Steam vs. Original PSX version?

[Sargon]

How does the Steam port compare to the original Playstation version of Final Fantasy VII? I am thinking about playing through the game again, but I'm not sure whether it would be better to play the Steam version or to wait for the Playstation Mini to come out in a few months.

[ehs03y3ol]

My personal review talks exactly about it.

This release is based on Eidos 1997 PC original release.

Eidos 1997 is popular know to be based on beta sourcecode of Final Fantasy VII.
It has some unique bugs and some of the PlayStation bugs aren't here.

Specifically, this version of Steam release fixes some of the biggest HW compatibility issues from the oldie version.
Add's new GPU plugin layer.

In the way of the playing experience, it's worse than PlayStation original game:
This game lock's up 20 FPS battle. The original PlayStation game's run at 60 FPS with only the animation at 20 FPS. It makes nearly impossible to follow hit Tiffa's and Caith Sith Slots nearly impossible by the added lag of the VSync.
This game add's black borders up and down.
No really HD experience:
·Meanwhile FMV quality is better, resolution is only doubled from PlayStation original. 480p
·Textures and models are exactly the same.

Something good?
It fixes the MDef bug being not calculated.

Hope you understand that's a good way to play the game if you don't have the original one, but nothing more.

[solidap]

There's no noticeable difference between the two aside from higher resolution on PC version

[ehs03y3ol]

Originally posted by solidap:

There's no noticeable difference between the two aside from higher resolution on PC version

Oh man, hope you're joking... I said everything it's different from PlayStation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzbuABYClaE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvI81z0s8-8

[Kaldarasha]

The bug with Vincent is fixed in this version.
Sadly the bugs the game has are that minor that most people don't notice them. The whole effect rendering on PC doesn't work as on PSX, which leads to ugly dropshadows and not correct rendered effects (very noticeable if you compare Aerith's last limit). The battle is also locked at 15 FPS which is the animation and script speed. On PSX are the animation also 15 FPS but the camera moves at 30 and the battle UI runs at 60FPS. There is also a thing which actually is a major bugs, the sound system. It is entirely broken on PC. The architecture is actually designed to use the SPU of the PSX, which does some real-time modifications (changing pitch, speed or adding reverb). There are also cases where a sound does kill another sound. Also the music can't be played like on PSX and use ogg. That it's actually a good thing, but they seem to have no idea how they own game works and have implemented two partially wrong tracks. One is cintro.ogg the other is the alternative version of the main theme which is used in a longer sequence later in game.
Here are differences which are actually a pro of the PC version. The models on field get real-time light shading, unlike the PSX version where the light is backed on the models once for every field.
The loading time between scenes is a bit faster on PC.

One last thing. The sub minigame is entirely different, we think it is an earlier version of it.

Still, the PC version has the advantage that it is very good modable now. And the problems with the sound and the FPS in battle will be history (hopefully) soon.

[Stormblessed]

When I first played it, I set the res higher and used the smoothed graphics feature. I couldn't get on with it.
I'm currently enjoying the game in 800x600 with the graphic smoothing turned off and it's just like the original.

I am having some controller mapping issues though. My "L2 and R2" buttons just aren't working, meaning I can't boost my Chocobo's stamina in the races which is potentially going to cause me trouble a bit later into my playthrough.

[Mar]

The game is awesome in the playstation one. but in pc it has some glitches that make you lose the desire to play.

i cant navigate through menus quickly, when i press any direction on any menu and fastly press "use" the game just pick the second option on the direction i had pressed. its a pain equip materias quickly and read boxes with this new bug. three years have been passed and nothing changed. even i reported the bug and i got contact with them and they say that dont exist a problem like that. i tried another gamepad, install game in other machine and many things more. i lost a lot of my time trying to fix this, and theres no solution. I'm not the only one with this problem, without talking about the other problems it have the game. Maybe emulators are illegal but their digitally stuff are sh¡t and expensive. run your CD, install emulator and forget the problems.

[Sh1nRa358]

ps1 version is better. especially when emulated.

[Sargon]

Ok, the consensus is that the PS1 version is much better, so now I'm curious... Do similar issues exist in the PC ports of the other PS1 original Final Fantasy games - Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy IX? Or do those compare more favorably to the originals?

[Sh1nRa358]

Steam:
FFIII - missing psp version extra options, Poor controller support.
FFIV - missing whyte, content cut, missing psp version extras, DS version better for 3D version
FFIVTAY - no voice acting, missing all psp version extras, 3D version waste of time completely
FFV - horrendous android port, Must collect both ps1 version and gba version for all content. Multiplayer missing.
FFVI - horrendous android port. Must collect both ps1 version and gba version for all content. multiplayer missing. Poor controller support.
FFVIII - missing rumble support, poor controller support
FFIX - FMVS are cut and zoomed, missing multiplayer support
FFX - no emotion engine support, horrible facial reconstructions
FFX-2 - PERFECT
Mobius FF - PERFECT except online only
FFXII - PERFECT
FFT0 - PERFECT
FFXIII - missing rumble support, bestiary text missing bug, best to play on rpcs3 when complete
FFXIII-2 - missing rumble support, missing dlc, best to play on rpcs3 when complete
Lightning Returns - Resolution and Mipmaps broken, best to play on rpcs3 when complete
World of FF - Resolution and Mipmaps broken, maybe upcoming update will fix?

Most are superior with emulation.

[Mopey bloke]

Emotion Engine? The PS2 chip?

[ehs03y3ol]

Originally posted by Sh1nRa358:

Steam:
FFV - horrendous android port, Must collect both ps1 version and gba version for all content. Multiplayer missing.
FFVI - horrendous android port. Must collect both ps1 version and gba version for all content. multiplayer missing. Poor controller support.

These are totally broken. The tile are broken into pieces that does not fit. The tile engine is broken and clash with the size of tiles. The sprites are ugly as hell. The portraits seems generic RPG maker games without anything to do with the game. Ahead of these problems, they used Trillinear texture mapping to finish the job of making it blurred. I think this is the worst work done by Square ENIX.

https://www.fortressofdoors.com/doing-an-hd-remake-the-right-way-ffvi-edition/

Originally posted by Sh1nRa358:

FFIV - missing whyte, content cut, missing psp version extras, DS version better for 3D version

This ons is also pretty bad... on DS was understable the game running at half rate on the scren, but on PC it finally become battles are in 15 FPS with VSync juddering, it's more close to a photogame than a videogame. 4 times the image repeats on the screen... hell.

Originally posted by Sh1nRa358:

Steam:
FFXIII-2 - missing rumble support, missing dlc, best to play on rpcs3 when complete

This is not really bad, but if you have a low thread CPU, this game won't keep at 20 FPS. With today CPU's maybe you lucky to play at 40-45 drops...

Originally posted by Sh1nRa358:

FFVIII - missing rumble support, poor controller support

This one is not that really bad... But music engine suxs, it's the worst engine piece port in all Square ENIX games. In 1998 they need to port the Music at MIDI, in consequence, they simplified the audio file info to a comprensible version for computers... making it years inferior to the PSX version in this side.

Originally posted by Wiseman:

Emotion Engine? The PS2 chip?

I think what he quotes is that geometric engine couldn't be ported and that make's the characters less expresive than they were.

Originally posted by Sargon:

Final Fantasy IX? Or do those compare more favorably to the originals?

this one is more comparable to the original but the textures and the backgrouns/textures were re-compressed/processed and loose details and general quality reduced. Anyway resolution in this game is a big step-up... The PSX hardly limited this game.

[Sh1nRa358]

If controller doesn't work after disconnected during game, that automatically makes it bad in my book. If I were to set up a cabinet without keyboard access, the user is f*cked :P

[XΞИOΛLIΞИ]

I play with the Reunion patch, it fixes alot of issues with the game and the character models look A LOT better

[Sh1nRa358]

Originally posted by X3N04L13N:

I play with the Reunion patch, it fixes alot of issues with the game and the character models look A LOT better

it doesn't fix controller connectivity :P

[XΞИOΛLIΞИ]

Originally posted by Sh1nRa358:

Originally posted by X3N04L13N:

I play with the Reunion patch, it fixes alot of issues with the game and the character models look A LOT better

it doesn't fix controller connectivity :P

I use a ps4 controller with inputmapper, its works perfectly fine. I can even use the analogue stick