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Final Fantasy VII Remake: Rebirth Demo dropping tomorrow

saintjules

Gold Member
It looks significantly less visually advanced than FF16 imho, specially cutscenes and lighting, I m quite surprised tbh

When was this build created? I usually believe demos are indicative of the final product, but if it was from a while ago, maybe it's not a final polish.
 

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
I'm getting serious Deja Vu. It was almost a year ago when the demo for Resident Evil 4 Remake came out, and half of Gaf were dooming and glooming about the IQ and Performance of the game. Then it came out, nobody gave a fuck, and people had fun.
Yup! I even recall people calling it worse than RE3R just because of rain effects and when the actual game comes out and people enjoying the game none of graphic whining mattered in the end…..none of it.
 
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Northeastmonk

Gold Member
I could see myself really enjoying the open world map once that becomes available. So far the combat has been fun for what it is.

I should honestly know better, but I’m a little bummed that save data isn’t transferable. This demo is such a tease at owning the full game with the opening stuff and how they’ve included such lengthy sequences and dialogue.

Edit: apparently it will allow you to skip this section in the full release. Cool. I didn’t know that. That’s at least what they’re saying online.

 
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Madflavor

Member
This demo convinced me to not buy the game on day one.

Waiting on reviews and impressions. This seems like a potential giant bait and switch.

The entire final segment of the burning village in the demo is everything wrong with modern gaming. Forced to walk at 2 mph, dumb shit with triggers, etc.

Combat felt less fluid compared to part 1. Visuals seem downgraded in parts compared to part 1. Even had a dumb shimmy sideways section to load an area which I’m just so sick of in games.

FF7 part 1 remake had some of the most drawn out dog shit chapters. (Over half the game) I’m not getting fooled again if it’s just a few chapters have good gameplay segments or story beats. I can always YT the cut scenes and skip the dog shit.

The trailer made me think they learned from part 1 issues but this demo made me think what’s the point of this openness? This was a linear demo with the illusion of exploration.

Hope I’m wrong and it’s just a bad demo.

Because there's not supposed to be exploration in this section of the game? It's the prologue to the game, and the Nibelheim incident. The Junon section of the demo is being released in a later update, so maybe wait until then?
 

Madflavor

Member
I finished Nibelheim part of the demo and I stop here, I’m already sold and getting my deluxe edition day one.
cGDkRwg.gif
 
Still nervous that Nomura is going to completely fuck up the story with some sUbVeRtInG eXpEcTaTiOnS bullshit at the last minute. I hope the main story beats (especially THAT one) will remain the same. Might be even worse by ending on a vague cliffhanger and trolling us all by making us wait until part 3 to know what happens for real. I'd like to think they know that would nuke the game's reputation and legacy, but I wouldn't put it past him.

I gotta play this demo though. As much as I enjoyed Remake, this is more like what I was expecting in terms of openness and scale.
 
Nah, thanks tho SE. Already bought it and going in fresh. Today's SoP really blew me away. It's gonna be a tough three-ish weeks.
 
Had a good time with the first 3/4 of the demo (in other words, the combat portion and taking in the sights), but I didn't like the way they handled the final scene. In the original, the eerie bell OST plays for minutes in the lead-up to talking to Sephiroth, pauses just before he says "I going to see my mother", and then kicks into the full song...

It's still perfection, 26 years later:


In Rebirth it's almost ruined by the forced slow-walking that legitimately felt like an eternity. I'm just completely over that bullshit gameplay 'innovation'. Please devs, just stop. As for the OST, I don't know if it was the sound mixing or it was simply subdued compared to the original, but I could barely hear it over the NPC chatter and such.

Having said all that, I'm still going to pick the game up because I enjoy the combat and seeing the world of FF7 realized on modern hardware (even if it's a bit lower-resolution than I'd like). Not looking forward to the changes in the story but whatever, it's easy to compartmentalize the original from the remake.
 

Zelduh

Member
The "perfomance" is fine and I'm really tired of FPS whores who get triggered so easily because they're sensitive little babies, it's everything else they butchered about the game that's the actual problem, not the performance
 

_Justinian_

Member
I'm not a fan of how they did that demo. Like, why couldn't they have just done a demo from the start of the game? Apparently, the demo is from later sections of the game and has some major spoilers in it? Like, why in the world would they do that? I'm not really into the series, so the spoilers and stuff don't matter to me, but I can imagine they would matter to the many hardcore fans out there.
 

_Justinian_

Member
I could be wrong but I think Nibelheim is the start of the game even showing credits when start walking to reactor.
Well, when I watched the State of Play, I could have sworn that they said the start of the game takes place somewhere else (not saying where because again...spoilers).
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
The "perfomance" is fine and I'm really tired of FPS whores who get triggered so easily because they're sensitive little babies, it's everything else they butchered about the game that's the actual problem, not the performance
I don’t like what they did to the combat system. The first game was fine. This game feels too chaotic. I can’t see shit. Camera is pulled back too much. Cloud has a mind of his own going into new attacks on a whim.

I’m sure i will come around to it eventually but it is a concern for me right now.
 
I don’t like what they did to the combat system. The first game was fine. This game feels too chaotic. I can’t see shit. Camera is pulled back too much. Cloud has a mind of his own going into new attacks on a whim.

I’m sure i will come around to it eventually but it is a concern for me right now.
The party leader thing threw me off a little. You go into a first attack and you come out as Sephiroth. Besides that, the combat doesn't seem that much different from the first part.
 

Mahnmut

Member
Wow this has the blurriest image on performance mode I have ever seen. Looks like hot garbage. Will wait for PC version unless this gets addressed before launch.
Oh no, I was hoping to avoid a FFXVI situation... Guess I'll wait for a PC release then.
 

Zuzu

Member
I doubt I'm going to buy this now. I played it on my LG C1 and 30fps is an unenjoyable way to experience this. No thank you. 60 fps mode looks rubbish.

I'll have to wait to play it on PC or maybe there will be a PS5 Pro patch which will raise the resolution in all modes.
 

SenkiDala

Member
Would you guys say the image quality is 1080p or lower in performance mode? Is this FF16 all over again?
At least it's not above 1080p, really.

That said I forced myself and after like 20 minutes you get used to it. But yeah if you go back to quality mode the blurriness goes and it's a little shocking.

It's about like FFXVI, the game is VERY beautiful in quality mode but 30fps, if you can't tolerate that (and then started gaming in 2020) the only choice is performance and then it becomes blurry.

Some assets (bricks, clocks, etc) are at a VERY LOW quality, it's quite surprising. This low quality doesn't change wether you play in quality or performance mode.

A "quality 40fps" mode would have been welcome.

That said the game is gorgeous and it's already my GOTY no problem.
 

Whitecrow

Banned
Had a good time with the first 3/4 of the demo (in other words, the combat portion and taking in the sights), but I didn't like the way they handled the final scene. In the original, the eerie bell OST plays for minutes in the lead-up to talking to Sephiroth, pauses just before he says "I going to see my mother", and then kicks into the full song...

It's still perfection, 26 years later:


In Rebirth it's almost ruined by the forced slow-walking that legitimately felt like an eternity. I'm just completely over that bullshit gameplay 'innovation'. Please devs, just stop. As for the OST, I don't know if it was the sound mixing or it was simply subdued compared to the original, but I could barely hear it over the NPC chatter and such.

Having said all that, I'm still going to pick the game up because I enjoy the combat and seeing the world of FF7 realized on modern hardware (even if it's a bit lower-resolution than I'd like). Not looking forward to the changes in the story but whatever, it's easy to compartmentalize the original from the remake.

SE forgot basic storytelling along the way.

I'm surprised too at the stupid slow-walking section. How could anyone at Square though this was a good idea? And when you have to push the triggers to move, in front of Sephirot, while he stares at the major for 1 fkn minute?
That section was a joke. I fucking hate that nowadays designers they shove in awful gameplay mechanics without any kind of regard or consideration to the storytelling.
 
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sncvsrtoip

Member
This is by far the ugliest next gen AAA game ive played yet. Sony needs to ask for their money back because this aint using half of the ps5 power. the asset quality is abymsal even for a ps4 game. character models look like shit during gameplay. im honestly baffled by how poor it looks.

this is in the graphics mode.

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Trailers looks awsome but no 40fps mode, 30fps is bearly playable and 60fps looks ugly. Time for ps5pro ;d
 

TheDarkPhantom

Gold Member
Alright, decided to go ahead and play the demo since it's just the first chapter of the full game anyway plus I want those rewards. Quick thoughts:

- Performance Mode is super solid *but* it gives some visual elements a "Vaseline effect". Not sure if this is indicative of what to expect in the final game but either way I'm *always* going with performance.

- combat remains as satisfying, impactful and visually stimulating as it was in FFVIIR. Once a certain someone joined the party there was no way I wasn't using him lol

- even in the opening section there were various choices that could be made and I appreciate the unique way it was implemented narratively

- FFXVI had the best OST of 2023 and I'm pretty sure this will take the crown in 2024, so good

- some of these forced QTE-like sections are tedious and add absolutely nothing to the game but at least the DualSense support is on point!

- the lighting at times is absolutely gorgeous and a couple of the vistas impressed but nothing made me say "wow!"

- during cinematic cuts in boss battles the UI remains on screen obscuring all the cool stuff unfolding, why? Maybe there is a setting in options, otherwise that needs to change

- please don't have a trophy linked to getting highest rank with the piano mini-game lol

- is this the first demo *ever* that will be updated with an entirely new chapter to play through? I can't think of any previous examples, very cool

Ultimately it's still my most anticipated game of 2024 based on everything we *know* is coming, can't wait to be back with the old gang again, just a few weeks left! A few screenshots:

sAB3msk.jpg
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TrebleShot

Member
720p in perf mode, surely, unless its using some of the worst upscaling in modern history.

Soft isn't even the word for it, but you can get used to it.

Performance is rough on Graphics mode looks rough but sharp, now im split in day 1 PS5 or wait three months PC.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Run of the mill TAA with upscaling soft, or worse? A lot of people complained about that in the first remake's performance mode but it didn't bother me at all in my 10 hours with the game at all.

Considering it looks like they're using the exact same tech as VIIR but with a bigger scope, I'm gonna guess it'll be the same resolution and AA metrics.
 

TrebleShot

Member
For every person in here saying they’ll wait for the PC version, there are at least 10 persons pre-ordering the game for PC

Whats your point?
This will sell millions more on PS5 than on PC will be more praised and loved on PS5.

But some people would like better Image Quality and frames (60) so will wait three months for PC, no one is getting brownie points for one or the other.

I wanted it on PS5, Probs will get on PS5 but I'm glad there's an option for PC in a few months. May wait since there's a lot coming out on PS5 that I am interested in.
 

Bojji

Member
Ok, I will wait for the PC version. I can't stomach action games at low resolutions. Bayonetta 3 is the worst offender.

I can't comprehend why they don't offer third option:

- graphics has good IQ but many people won't touch 30fps mode

- performance runs good but IQ is horrendous (Remake was 1440p/60 and looks about the same in gfx quality, what happened?)

- why not have decent IQ and performance with 40fps mode?

No one will convince me that developers aren't lazy mother fuckers, SE themselves had 40fps mode in forspoken. They already have performance target with 60fps mode so it would be quite easy to just scale up the resolution with 40fps cap. But why bother? They didn't even make PS4 level quality assets for this game, they are below that.

People were shitting on cross gen games but "next gen" (lol) stuff barely looks better than them and have terrible performance or/and image quality. Horizon FW shits on most next gen games.
 

Zuzu

Member
I can't comprehend why they don't offer third option:

- performance runs good but IQ is horrendous (Remake was 1440p/60 and looks about the same in gfx quality, what happened?)

This is what's surprising to me. It looks pretty similar to Remake but yet the resolution has been dramatically reduced in performance mode (probably in quality mode as well but not sure since I hardly played Remake in quality mode).
 

Bojji

Member
Considering it looks like they're using the exact same tech as VIIR but with a bigger scope, I'm gonna guess it'll be the same resolution and AA metrics.

Resolution is much lower.

This is what's surprising to me. It looks pretty similar to Remake but yet the resolution has been dramatically reduced in performance mode (probably in quality mode as well but not sure since I hardly played Remake in quality mode).

Remake was native 4k (in 30fps mode) I doubt this one is. I get that game have bigger scope etc. but there are open world games with far more traversal options (like sm2 or horizon) that have much more detail and higher resolution than this.

It's probably combination of UE4 limits and SE incompetence.

I get that graphics isn't everything but this is 70 euro AAA game not some indie or even AA title. I have some expectations yet game looks like they reused some assets from FFXIII trilogy.
 
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Portugeezer

Member
This is what's surprising to me. It looks pretty similar to Remake but yet the resolution has been dramatically reduced in performance mode (probably in quality mode as well but not sure since I hardly played Remake in quality mode).
I'm currently playing part 1 so it's fresh in my mind; I'd say the environments look noticeably more detailed in part 2 (mainly due to texture quality, would need to compare terrain geometry and density)
 

Skifi28

Member
It's early to be certain, but so far I love the improvements in combat. In remake it felt way too rigid as an action game and dodging was practically useless. Didn't lke parrying much either. It feels so much better as an action game now, faster, more fluid, enemies are affected by physics and you can juggle them a bit and I'm all for timed perfect parries/perfect dodges.

Visuals are indeed a bit blurry in performance mode, but on a 1440p monitor it honestly doesn't look too bad, I can live with it if this is the quality level of the game.

Edit: Forgot to mention, changing from punisher to regular is so fast and smooth, I love it.
 
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Mephisto40

Member
Having pre-ordered the game, I'm staying well away from this demo, don't want my hype on release day to be in any way diminished by already having played part of it
 
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Aion002

Member
The texture quality in many assets IS at least questionable, what IS SE doing? What IS the excuse now?
Unless the demo is a older build, there’s no excuse.

I loved the demo and I will buy it before the release, but there are some things poorly made on it.

I am finishing FFVII Remake on perfomance mode and the difference is notable, Rebirth feels less polished.

Obviously Rebirth is bigger, the combat is faster, there’s more thing's going on the screen, but there is also pop in, low textures in bizarre places, lower resolution and the quality mode runs about the same or worse than on Remake.

Talking about the quality mode, it was the biggest disappointment for me, specially after FFXVI, which has an amazing quality mode.

Still, everything else is amazing and I can't wait.
 
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Oberstein

Member
Had a good time with the first 3/4 of the demo (in other words, the combat portion and taking in the sights), but I didn't like the way they handled the final scene. In the original, the eerie bell OST plays for minutes in the lead-up to talking to Sephiroth, pauses just before he says "I going to see my mother", and then kicks into the full song...

It's still perfection, 26 years later:


When we played the original game, I think we all got the same impression: it was better made and, above all, more emotionally impactful. At first, you think it's nostalgia (and in part, it is), but not quite.
Modern games tend towards the cinematic experience like a movie, and unfortunately we're so used to it that it doesn't work or doesn't quite fit.

The absence of voices, music that isn't overpowered by other audio effects, a more minimalist feel, all work better. It encourages imagination and, quite simply, immersion. You're not constantly being held by the hand.
As for the music, it still fascinates me how much more intense those old audio tracks are, even with the crackling and limitations of the time.

When you look at Live a Live, it works well in 2D HD, but if he'd done it in full 3D like FF7 Remake, we'd have lost something. The " goofy " side of Japanese productions is already more apparent, and sometimes it breaks the immersion.

That's not to say that this Rebirth isn't well done, but it won't be the same in any case. You can't have it all, anyway.
 

Little Mac

Gold Member
I just bought a PS5 a few months ago and bought FVII Remake on sale for like 16 bucks. Played thru the original back in the day on PS and loved it, but the combat system of the remake seems kinda overwhelming to me. Does it eventually "click" and become enjoyable? TBH I only sampled the first 15-20ish minutes (part where you start controlling barren) of the game because I was curious about the graphics/gameplay, then went back to Spider-man Remastered because I'm trying to get the platinum trophy before moving onto something else.
 
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