Final Fantasy VII Remake 2020

Is it still worth playing?

The first part of a remake of 1997's Final Fantasy VII, released in 2020 for the PlayStation 4 and set entirely in the city of Midgar. You play Cloud Strife, a former soldier turned mercenary who joins AVALANCHE, an eco terrorist group fighting the Shinra Corporation for draining the planet's life energy. The turn based battles of the original now happen in real time: attacking fills the ATB bar, and spending it pauses the action to choose magic, items and special moves. You switch between party members at will, each fighting differently: Cloud up close with his sword, Barret at range with the gun on his arm, Tifa with quick chained attacks. What took about eight hours in 1997 now takes 25 to 30, with more room for the characters. The battles are the reason to play it now: real time action that stops when you spend the ATB bar, to choose a spell or switch to whoever suits the fight.