human.encoded

This sounds like my experience. I bought a PS5 for FFXVI thinking FF had grown up. The only word I can use to describe this game is “homework.” It felt like I was doing homework the whole time. Boring, repetitive, bloated, and coasting on the FF name. I wanted FFXVI to bring those feelings I had back in my youth. It only reminded me of homework. I finished the game and have wrote off FF since.

As you point out the story was stupid despite a cool world and what seemed like interesting and deep backstory. I liked Clive, Jill, and Cid, but the others characters where one-dimensional. Some of the NPCs were more likable.

Whole heartedly agree with you that gaming journalists have zero integrity. I am all for people liking and enjoying different games/genere/etc. but a 9/10 means almost perfect. This game is far from that.

I think a lot of people had this reaction and the sales figures reflect it. I was an OG FF7 fan and the tone change is drastic. I wanted to believe it would get better but it didn’t and I don’t think will.

I know I am late to the party here but the Final Fantasy 7 Remake Trilogy just didn’t work for me. I played the first game and suddenly my guard was up. Some of the combat is cool, and of course the graphics are better. But every story change from the original was worse, all of the new characters were boring and clearly shoe horned in, and the general game seemed to lack direction despite having solid rails to coast on.

Still, I finished Remake and bought Rebirth and just couldn’t. In the first town all the flaws of the remake trilogy were on display. Uninstalled, sold the game, and have zero plans to buy Revolutions (is that the last one?)

I do not see SE capturing the spirit of FF again, which is such a loss.

Progress be progress. We’ll get there folks.

I am curious, do you know why they can’t kill it? The only reason I can think of is that “new” reddit requires access or something?

This also worked for me for the longest time. I recently stopped using Reddit (as we all should) but if you gotta use it at least use old.reddit.com/r/subredditname

Good. Cancel your streaming services. All of them. Just pirate shit.

Oh whew, the picture only shoes the Atlantic Ocean. I’m safe then.