Final Fantasy VII Rebirth evaluation by PETER HOSKIN

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PlayStation, £69.99)

Verdict: A basic, reborn

Rating:

It’s been a quarter-century since I first met Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret and all the opposite assorted weirdos of Final Fantasy VII. 

And nearly 4 years since I met them over again, extra photorealistic and photogenic this time, in Final Fantasy VII Remake, the primary a part of Square Enix’s bold redo trilogy. Honestly, at this level, they’re like outdated associates.

And now I get to spend much more time with them! Squeal! The second a part of that trilogy, subtitled Rebirth, is out now — and it does not simply proceed the remake challenge; it type of reaffirms its complete goal. Rather than being a lazy cash-grab, this can be a great monument to each the previous and way forward for gaming.

So the place had been we, on the finish of 2020’s Remake? Ah, sure: on the expressway out of the economic future-city of Midgar, having confronted each the villainous Sephiroth and numerous revisions to the unique story of FFVII.

Now, in Rebirth, after an thrilling prologue wherein you get to play as Sephiroth himself, you are off into the (roughly) open world past Midgar — a bucolic place of villages, farms and horrible monsters who wish to suck the flesh out of your bones.

The very first thing that stands out is the great fantastic thing about Rebirth. Faces are splendidly expressive. The surroundings is assorted and vibrant. The fights are an exhibition of sunshine and motion. 

I’m undecided whether or not it is made a distinction that this one was made solely for the newer PlayStation 5, however I do not bear in mind being fairly so wowed by the also-on-PS4 first sport within the remake trilogy.

My different favorite a part of Rebirth is one thing that has carried over from the primary remake: the combating. This is an excellent middle-ground between the gradual and stately turn-based fight of the unique FFVII and the hyperactive button-mashing of final 12 months’s FFXVI. There’s sufficient variation between characters and skills that not one of many frequent fight encounters grows stale.

Of course, it isn’t good. There are faults that may be picked elsewhere. But why would you do this to your folks? Cloud, Tifa, all of the gang… please come again quickly.

Ultros (PlayStation, PC, £19.99)

Verdict: Ultra-colourful

Rating:

Golly. The colors. How to elucidate the colors? 

Here goes: think about smashing a complete pack of fluorescent highlighter pens; watching the inks all swirl collectively; in some way upping the depth and brightness by about 500 per cent; then injecting the whole combine into your eyeballs.

Actually, even that does not seize the gloriously psychedelic colourscape that’s Ultros — but it surely ought to offer you some concept. This is a sport that appears fairly not like every other. A comic book-book writ in neon. A sci-fi universe created from gentle. The type of factor that the Beatles sang about after they turned… wacky.

And it is totally unbelievable. The hazard, after all, with such a singular-looking sport is that it turns into all model over substance, although that is actually not the case right here. The makers of Ultros have put nearly as a lot effort into its bizarre, squishy, alien world and its clean gameplay as they’ve into its imagery. Which it to say: rather a lot.

What is that gameplay? You’ll recognise it from different titles, such because the Metroid and Castlevania sequence. Your masked character has to maintain progressing by way of a mysterious place of many corridors. By defeating monsters and gaining new talents, he — you — can transfer on to areas that had been beforehand inaccessible.

But Ultros introduces sufficient variations on this theme that it comes throughout as extra imaginative than spinoff. Chief amongst them is its emphasis on horticulture and — as a type of blissed-out Beatles might need stated — the symbiotic nature of all residing issues. It pays to are likely to the little gardens you encounter round this sport’s unusual world.

Then, after all, there are the colors. Even for those who do not find yourself truly taking part in by way of Ultros, I’d counsel you simply change it on and change your self off. Far out, spaceman.

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, £24.99)

Verdict: Strong within the power

Rating:

A very long time in the past in a galaxy far, far-off — or, slightly, through the mid-Nineteen Nineties on Earth — Star Wars fandom was so pure.

There had been no sequel and prequel trilogies, no TV sequence, no multi-£billion buyouts, no social media fights. Just the unique trilogy of movies, together with a manageable provide of super-nerdy novels and super-nerdy video video games for the super-nerds.

It is to these halcyon days that I’ve been transported this week, courtesy of a remastered model of one of the vital straightforwardly pleasing Star Wars video games of all time: 1995’s Dark Forces.

The phrase ‘remaster’ covers rather a lot, from merely making an outdated sport out there on trendy consoles to revamping the entire thing in order that it appears to be like and performs totally in a different way. Dark Forces Remaster is nearer to the previous finish of that spectrum.

The good people at Nightdive Studios — who, after final 12 months’s System Shock redo, are quick turning into the perfect on this specific enterprise — have made the outdated cutscenes much less blocky and extra painterly. Darth Vader now appears to be like a correct murals.

Otherwise, this is similar sport you bear in mind from the Nineteen Nineties; simply faster and extra agile. You’re nonetheless the roguish Kyle Katarn. You’re nonetheless hotfooting it by way of ranges, blasting away at stormtroopers — and worse — in first-person. You’re nonetheless attempting to stop the house baddies from enacting their fiendish plans.

So what if it is fairly slight when in comparison with the grand, cinematic, completely on-line shooters that adopted the unique Dark Forces? It stays great enjoyable. And Nightdive have made positive to fill out the package deal with a pleasant choice of additional gubbins — resembling idea artwork and even a beforehand unreleased stage.

Which is simply good for super-nerds who grew up within the Nineteen Nineties wishing they might force-push bullies out of the way in which. Not me, although, after all. Gosh, no, I imply different individuals.