#but good god that's a lot of them. lotta nerfs too

[zzz-updates]

Bizzare Brigade Version 1.5 Update Details

Bizarre Brigade will be receiving an update after the Version 1.5 update

While our roguelike minigame "Bizarre Brigade" was still lacking a little developmental polish upon its release with Version 1.2, it was still well-received by Proxies. We are grateful and encouraged by your support. The purpose of this latest update is to address the flaws in Bizarre Brigade and optimize it for a more enjoyable gaming experience. We hope that these improvements will make the game more fun and engaging for Proxies.

>> Official Hoyolab post <<

All-New Mode & All-New Protagonists

• Added a new Multiplayer Mode: Bizarre Brigade: Shared Dream

• Added 7 new Dream Seekers with different abilities. After the "Godfinger Ultimate Showdown" event begins, you can check the new Dream Seekers' abilities and how to obtain them in the in-game Godfinger arcade.

• Bizarre Brigade: Shared Dream will be launched at the same time as the Version 1.5 event "Godfinger Ultimate Showdown". On top of this, Bizarre Brigade will be welcoming brand-new Dream Seekers and will remain available even after the event is over.

Event Duration: 2025/01/28 10:00 (server time) – 2025/02/10 03:59 (server time)

Participation Requirements: Unlock Godfinger arcade in Prologue - Intermission.

The following adjustments will take effect after the Version 1.5 update:

New Leaderboard

• This update will significantly impact existing Dream Seekers, Companions, and Relics. Therefore, we will be launching an all-new Bizarre Brigade Leaderboard after the Version 1.5 update.

• The previous leaderboard will be permanently archived and can be viewed at the Godfinger arcade.

Stage Adjustments

We hope Proxies can have a more enjoyable gaming experience!

• Lowered the difficulty of early waves and increased the number of monsters in later waves.

We thereby hope to reduce pressure during the early game and allow Proxies to freely test out different builds and strategies, before increasing pressure in the late game to provide a more rigorous test of strength.

• If you purchase the new Relic "Infinity Road Sign," Endless Waves will begin after Wave 10 of Difficulty 5 is cleared.

You will not be able to access the Store between Endless Waves. Give it everything you've got!

Monster Adjustments

• Added 4 new monsters.

• All monsters' HP has been lowered and their Movement Speed has been increased.

• Ranged monsters will attempt to keep their distance from the protagonist.

Stat Adjustments

We hope to strengthen the relationship between different attributes.

• Before the update, the Protagonist's Melee DMG was essentially ineffective. Therefore, we have made the following adjustment: After the update, Knockback DMG +2 for every +1 Melee DMG the Protagonist has.

• After the Version 1.5 update, Collision DMG will be affected by a percentage of the Protagonist's Additional DMG.

• After the Version 1.5 update, the Attack Range of melee weapons will affect not just the movement distance of Companions' melee weapons, but also the flight distance of the Protagonist and Companions' bullets.

Protagonist Adjustments

We look forward to seeing Dreamers' wonderful performances in the upcoming multiplayer mode.

• All characters' Base ATK increased by +1, and all characters' Shooting Interval reduced.

• The permanent buffs to ATK and Health the Protagonist gains from collecting candies have been reduced.

Derpy Woof

Protagonist and Gear Companion Speed When Knocked Back: +15 → +10

Due to Derpy Woof being overpowered, we have made some adjustments to ensure that all Dream Seekers are balanced.

The Big Pot

Before: During combat, every Morning Star bond gives the Protagonist +1 Health Recovery. When the Protagonist is injured, Armor +1, which is reset when combat ends.

After: During combat, every Morning Star bond gives the Protagonist +1 Armor. When the Protagonist is injured, Health Recovery +1, which is reset when combat ends.

Health Recovery is more important than Armor when Health is low. As such, we have switched these two stats.

Porcelain Doll

Health Recovery Correction: 50% → 150%

Because the Companion "Jungle Folk" has lost some of their advantage, we believe it necessary to make the Dream Seeker "Porcelain Doll" more resilient.

Slippy

Brigade Knockback: +100% → +200%

Companions can sometimes cause tricky situations to occur...

Sir Purrcival

Treasure Detection When Dodging: +1 → +2

We hope the rewards can justify the risk.

Periwinky

Before: When combat starts, Health is set to match Coin count.

After: When combat starts, Coin count is set to match Health.

Before: Armor Growth: -1

After: Health Growth: 6

Because the combination of the Dream Seeker "Periwinky" and the "Guaranteed to unlock the Dream Eater's Altar" effect were overpowered, we have made some adjustments to their other attributes.

Clementie

Brigade Attack Speed: -70 → -50

Reduced Clementie's reliance on Collision DMG.

Gulpy

Before: Monster Speed, Protagonist Speed, and Companion Speed all +30%

After: Monster Speed +30%

Capped Gallant

New: Base ATK Interval -20%

As certain adjustments made to some Relics have affected the Dream Seeker "Capped Gallant," we hope their attack speed can be increased.

Card Queen

Empire Companion Attack Range: +20 → +10

Adjusted the Attack Range for Companions of the Dream Seeker "Card Queen." It's time to test your compatibility with your Companions.

Steel Shell (Revamped)

Before:

Monsters receive 100% of Protagonist's Collision DMG every 3 seconds.

During combat, each Crimson Gauntlets bond gives the Protagonist +3 Collision DMG.

After:

When picking up Coins, deal damage to a random monster equal to 100% of Protagonist's Collision DMG.

When picking up Hearts or Magnets, deal damage to all monsters equal to 100% of Protagonist's Collision DMG.

Bloom Shell (Revamped)

Before:

When combat starts, the Brigade gains +2 to all Stats (except Projectiles)

After:

Upon purchasing a Lv. 4 Relic, gains 1 random Lv. 1 Companion.

Companion Price -30%, Relic Price +15%.

Companions have long attack intervals, Collision DMG -10

Steel Shell and Bloom Shell are too similar in appearance, so we replaced the original effects with new mechanics.

Companion Adjustments

Some Companions don't make enough of a difference! To make Companions a more prominent part of Proxies' builds, we've adjusted the effects of certain Companions.

Effects of All Companions on Income

Before: Income -5 when obtaining a Companion, Income +5 when losing a Companion.

After: Income -5 when obtaining a Companion, no effects on Income when losing a Companion.

Cheer Bunny

Before: Brigade Speed +10.

After: Upon attacking, deals additional DMG equal to 20% of the Protagonist's Speed. All squad members' Speed +10.

Jungle Folk

Before: During combat, for every Primitive Leather Skirt and Bouncy Rabbit Ears bond, this Companion's Attack Range +20, DMG +30%.

After: For every Primitive Leather Skirt and Bouncy Rabbit Ears bond, this Companion's Attack Range +5, DMG +10%, Attack Speed -3.

The era of the "Jungle Folk" was brilliant yet fleeting...

Pointy Hat Witch

Bow and Arrow Companion DMG When Opening Chests: +1% → +2%

Judge

Before: When combat starts, every Four-leaf Clover bond gives the Protagonist +10 Income.

After: Companion's attacks deal additional DMG equal to the Protagonist's 10% Income and 10% Luck.

Fierce Fighter

Before: Attack Speed +1 when attacking, which resets when combat ends. Has meaningless explosion effects when attacking!

After: Upon a CRIT, this Companion has a 50% chance to explode, dealing 100% DMG to nearby monsters.

Matchstick Head

Before: During combat, every Morning Star bond gives the Protagonist +1 Projectiles. (Cannot stack. Can stack after merging)

After: Companion gains extra bullets when knocked airborne.

Camo Shroom

Monster Speed Reduction From Attacks: -25% → -50%

Floofy

Before: Protagonist Health +5, Armor +1.

After: Upon attacking, deals additional DMG equal to 10% of the Protagonist's Health. Protagonist's Health +5, Armor +1.

Smiley Fox

New: General purchase limit is 3. The "Smiley Fox" Relic purchase limit for the Protagonist "Capped Gallant" is 2.

Let's hope Smiley Fox can give the other Companions a chance!

Chieftain

Before: Brigade DMG +5%.

After: Companion DMG +100%, Attack Speed -80.

Attractive Witch

Collision DMG: 20 ⇒ 10

Pony

Collision DMG: 20 ⇒ 10

Bullet DMG: 20 ⇒ 10

Evil

Before: Cannot merge three into one. For every 8 Monsters this Companion kills, Protagonist Attack Speed +2.

After: Cannot merge three into one. When combat starts, Protagonist Health -5. More evil will spawn in the Store.

TV Head

Before: Upon a CRIT, this Companion has a 25% chance to gain 1 Coin.

After: Upon a CRIT, this Companion has a 25% chance to gain 1 Coin. When in combat, every 20 Coins grant this Companion CRIT Rate +1.

※ The above notes only cover adjustments for Lv. 1 Companions. Companions merged from three into one will also undergo corresponding adjustments. Please check the game for details.

Bond Adjustments

• Increased the number of Companions required to activate certain bonds.

• Adjusted the attribute effects granted to Protagonists and Companions when certain bonds are activated.

1. Bouncy Rabbit Ears Dodge: +20% → +15%

2. Carrot Health: +10 → +5

3. Horned Head Demon CRIT Rate: +50% → +100%

Relics

We're delighted to see players creating spectacular moments using the Relics system. However, it's clear that in previous versions, it was relatively easy to combine Relics in a way that enabled [Perpetual Motion], which quickly put a damper on the fun of other build strategies. Therefore, we have made some adjustments to the Relics system. We have also enhanced several previously underutilized Relics. We hope that a more balanced Relics system will bring players greater enjoyment and a deeper gameplay experience.

• Added 11 new Relics to Bizarre Brigade after the Version 1.5 update.

• Adjusted the prices of certain Relics and added purchase limits to all Relics. The purchase limit is set to 5 for all Relics except those below.

After this update, Proxies will have a harder time obtaining the Relic sets of [Perpetual Motion]. In most cases, Proxies will no longer be able to purchase the full set of Relics. In some cases, you may be able to purchase more than the limit.

Green Form

Before: Item prices -25%. Brigade DMG -20%.

After: Item prices -20%. Brigade DMG -20%.

Projector Slides

Before: Protagonist -10 Income. Each 4% DMG grants +1 Income.

After: Protagonist -10 Income. For every -1 Income, Protagonist DMG +1%.

Wool Mittens

Before: Protagonist Health Recovery -2. 15% chance to restore 2 Health when collecting Coins.

After: Protagonist Health Recovery -2. 10% chance to restore 1 Health when collecting Coins.

Expensive Fruit

Before: Protagonist Income -15. Luck +8. For every 1 Luck, Health + 1.

After: Protagonist Income -15. Luck +8. For every 2 Luck, Health + 1.

Warped Cassette

Before: Brigade Attack Speed +9. Number of Monsters in the next battle +10%.

After: Brigade Attack Speed +7. Number of Monsters in the next battle +10%.

Silent Alarm

Before: Brigade Attack Speed +30, Speed +40. During battle, the Protagonist suffers 1 DMG per sec (without any invulnerability time).

After: Gain 3 Eggs at the start of combat. During combat, the Protagonist takes 1 DMG per second (no invincibility period).

Message From A Friend

Before: Companions no longer follow the Protagonist. Brigade CRIT Rate +40%. Protagonist -7 Armor.

After: Companions no longer follow the Protagonist. Brigade CRIT Rate +30%. Protagonist -7 Armor.

Noise-Cancelling Headphones

Before: Protagonist gains +10% CRIT Rate and +10% Dodge. 30% chance to restore 5 Health when dodging.

After: Protagonist gains +5% CRIT Rate and +5% Dodge. When dodging, recovers 1 HP.

Mysterious ID

Before: Enemies hit by the protagonist are poisoned, taking 100% of Income as DMG per sec. (Does not stack)

After: Enemies hit by the Protagonist are poisoned, taking 150% of Income as DMG per sec. (Does not stack)

Commemorative Mug

Before: Protagonist Armor +4. Luck -4. When injured, there is a 30% chance to fire 8 bullets forward.

After: Protagonist Armor +3. Luck -6. When injured, there is a 30% chance to fire 8 bullets forward.

Weird Pool Ball

Before: Protagonist +20 Luck. Brigade -6% DMG, bullets have +20% rebound.

After: Protagonist +10 Luck. Brigade -6% DMG, bullets have +25% rebound.

Neck Brace

Before: Protagonist +10 Collision DMG. For every -1 Speed, gain +1 Armor. Brigade -20 Speed.

After: Protagonist Collision DMG +10. For every -2 Speed, gain +1 Armor. Brigade -20 Speed.

Sleep Mask

Before: Protagonist +5 Treasure Detection, +5 Luck. When opening chests, 1–3 enemies will receive damage equal to 100% of Treasure Detection.

After: Protagonist +5 Treasure Detection, -5 Luck. When opening chests, all enemies will receive damage equal to 20% of Treasure Detection.

Gold-Plated Ring

Before: Brigade +2 Ranged DMG. In the next battle, the protagonist gains +40 Treasure Detection.

After: Brigade +2 Ranged DMG. In the next battle, the protagonist gains +30 Treasure Detection.

Tangy Tangerine

Before: For the next battle, Companions will not attack. The Protagonist's Attack Speed increases to the maximum. For every 10 enemies defeated, the Protagonist recovers +1 Health.

After: For the next battle, Companions will not attack. The Protagonist's Attack Speed increases to the maximum. For every 20 enemies defeated, the Protagonist recovers +1 Health.

Sun Hat

Before: Protagonist Health +15. There is a 5% chance to pick up all drops when injured.

After: Protagonist Health +12. There is a 5% chance to pick up all drops when injured.

Fridge Sticker

Before: Brigade +4 Ranged DMG. Protagonist +30% Pickup Range. Companions follow closer to the Protagonist.

After: Brigade +3 Ranged DMG. Protagonist +30% Pickup Range. Companions follow closer to the Protagonist.

Bento Box

Before: Protagonist Pickup Range +20%. At the start of a battle, the Protagonist receives 20% of the current Coins as additional Coins.

After: Protagonist Pickup Range +20%, Income -25. At the start of a battle, the Protagonist receives 10% of the current Coins as additional Coins.

Price: 22 → 27

Cooling Fan

Before: Brigade Collision DMG +10. Companions can block bullets.

After: Brigade Collision DMG +7. Companions can block bullets.

Donut

Before: Protagonist size and Bullet Size +25%. Bullets become bigger, slower, and deal a lot of damage!

After: Protagonist size +30%, Bullet Pierce +2. The Protagonist's bullets become bigger and slower, with high damage. Bullet Pierce no longer reduces DMG, but bullets can no longer split.

Universe Coin

Before: Brigade DMG -30%, but every 3 seconds deals damage to all monsters equal to 15% of their Health.

After: Brigade DMG -30%, but every 3 seconds deals damage to all monsters equal to 10% of their Health.

Fish Oil In A Box

Before: Protagonist Health +4. Item Prices -30% this turn. Drink Spawn Rate +100%.

After: Protagonist Health +4. Item prices -15% this turn. The store stocks a large amount of a certain random drink.

Quill

Before: Refresh price -5.

After: Refresh price -1.

Price: 16 → 3

Vitamin C Rage

Before: Brigade Speed +20, Melee DMG +2. Protagonist Health -5.

After: Brigade Speed +20, Melee DMG +2. Protagonist Health Recovery +2 Armor -2.

Oxygen Bubble

Price 11 → 18

Winningway

After: Brigade CRIT Rate +20%, DMG -20%, Bullet Pierce +1.

Before: Brigade CRIT Rate +20%, DMG -20%, Bullet flight distance +10%.

Wake Up!

Before: Protagonist Collision DMG +10, Knockback Distance +30%, CRIT Rate -10%.

After: Protagonist Collision DMG +10, Knockback Distance +30%, Attack Speed -20.

Soda Tea

Before: Brigade Ranged DMG +4, Bullet Bounce +25%, DMG -5%.

After: Brigade Ranged DMG +1, Bullet Bounce +10%.

Rock 'n' Roll Mulberry

Before: Protagonist Armor -3, Income +30, Treasure Detection +20.

After: Protagonist Armor -3, Income +25, Treasure Detection +15.

Forgiveness

Before: When Gear and Primitive Leather Skirt Companions kill Monsters, there is a 50% chance to gain 1 Coin.

After: When Gear and Primitive Leather Skirt Companions kill Monsters, there is a 20% chance to drop 1 Coin.

Curiosity

Before: Empire and Knight Companions gain +15 Collision DMG.

After: Empire and Knight Companions gain +10 Collision DMG.

Despair

Before: Protagonist Speed -5. When standing still, Health Recovery +5, Collision DMG +10.

After: Protagonist Speed -8. When standing still, Health Recovery +5, Collision DMG +10.

Rage

Before: Recover 10 Health upon opening a treasure chest. Cannot recover Health through Health Recovery or Hearts.

After: Recover 12 Health upon opening a treasure chest. Cannot recover Health through Health Recovery or Hearts.

Cowardice

Before: For every 5 Coins held during combat, Brigade DMG +1%.

After: When combat starts, lose 20% of current Coins. For every 5 Coins held at the start of combat, Brigade DMG +1%, which resets when combat ends.

Sadness

Before: Protagonist Dodge Rate -5%. Every 3 seconds in combat, deal damage to all Monsters equal to 20% of the Protagonist's Health.

After: Protagonist Pickup Range -20%. Every 3 seconds in combat, deal damage to all Monsters equal to 20% of the Protagonist's Health.

Fear

Before: When picking up Coins, deal damage to a random enemy equal to 50% of Luck.

After: When picking up Coins, deal damage to a random enemy equal to 30% of Luck.

Perfume

Before: Monster Speed +30%. When the Protagonist is injured, a random stat is permanently increased.

After: Monster Speed +30%. Protagonist Armor -10. When the Protagonist is injured, a random stat is permanently increased.

Water Lily

Before: In combat, Brigade Bullet Pierce +3, CRIT Rate +30%. Effects are removed after the Protagonist is injured. Resets every wave.

After: In combat, Brigade CRIT Rate +60%. Effects are removed after the Protagonist is injured. Resets every wave.

Hard Bread

Before: Protagonist Attack Speed -10. For every 2 Melee DMG, Protagonist Collision DMG +1.

After: Brigade CRIT Rate -10%. For every 2 Melee DMG, Protagonist Collision DMG +1.

Beacon of Hope

Before: Score Multiplier +20%. Protagonist Health Recovery +100.

After: Score Multiplier +20%. Protagonist's Health cannot exceed 2.

Entangled Nightmare

Before: Score Multiplier +20%. Number of Monsters +100%.

After: Score Multiplier +20%. Number of Monsters +100%. Monster Health +300%.

Obtaining Beacon of Hope or Entangled Nightmare is a sign of an extremely successful round. Therefore, we've made it more challenging.

*In development. Not representative of the post-release version.

[noblechaton]

welcome to the official "Noble rambles about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" post wherein I get annoying about this behemoth of an experience

don't intend to talk much about story stuff here - tho I got a lotta thoughts about it so that might get its own thing later - but consider this a spoiler warning all the same; for gameplay and some story stuff

so just like to set a baseline here I wanna say I think this is a generational game and the biggest leap in quality I've seen a series take from one game to the other since maybe KH1 to KH2 - it's still got the same bones, but they've been rearranged and adjusted to the point of near perfection in a lot of spaces and while gameplay does still carry some flaws - lock on is still miserable, I'd argue they basically ruined Aerith lol - it's so sharp and addictive that I actually popped it back in yesterday to do the superboss stuff (which I think speaks to just how good I feel this game is since that superboss stuff is a real gauntlet lmao)

just about every character - aside from Aerith - feels really fun to play once u get used to them and I'd also say that Aerith is still fun to play with but it took so long to get used to her that I basically stopped using her outright well before the last few chapters lmao. they changed some stuff with her that I simply don't agree with and while there's some cool things in place of what was removed or changed it's just sort of not enough - she takes too long to charge ATB and can't do much without it now so she's kind of useless without a strong support setup around her which made me go "Ehhh. I wanna play as the cat again" or "Sure but what if I was Yuffie instead". I think the biggest thing is they took away the ability to hold the button down for her attack and made that tempest instead, with triangle being given to a ward shift that while neat I just never really used

but again even if she's been kinda nerfed I'd say everyone is just. so much fun. Cloud's still the great all rounder he was in Remake but they fixed the problem where bigger, aerial based enemies were basically gods by giving him proper aerial combat himself. when I first got hit with the tutorial for this in the demo prior to release I could have stood up and clapped that's how badly I'd hoped they'd do something for him

Tifa's still a stagger machine and yet feels even more necessary now thanks to that and just how quick she can be - but then Yuffie's even faster and is borderline broken which honestly rules. Barret's a lil less heavy and that makes him a lot more fun to control - I loved how grounded the cast was in Remake, but that heft just wouldn't work in Rebirth so I'm glad it was adjusted

meanwhile Red XIII is pretty solid - I didn't love him being so dependent on Vengeance Mode but after I'd learned his kit a bit more I'd say he was one of the more fun characters to play as. Cait Sith is really the only other new character u actually get to play as in this one and I can see why some have derided him/his gameplay but I honestly thought he was just as fun to play as as Red or Tifa or anyone else really - save maybe Cloud, who still has just a bit of an edge over everyone else - and I really loved how they integrated the fortune telling, casino style gameplay into his kit

it all just sort of flows really well in Rebirth that even Aerith and those that might be a bit wonky like Cait or Red end up feeling good when ya get into the moment and such. synergy moves are largely a really cool addition - don't think united refocus needed to take up so many slots lol - and I wish there were even more of them. the sidebar synergy stuff is also neat but I slowly stopped using it over the ~100 hours I played as a lot of em were just kinda difficult to properly pull off in combat

beyond just the gameplay - which is flashier than ever and brimming with character and quality alike imo - the game's just. something else to me

the music goes absolutely nuts and if this isn't soundtrack of the year I have no idea what possibly will be. it's visually stunning, the vocal performances are incredible across the board - especially Barret, who cemented himself as one of my favorite Square characters of all time with this one (but then, so did most of the cast tbh). it's so much more grandiose and higher in scale than Remake that I'd grown worried prior to release

so like. in truth I haven't played OG FF7 to this point - I sorta know what happens in that game, up to a certain and very popular point at least, but Remake is a very sentimental game for me for a lot of reasons so while I grew ridiculously hyped for Rebirth I'd wondered if I'd feel the same about it as I ultimately did with Remake - where I felt the game was this stunning, satisfying experience that does almost everything as well as it could with this grounded atmosphere and well threaded narrative with a strong, snappy mix of action and turn based combat. if I could even hope for it to live up to what was one of my favorite games of last gen, and of all time at this point

Rebirth lived up to my hopes and then some. the atompshere isn't the same as Remake's, which I loved, but it feels like the perfect evolution from the narrow, grungy alleyways of Sector 7, the tighter corridors of Shinra's construction, into this sprawling yet not entirely overwhelming open world that's varied so well from place to place that each ends up fairly memorable long before u even get close to finishing it out, every zone feeling both so wide and yet manageable, brimming with character and side content

that does bring me to my main complaint with the game tho - the side content kind of fucking sucks LMAO

the open worlds are gorgeous and carry some incredible musical tracks - Gongaga's a huge favorite of mine - buuuuuuuuut the stuff u actually do in them never really changes and grows pretty dull a good zone or two before the ending. it's a lot of Ubisoft open world stuff - towers, combat challenges, etc., with some variety thrown in via the protorelics (superboss related collectibles) but that's kinda not enough. even the more unique stuff to this game - like the lifespring scanning and the summon crystals - grow really stale and I wish they'd alternated the content from zone to zone a bit more. I think I was in Cosmo Canyon when I realized there'd be another zone and I was actively sort of dreading it lmao, mostly since I was doing just about everything someone could on a first playthrough

and I guess that's kind of not a huge complaint tho since like. ya don't gotta do it lmao. it's side content - but I wish it'd been. y'know. more good. I also wish the minigames weren't largely ass.

box buster's back from Remake and it's actually pretty fun, chocobo racing is solid enough, but most of the rest of the stuff is rough in some way or another - often in the controls, like the g-bike and 3D brawler. even the coliseum tournament stuff largely suffers from the bad difficulty problems that have imo long plagued the industry at this point - there's a few that are just infuriating and poorly designed and I'm unsure why the minigames as a whole were so hellish. as if the testers did too well and now we the casual players must pay the price for their sins (also the final side quest is related to the minigames and as of the most recent patch is bugged so while I've completed it, I haven't actually finished it 🙃)

and honestly for a while I thought all that would hold the game back for me. it's optional, sure, but it also makes up a good chunk of the game, to the point where the game's almost overstuffed with things to do, but it's kind of all shit with a few exceptions - Queen's Blood is crazy btw that needs to be a mobile thing or a real game asap - so that's gotta be a knock on things, yeah? and it totally is, but like. as I made my way through the final dungeon of the game and into the ending, I realized that it just. didn't matter

which would lead me into the story if I were going in depth on it here. I might later but to keep it somewhat vague - I loved it, and felt the pacing, twists and turns all really enjoyable. another solid evolution from things in Remake, with an ending that I genuinely adore even if things are a bit cloudy (I've got my theories - again, perhaps elsewhere). when I say the last few hours of this game shifted my opinion - which was already quite high! - even higher, I mean it. I understand why some don't like the story or the ending in particular, but I love everything they did and set up here and I'm ridiculously excited to see what comes next given just how much they managed to do with this game - tho I will say, if ya ain't onboard with the Remake project by this point I don't know if the narrative will sell ya on it given that it, naturally, does more than Remake did which ik was uh. somewhat controversial. lol

but yeah. I purposefully didn't deep-dive on Rebirth before launch save watching a few trailers due to spoilers and such so I kind of had no idea just how big it was gonna be - and even then, I don't think I could have guessed at how absolutely and utterly stuffed with content this game is. it's the first game of this gen that feels like it earns the increased price tag to me, that's worth the asking price as it's so much bigger and enthralling, so much more than I'd anticipated

which kinda sums up my feelings on Rebirth. that it's this massive game that kept me hooked for days on end, that constantly surprised and satisfied me even as my playtime steadily rose

I really, really enjoyed my near 100 hour playthrough despite the odds and ends bc I feel this is a near immaculate supergame that delivered on almost everything I'd hoped for an then some. it isn't perfect, there's some rough edges, but it does so much so well that it's impossible for me to view it as anything but this generational title that's both ridiculously good at its various peaks and sets up the final game in this trilogy to be another all-timer

so yeah I kinda liked it