Oceaniz

@oceaniz.bsky.social

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Monster Hunter Documentary guy. he/him. Find my thoughts on games, shows etc. that I finish under #OceanizMediaThread

There is something really charming about the way this game adapts the book, it has an almost highlight-reel-like episodic vibe to it. The most interesting consequence of this is that the game’s structure ends up resembling a train (or Metro) journey - the stations are pauses in which you can rest and restock, and the travel between the stations is the main gameplay. I will say though that through my dense fog of memory, I seem to remember the book doing a better job at elaborating on the actual moral conflict of the ending - I guess that's a consequence of the highlight reel method. Gameplay-wise, its super solid... under the right conditions. Once all the systems sing (and you actually understand them lol) the tension is pretty great. I do think the early levels do a poor job of really selling you on how you are supposed to approach this, but once you hit the “Frontline” mission, it all clicks into place. I just don't think failing a mission because of a mechanic I wasn't told about is particularly fun, but its also not a dealbreaker, I am an adult. Librarians are cool as hell and honestly kind of genius for this type of game: You spend hours hiding, running and gunning and then you encounter an enemy that can only be overcome by staring it down. Awesome. Also unbelievably stressful. Overall - very cool, looking forward to playing the sequels!
FF7R2 feels like a direct expansion of the original to me and is characterized by its competent translation of the original’s appeal. This is a long, wacky adventure with a varied and deeply troubled cast of characters, and the story feels almost episodic with how the gang goes from one story arc to the next. It is a tremendous achievement, amplified by the particular way the world is characterized as a pre-apocalypse, a beautiful space that reminds you constantly that the end is near. There is some goofball stuff here that does not land equally well across the board for sure, but considering that the original game followed up the most iconic #tragic scene in all of gaming with a snowboarding mini game, I think it's still very much in the spirit of FF7. My one actual tonal gripe is Yuffie - I just don’t think they did a good job with her tbh. Her design is horrendous (what the FUCK is going on with her legs/knees??) and most of her antics fall comfortably into the “Not funny, did not laugh” category of anime humor. The game also feels like it is playing favorites with her, as she gets injected into every main story beat even when she adds essentially nothing. I do however think that using her youthfulness to bounce off of Barret’s fatherly side is very sweet. I cannot get enough of this combat dude. The combination of sheer speed that you can reach (especially with Cloud) and the ability to slow down time for tactical commands is something that feels at once exhilarating and strategically stimulating. The increase in flashiness and ferocity compared to Remake was a great decision, as it makes fights feel much more fluid than before. I do think that the main thing holding this game (and this trilogy) back is how heavily it relies on the player knowing the original. Its a sacrifice the games make for the meta-narrative and I like it, but it is going to repel a ton of people. This also leads to a generally cryptic tone across the story, which personally? I love it. …