Does it get better ?

[Bozz 💀]

I loved the original game in 2000, I have bought this game when it released and I always play like a few hours and then uninstall it just to come back to it a few months later and then I dropp it again... Now I finished chapter 5 and it doesn't seem to change.
I mean it looks more like an interactive movie than a video game and the combats are kinda boring because 90% of the time I'm just smashing the same button over and over again...

Does it get better or is this what I have to expect until the game is over ?
How much hours do I have to do this after chapter 5 ? how many chapters are there ?

I expected an RPG like the originals or at least something close, really not liking this :/

[Krypto]

Aside from giving you more stuff to play with and the story advancing, it doesn't really change THAT much, so if you don't like it by Chapter 6, I doubt you'll like it by the end, Chapter 18.

[Xengre]

I mean, in the original game you spent 90% of the time smashing the Attack command or spamming Beta or something, unless you were one of the ones who used the terribly underpowered magic/summon system. The original was also quite linear for the entire game, honestly, but especially in Midgar (which is roughly 3-8 hours depending on player). Sadly, most JRPGs are like this in general and, in fact, most action games are, too.

Does the game change much as you get further in? As Krypto said, not significantly. As you get new weapons each weapon comes with a new skill to master. You will also get more materia and summons, but ultimately summons are pretty underpowered in this version just like the original while magic does not really consist of much more than Cure/Life/Fire/Ice/Thunder/Aero.

Using skills and magic will become more relevant in the final boss fight of chapter 7 and then you get Aerith in chapter 8. From that point on the game is a bit more robust, but you can still beat normal by spamming attack + healing if you really are persistent though it will be terribly inefficient and drawn out fights for no reason. In fact, you can do this in most games that don't have extremely limited healing (or no healing) so it is by no means unique here and just spamming attack will absolutely make fights take way longer than fighting properly. Around this time you can also start making Cloud focus on physical, magic, or hybrid as he has several weapons (and associated skill trees) as well as materia you've collected. Still, it isn't going to move significantly beyond what you've already seen.

Rebirth (which is episode 2) does add more to the combat system like joint attack combos, more fleshed out magic and materia systems, etc. It will not require you to play episode 1 to play it as it has a small 15 minute recap at the start of the game.

Remake runs up until the end of the Midgar escape section and will remain fairly story driven as most JRPGs are. Unlike the original which has small brief dialog boxes you can quickly read or skim through at a fast pace and minor basic animations you have full blown voice acting and extended proper dialogue in spoken form as well as advanced animated scenes so they're naturally a lot longer which impacts the pacing. It will continue to be this way throughout episode 1, though Rebirth is open world and thus features a larger chunk of gameplay spurts to balance out any story elements it will have (in fact it has 60 hours of bonus content in addition to the 40 hour story). If that helps at all.

Overall, this is actually a ton like the original but the pacing is the big difference because... well, as you can see from the original game just a little example of its "dialogue" and thus shorter scenes. There might have been some shoulder shrugging in there and taking 3 steps to cross the room.

(Upon approaching Barret.)
Barret: Yo, Cloud! There's somethin' I wanna ask ya. Was there anyone from SOLDIER fighting us today?

Cloud: None. I'm positive.

Barret: You sound pretty sure.

Cloud: If there was anyone from SOLDIER you wouldn't be standing here now.

Barret: Don't go thinkin' you so bad jes cuz you was in SOLDIER.

Cloud: ............

Barret: Yeah, you're strong. Probably all them guys in SOLDIER are. But don't forget that your skinny ass's workin' for AVALANCHE now! Don't get no ideas 'bout hangin' on to Shinra.

Cloud: Stayin' with Shinra? You asked me a question and I answered it...that's all.

Cloud: I'm going upstairs. I want to talk about my money.

(Upon talking to Barret.)
Barret: Shucks!! ............money...

(Upon talking to Marlene.)
Marlene: Papa, you're so great!

If this just isn't working for you then you probably aren't the type to want to play most JRPGs and just got lucky with the original's more basic dialogue and shorter story segments compared to some of the other entries like Final Fantasy 8 & 9 which have much beefier story pacing.

In fact, most JRPGs and also RPGs like Skyrim, Witcher 3, etc. are just like this as well with spamming attack or a single specific skill so your options are going to be greatly limited depending on what you are actually looking for.

If you are looking for something with a bit more developed action style combat maybe you might like Zone of the Enders 2nd Runner, Nioh 1/2, Blade & Soul (mmorpg, but good combat and solid story, can be played solo like its a single player game for most part and mandatory team segments are not a pain to deal with), Warframe (mmorpg, starts slow but great depth and variety), Ninja Gaiden.

[EF_Neo1st]

Nioh 1 you can also play with just dodge and attack, "options" dont mean these are required to get through it (may make it easier and combat faster).

If OP did not learn this so far (that there are options and that these options make the combat faster) then I guess none of the games you listed will fit for OP either.

To OP, play it in classic mode, it will be "similar" to the classic FF VII gameplay (tho again it becomes a "menus selection only" not a "positioning + attack/dodge/block then using some spell/ability/item" where the second option you can do everything else (spell/ability/item) via menu (where it "pauses") or via shortcuts (to keep the combat flow).

[Observer]

No it wont get any better. The battle system remains boring and unsatisfying

[Krypto]

Originally posted by Observer:

No it wont get any better. The battle system remains boring and unsatisfying

You talking ♥♥♥♥, mate.

[titansp]

This whole game unfortunately is a interactivitve movie
While intertainting
It doesn't get any better

During ps4 release
I remember pre arena, looping just to level
trigging the same crawlspace twice each run just to reset enemy's

Several times they have this stop gap trigger

Eventually turned hard off at somepoint during or after midgar tower

Hopeing rebirth is good and they don't force us to wait for a steam release or run some epic games trade embrago

[Rekta]

I think SE is getting like Sony where they like to make Final Fantasy games into interactive movies

[Observer]

Originally posted by Krypto:

Originally posted by Observer:

No it wont get any better. The battle system remains boring and unsatisfying

You talking ♥♥♥♥, mate.

You talking ♥♥♥♥,

[Krypto]

Originally posted by Observer:

Originally posted by Krypto:

You talking ♥♥♥♥, mate.

You talking ♥♥♥♥,

Most people praise the battle system for how good it is, so yeah, you're in the minority on that one, mate.

[MegaDuck]

Originally posted by Observer:

No it wont get any better. The battle system remains boring and unsatisfying

The problem is the final fantasy developers want to make these flashy action-y combat systems but they're just god awful at it. ever since 12 they've been trying ever since 12 and the result is obviously not great. 15 especially was just downright awful. 7R isn't quite that bad but It's not much better, either.

Honestly they just just poach some capcom developers or platinum games devs. At least then they would have people that have experience making something that isn't mind numbingly repetitive.

[Weltall8000]

Just seems to be ironic to say, given how FF, since early on, was about being flashy. OG FFVII itself had that characteristic in spades. While underneath the veneer, it was a pretty by-the-numbers JRPG combat system for the most part.

[Bozz 💀]

So much disillusion in here

[Miyuka]

Originally posted by Bozz 💀:

So much disillusion in here

You were the one asking does it get better, so ppl gave opinions, yet you're to judge. Stop wasting time asking if you already made up your mind.

[Weltall8000]

To be fair, OP came here disillusioned to begin with.

[Observer]

Originally posted by Krypto:

Originally posted by Observer:

You talking ♥♥♥♥,

Most people praise the battle system for how good it is, so yeah, you're in the minority on that one, mate.

I ve never heard one praising that thing, except you're talking about you and your fanboys friends