Final Fantasy 7 Remake: 8 Things NOBODY Wants To Admit
5. Combat Has MAJOR Flaws
When it works, FF7R's action/turn-based hybrid is a sparkling cornucopia of colourful chaos, allowing for some seriously breathtaking set-pieces.
But it so frequently falls down the metaphorical stairs.
Sometimes the camera goes absolutely haywire, particularly when combat becomes cluttered. Swap characters and it channels Cecil B. DeMille, lining up the fresh combatant for a beauty shot. That's lovely and all, except it usually heralds being blindsided by an evil dog/robot/whatever.
The camera can be somewhat tamed with adjustments to the questionable default settings, but what can't be, are some bizarre design choices.
The game actively encourages a rhythm of regularly switching characters; not doing so will result in them standing there, doing absolutely f*ck all. This can sometimes lead to a cycle of despair, where you have to go on the offensive in a pinch just to build ATB to heal. The end becomes inevitable.
And then there are the interrupts.
Need to cure desperately? Built up your Limit Break and preparing to unleash a finishing blow? Tough luck, pal, you've been bonked from behind. Not only do you lose the attack animation, but the ATB or entire limit break goes with it.
It's needlessly frustrating - particularly when items use up ATB as well.
Also, the FFXIII-style stagger system - whilst demanding strategy - turns some bosses into slogs.
For long periods, it feels as though you're lightly tapping them with a pool cue, before a five second stagger window to unleash some real damage. This is obviously the point, but it makes the player feel weak - and worst of all, can result in some very tedious re-runs if a death spiral occurs.