bit going, I’ll be enjoying the final recreation on Change 2 as properly. The novelty of it intrigues me a lot, I simply need to.