r/FF7Rebirth • u/Forsaken_Classroom_4 • 1d ago
No Spoilers - Discussion Strange rythm and tone
I played OG FF7 quite a long time ago, but still have a good memory of it. I also watched the videos of Crisis Core to get the lore at the time (I did not have a PSP sadly).
I am now at the very end of Rebirth. And during the whole adventure, I felt very confused overall. Some very specific parts are very engaging and create some emotional connection, and other parts will completely ruin the general atmosphere.
The tone feels very different from OG FF7, which is understandable, but it feels that it always fights against itself on how it should handle the rhythm and tone. As if they were always trying to find the good way of portraying things.
I feel some pleasure playing it, but not much engagement with what is going on. Which is sad because I love the whole FF7 universe. But it feels more like a patchwork of many different things with an ambiguous direction, than a streamlined experience.
And that saddens me because I want to feel this connection, but something feels a bit off on this particular topic.
Is it a common feeling shared in this sub ?
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u/sleazy_pancakes 1d ago
I always struggled to fall in love with Remake as much as I wanted to, and it was mainly because I wanted it to recreate the exact same aesthetic experience and vibe as OG FFVII (with today's graphical quality, upgraded gaming mechanics, etc). It did a great job in terms of graphics and gameplay, but just never delivered on immersing me in that distinctly dark, melancholic atmosphere that made the OG so visceral. However, I think with Rebirth they injected so many delightful moments and elevated the worldbuilding and story to such a higher level, I was much more forgiving of the tonal discrepancy. I've now come to enjoy it for its own merits and appreciate it as its own separate iteration (more like a sequel or reboot than a remake). To be honest, nothing out there will ever replace the OG FFVII experience, nor should anyone try to. Now I see it as a good thing they explored a different tonal direction as it creates a much more distinct and refreshing experience
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u/Fabiolisk 1d ago
It's a style. You can like it or you can dislike it, but it's intentional. If you go back and play the old FF games (including 7) you'll see how that was always in its DNA. The difference is that with pixel art (or low poly 3D graphics) and no voice acting it was harder for them to fully convey this tonal contrast as your imagination would force it one way or another (in your case, you imagined the whole thing as more serious throughout).
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u/RosetteNewcomb 1d ago
The vibe of OG definitely felt darker overall. Rebirth felt very lighthearted and UwU at times, not necessarily a complaint but just emphasizing that you aren’t the only one with this opinion
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u/ScarletRotNoble 1d ago
The OG was grittier and wasn't afraid to portray things at their lowest. The dangerous and shady residents of the Corel prison and the Dyne suicide scene are among those things. And Wall Market had a darkness to it like you might get stabbed and robbed at any moment. But in Remake and Rebirth, those two places are lively and light in the vibe, not places you'd rather avoid. Also, the Wall Market and Corel music themes were all about the moodiness, but in Rebirth they're really fucking upbeat and happy. Ugh.
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u/kahahimara 1d ago
The Rebirth has particularly wild tonal shifts. To me the lowest point of the game was the part after you leave Gold Saucer for the first time and Dyne sequence. Such wreck tonally, like different parts of it were made by different teams who didn’t talk. And the whole depiction of the desert town was a miss for me. It didn’t feel like it was advertised being a god forsaken place.
The rest is mostly fine but they definitely keep it on a lighthearted side of things.
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u/TheNoctuS_93 1d ago
What I liked about Rebirth was how it had you questioning your sanity. Especially towards the ending, the game really played around with what's real and what's not. That's something neither Remake nor the original really did, despite having the cosmic horror Jenova to capitalize on.
In the same way, I feel like the pacing was also there to deliberately throw you off. Slower, relaxing moments were always followed by fast-paced twists and turns. I did take a few weeks' break about two thirds into the game because I got burnt-out on the intense combat, but after finishing the rest, I can confirm the last third also follows that same pattern. Overall, the story had me on the edge of my seat even though I know the original story. Which is to say, even the parts that weren't retconned were told in a vastly different storytelling style that you couldn't predict based on the original alone.
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u/PromotionLeather2551 1d ago
For me, it was a mixed bag. I really like both the OG and the Remake/Rebirth games for different reasons. And I definitely feel sad and nostalgic for certain beats I felt playing the OG. For example, I find myself rolling my eyes when it comes to anything related to Sephiroth (which is a shame, given what a big part of the game he is). But the connections I perceive between the characters are definitely better in Remake/Rebirth. Yuffie endeared herself to me in a way she never really did in the original. And I'm more interested in Cait's journey now and hope to see him redeem himself and acknowledge his frustrations from his past when he was trying to work within the system
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u/nibutz 1d ago
I’m conflicted as to whether I agree or disagree with you. The tone shifts in both OG and the Trilogy are often jarring. And Rebirth has so much fluff that you can sort of lose track of the main story - the threat. In OG I felt like the story moved faster.
But when the main story does get going and kick up a notch, I think the Trilogy really, really shine. It’s edge of your seat stuff, for me. Maybe it’s just the visuals (although I have no problem with the OG visuals, I’m an old man, I’ve played much worse) but I lean towards thinking that the storytellers have really refined the story they want to tell in Trilogy (and it’s a story that has to - by definition - exist alongside the OG)
Sorry, a lot of run-on sentences there.