Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Wants You to (Re)play Differently

Please consider trying Hard Mode.
Important footage borrowed from the following:
Action Button - • ACTION BUTTON REVIEWS ...
WingDamage - • Final Fantasy XIII Bat...
The Chance-Lore - • Is Final Fantasy 13 in...
Elen Plays - • Let's Play FF7 Boss #3... and • Let's Play FF7 Boss #4...
#finalfantasy7rebirth #ff7rebirth #playstation5

[@godaddy9837]

In rebirth hard mode is all about use of synergy commands for example when a enemy is staggered use cloud and yuffie synergy which increases stagger time while at the same time tifa is using the unbridle attacks to increase the stagger percentage if she has atb assist then she will also give 1 atb charge to cloud and yuffie which can be followed up with strong attacks. Another example don’t waste mp use unlimited mp synergy then use the spells you will be amazed to see that you will end up killing the boss without using any mp. And always increase the limit level by 1 before you stagger an enemy and make sure that the characters whose limit you want to use initiates the stagger. Also disempower with a character just before staggering which helps a lot in fights when you don’t have tifa in your team

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Pinning this to see if anyone else has more useful/helpful tips for Rebirth's Hard Mode. Thanks for sharing!

[@Atom-yb5dy]

Start hard mode last night a good one I have for the ch.1 boss. Need to have a double helix in your pocket after the first trine when he goes up for a second one. Call out to remake when the guard scorpion double fires tail laser in hard mode. Also cloud, yuffie, red 13 has been my go to party. Yuffie covers all your elements without having to use mp saving that for debuffing bosses really since you can heal and both with command materia. barret is also very nice with auto protect and auto regen

[@DarthPew]

I’m looking for advice on how to deal with those Moss Grown Adamantoise mini bosses. I can’t find out a strategy to beat it consistently!

[@majorasspain5341]

Also use stop when you stagger which will freeze the stagger bar

[@lilybeejones]

Okay so my tips so far are mostly what I did in remake: - knowing enemy weaknesses is key, once you know it, equip as many party members with elemental as you can, and have one party member with synergy materia. Using a character that uses lots of actions like Tifa, synergy will have a spare party member casting the weakness every time you use the ATB. - speaking of ATB, ATB assist, boost, and all that stuff is so useful. Corsair’s compass from the pirate questline is great to have for a character to gain 3 ATB segments for a short time. - Prayer is your friend, when applicable I try to have it on every party member to save me in tight spots. - Red XIII is full of party buffs in vengeance mode. Increasing ATB, healing, and casting haste on the whole party - I think other tips are covered but that’s what I have to add for now!

[@wyrmlingable]

In FFX, any character can hit a flying monster with a physical attack. It's just that they have a high evasion and in the beginning of the game Wakka is the only one with enough accuracy to hit them consistency.

[@DekkarJr]

its that way in most of the FF's , cus it was all turn based xD

[@CidGuerreiro1234]

@@DekkarJrIn 7 you could not hit airborne enemies with melee attacks, you needed the Long Range materia equipped for that.

[@Saber_Nico]

i think barrett was the only one who can hit airborne enemies? could be remembering wrong tho as I remember I couldn't hit Safer Sephiroth while he's floating high. @@CidGuerreiro1234

[@CidGuerreiro1234]

@@Saber_Nico Barret and Vincent.

[@DarkFrozenDepths]

@@CidGuerreiro1234 yuffie too actually, cause she's throwing ninja stars for her attacks

[@pokeyclap7]

I’m so glad you made this video. I played through FF7Remake’s hard mode for the platinum. At first, I was really upset I had to play through it twice but the second time through was an experience that I STILL think about as being one of the most rewarding gaming experiences I have ever had. You hit the nail on the head why it sticks out to me so much

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Glad to hear this. Love the pfp as well. Looks like we both have had interesting weeks 🥲

[@icyblue878]

For me, a kid growing up in the 90's playing FF7 in elementary school ; hard mode was when the real game started for me.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Right?

[@asu5632]

Were you high in high school? There was no hard mode back in the 90s. Just one mode. Normal and that’s all you needed.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@asu5632 too easy to break, not challenging enough

[@supersaiyaman11589]

@@asu5632 i think what icyblue878 is trying to say is the super bosses for him her counts as the hard mode for them. while i do not necessarily agree it counts as a hard mode i get why they would count it that way.

[@FollowMe4REP]

@@supersaiyaman11589I took it to mean either that the definitive experience didn’t start until almost thirty years into their FFVII love affair, or that the International release of the original, with its difficulty tweaks, counts as “hard mode”.

[@nsgxd8343]

I really enjoyed this video. The fact you gone into all the details made me even more hyped to start hard mode on Rebirth, (also played Remake on hard mode twice). You got yourself a new subscriber.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thank you for the kind words and I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@nsgxd8343]

@@wizcatcheslightning No worries can’t wait for more FF related content.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@nsgxd8343 I’ll eventually have that big one I alluded to finished 🤞

[@GossipGeist]

There's not much out there that's more satisfying than completing a good old-fashioned JRPG hard mode playthrough. Also, FFXII's Gambit system does need to make a comeback! Awesome video as always, Wiz!

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks GG 😎👉👉

[@AidanRatnage]

MY dad is a left-handed twin.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

I was not expecting this 😯

[@killaassasin32]

Im a left handed twin too lol

[@sephirothjc]

I know a left-handed twink.

[@TheAurgelmir]

Also: Tidus, like Cloud and Squall before him, and Lightning after him, has a weather phenomenon derived name. I know there's more going on with his name in Japanese. But in English: It's the word Tide, with a latin twist. So his name is Tide-us. Not Teedus.

[@cantdestroyher7245]

I thought it come from tiida which means sun, and I'm sure I've heard it pronounced as tee-dus in spin-off games

[@Chokken97]

@@cantdestroyher7245 his Japanese name is tiida which is an Okinawan word.

[@TheAurgelmir]

@@cantdestroyher7245 Yes the official name is Teedus. I recognize the council made a decision, but it's a stupid-ass decision so I choose to ignore it. (To borrow from Nick Fury). As I said "I know there's more going on with the name in Japanese," but still if you look at it from the English point of view - and the setting of the game - then "Tide" makes a lot of sense, when you put the game into a long line of other games with weather style names.

[@Kingdom850]

@@TheAurgelmir Why would we look at it from the English point of view when the game is developed by a Japanese company and its setting is heavily inspired by south east asian culture?

[@shawnnbits]

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT they literally say his name in Kingdom Hearts and Dissidia😊

[@DanielGonzalez-qq7gh]

I don’t think I’ve done this with any other game in recent memory, but I’ve beaten the base game 4x and the intermission dlc 3x easily totaling 40hrs with each play through and I never gotten sick with it. I grow to love not only the combat more and more but I look forward to the story set pieces time and time again. I’m glad there’s others like you out there that recognizes the complexity and sense of reward FF7 Remake/Rebirth’s battle system. Awesome work on the video! I’m looking forward to Rebirth’s Hard mode next!

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks for watching and even more thanks for the heartfelt comment!

[@devon9374]

I agree! I heard some people complaining about how much work it takes to unlock the Genji Armor. You literally have to complete almost everything in the base game. But the beautiful thing is that the armor is really designed for a hard mode playthrough, just like maxed out materia. It’s amazing how when you replay the game on hard mode you do so with a new set of skills, abilities, knowledge and a few items ;). It’s so beautifully rewarding ❤

[@Chokken97]

Just want to say this video was written really well ... I'm not even interested in playing hard mode (have way too many other things to do) but it made me think more about it and appreciate the effort of the developers. Good to have well thought out analytical content in the video game space too!

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Hey thanks a bunch. I’m glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for taking the time to make a heartfelt comment

[@sillimanilli651]

Just finished hard mode - I got wrecked more times than I would like to admit by the first side quest that you have the option of doing over again. then wrecked by midgardsormr, wrecked by Gi Nattak more than all the previous fights combined and I honestly loved it. Yes, it was frustrating although I am glad that the devs really forced players' hands to learn each character, synergy skill, the ideal order of use of when to implement each skill and when to properly. It's wild that for some reason critics said FFVIIR was too easy but also being left handed and finally beating Weiss, I saw that barely anyone (out of the total public purchasers of the game) completed that fight with only a slightly higher number actually going through hard mode. Hard mode is canon to me, that is where the game actually begins (- that's just my 0.02 -), and it I feel like it should be earned. As for rebirth, I'm happy that there is a grinding element, familiarizing yourself with all the variations of party lay outs, materia customization and abilities that the devs have layered on top of each other extremely well. There are life long fans of the OG FFVII and I really hope that this game has at least half the staying power of the OG game. I would guess that most of the people in the comments could talk about the good and well... some bad* about the game for hours and I hope others had as much fun as I did. Thanks for the video, you nailed it.

[@ClaireYunFarronXIII]

Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth aren't turn-based. Sure, they may have elements found in a turn-based game, but that doesn't make them so. To put it very simply, turn-based games have turns, which are shared between you and your opponent, creating this straightforward "I perform an action, then you perform an action" gameplay style. That's why they're called "turn-based." Think Chess, which is a turn-based game. Perhaps the most popular one. In these Final Fantasy VII games, and several other Final Fantasy games, you can issue commands or initiate moves without waiting for your opponent to dealing theirs, or vice versa. Unlike in turn-based games, you're free to attack at any point, acting as much or as little as your want. But the enemy will not wait for you. What the new Final Fantasy VII games do is bring fast-paced elements typically seen in action games, but retain some of the strategic ones seen in turn-based games. For instance, elemental weaknesses. But the latter elements aren't unique to turn-based games, nor are the former unique to action games. Combining these elements wouldn't suddenly make the games a "hybrid" of turn-based and action. In reality, they just have elements one would find in both types of games. But as I said before, these elements aren't unique to these types of games. They don't define these games. They're just conventions. I'm not sure why people today so loosely throw around terms and descriptors that already have strong meanings. I swear, this strange practice has likely led many to believe Horizon Zero Dawn is an RPG, for instance , when it very well isn't one. It supposedly has elements typically seen in an RPG, like looting or whatever, but that doesn't make it so. It's just a game with a few RPG elements. RPG stands for Role-playing game. Simply put, an RPG has characters acting in the game's established roles or classes, or the player must build them according to their class or base build or attributes. Think Healer or Tank or Enfeebler or Thief. There's more to it than that, of course, but most Final Fantasy games have presented themselves this way. People today have seemingly tried to twist the descriptor "RPG" into meaning, “you play as a videogame character, thus you're role-playing as them.” How ridiculous. That would make a vast majority of games an RPG, even when they're clearly not. You've done something similar with turn-based. Stop. "Turn-based" already has a meaning. Which is: a game that's played in a rotation or an exchanging of turns. Quite simple. Before I wrap this up, I have to say that I've heard several ridiculous things said about Final Fantasy XIII over the years, but never have I heard anyone claim its Paradigm system is a "needlessly complicated, watered down version of the Materia system." An absolutely ridiculous observation, yes, but quite unique. I'll give you that. I'm definitely clipping the entire Final Fantasy XIII section of your video and showing it off to the game's fans, just to see their reaction. They know the system better than anyone, especially you. I might show it to Final Fantasy VII fans, too. Most of them will surely have the same reaction I did. Anyway, I imagine your strange observation stems from your misunderstanding of both the Paradigm and Materia systems, or just one of them. Though I'm not sure how that's possible, as both are quite easy to understand. If not out of sheer ignorance, perhaps you were purposefully misrepresenting either system just to give your weak points some validity. A common tactic used by those trying to push something false, rather than speak truthfully. Look, I know for sure why you said what you said. And you do, too. That was ridiculous move on your part. The many other nonsensical observations you made I let slide, but this one was hard to ignore. Its ridiculousness is beyond measure. The truth is, the Paradigm system and the Materia system share little in common. I recommend you play the games first before commenting on them. Or do I need to explain their systems to you, if you already have? Please. I can't believe this oddity is happening. These games have existed for a long time. You should know them well by now.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Name a system other than the Paradigm System that’s easy to excel at but takes 30 hours to “learn”. Easy to Master, long time commitment to learn = needlessly watered down. It wants to be the Materia System by giving you the illusion of choice and paradigm combinations. That’s why I said what I said. Didn’t realize I would need a college thesis to stick in a video not about any of the less desirable qualities of FF13’s battle system :p

[@stevenvegh7964]

Teruki Endo, good to have that name. He designed possibly my favorite combat system ever, due in part to the aforementioned unique feel of every character, as well as how each one has utility.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Yeah so he’s a huge factor involved in the active battle system, and then Nomura came in and said “this is awesome, but let’s make sure we stick to our series’ roots” and boom, that’s the ff7r battle system. It’s awesome

[@PipeDream3r]

One time I thought i left the game on pause, but i just left it on the action choice menu. And when i came back, it was aerith being flown back by the hell house and cloud standing in the middle watching as it happened, REALLY SLOWLY.

[@knaz7468]

I played Remake hard mode and indeed gained a whole new respect for combat. Just finished Rebirth a couple days ago and need to clean up some side quests ... then onto hard mode. I am dreading a few battles. Cool video. Well written. Nice blast from the past. Good music choices too.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thank you for all of the feedback. I’m glad you liked it!

[@winshifter]

I played and completed Remake in Hard Mode, but I don't have high hopes on completing Rebirth in hard mode. My main problem with hard mode in Remake is that you basically have to know before the battle begins, all that you have to do to defeat the boss, heck you even have to know how to defeat the regular mobs before you even fight them. I hated I had to basically change my setup every 5 minutes because the new mob doesn't respond to my current setup, I even have to have specific setups for each particular boss, otherwise, my characters would die easily and also, I basically had to babysit all characters I wasn't actively controlling, because they either just attacked like crazy or defended like crazy or run towards the boss as if they were su1c1d3 bombers. So, yeah, in theory, in Remake, they wanted you to understand the mechanics so good, to the point you basically dream about them, you basically had memorized how a particular enemy works, what are their weakneses, what are their strengths, the same goes for your characters and, on top of that, if you are not top level (50 in Remake, 70 in Rebirth), you are going to be basically in disadvantage from the start, and also, you have to have all materias maxed or you are busted. Have the same setup for Hard Mode and play in Normal mode, and the game is a joke for how easy it is, try the same in Hard Mode, it will be a miracle you even manage to finish the first boss. Even worst, you can have the perfect setup for a particular boss, but the boss suddenly decided to mix things up and your not actively controlled characters decided that they want to meet their creator and you have to restart the battle. Yes, even in Remake, some bosses on Hard Mode are still a joke, you basically just spam a particular -ra or -aga magic and is pressured and can't do anything, but others, you can have the perfect setup and preassure just means, they got mad and are going to spam damage to whoever you are controlling at the moment and, if you dare to change the active character, they will turn in less than a micro second and start spamming you for preassuring (Sephiroth 3rd stage tends to do that until you stagger him). Sorry, but I rather complete Contra on NES without loosing a single life or passing Megaman 2 on NES without loosing a single bar of damage on any battle (even boss battles) than doing this. I mean, your suggested setup for playing hard mode will most likely make the first boss go longer than it should, and trust me, I can do that battle in 4 minutes or less with a very different setup and not casting a single healing spell, heck probably I don't even have healing or resurrecting materias for that boss, but the moment the boss ends, I need to make a different setup because battles ahead get me more damage than the damage I can make. So, I understand why very few people complete the game in Hard Mode, because is not a challenge of surviving, it's a challenge of how to mix setups to prevent a particular enemy to act or to act as little as possible, and since each boss is different, you have to know beforehand what you need to do, not adapt as the situation happens, which is what a real Hard mode does.

[@DipreG]

I breezed through hard mode in remake en route to the platinum. Midgar snake in rebirth on hard mode was a rude awakening. It wiped the floor with me multiple times until I leveled up to 66 (from 52) and even then, only a party of Cloud, Red XIII and Barret was able to withstand the onslaught

[@wizcatcheslightning]

It’s pretty easy to level up everyone from levels 50 to 70 before entering hard mode. You just need the EXP Up Materia, the harder Chadley Trials, and about 3-4 hours to get everyone there.

[@DrSoggyWaffles]

Funny thing is I blasted through the story of remake on release because it was “the cool remake of that game my dad would play over and over back to back when he was my age” picked it back up maybe 2 months before rebirth released, did a thorough playthrough, preordered rebirth, and now I’m working on platinum. I could have beat hard mode already but I want pride and joy first. I am so close

[@DrSoggyWaffles]

However I do have to say, hard mode really does make you play different. Can’t just stay as cloud and spam square. You have to switch between party members, exploit weaknesses, learn what each party member adds to your arsenal

[@dustinvance243]

I enjoyed most of the changes that hard mode offered, but you can't deny that no items is a deal breaker for most people. And you can't really justify taking them away either since the game isn't any less hard even with items. It's a layer of fake difficulty that takes what would be an enjoyable challenge and turns it into an unenjoyable slog. Imagine you're playing with a rubix cube. On normal and below let's say that this rubix cube is a standard 3×3 cube. Then you get to hardmode and you're given a 6×6 cube. It's more difficult to solve, but you're looking forward to the challenge. The problem with remake's and rebirth's hard mode is that it takes that 6×6 cube, chucks it into a box filled with arctic cold water and will only let you play with it by plunging your hands into that box to solve the cube. It's completely unreasonable. It doesn't make solving the cube any harder, it just makes it painful and not fun! Tldr people want to play hard mode, but don't because the restrictions are unreasonable.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

On the contrary, I think no items is kind of the point. It’s a restriction that compels the player to strategize the materia. Failure requires you to get introspective. And if you’re frustrated enough, you will eventually strategize a successful hard mode playthrough. That’s part of the fun to me. Are you having a hard time in hard mode? Rethink your strategy. Success after repeated failures makes you realize that you had the tools to win just sitting there in your arsenal the entire time 😎

[@dustinvance243]

@@wizcatcheslightning the problem with that take is that by taking away items you're also making item related materia useless. Which in turn means there are now less materia strategies to utilize. It's like taking cheese off of a burger and telling me to be okay with it. If I'm making a burger I want to use condiments and toppings I like to make that burger taste better. Hard mode basically tells me that i can't put cheese on my cheese burger and that isn't right.

[@axelwinchester4220]

​@@wizcatcheslightningyour wrong on every level taking away a player's items is inexcusable makes the item transmutation system irrelevant and banning items in a rpg is a idiotic way to increase the difficulty I put up with it in Remake cause I thought my progress would transfer over to the next game but Square hasn't learned anything since Remake thought Dynamic was a step in the right direction but same lazy uninspired square enix can't wait to be done with this garbage game so I can delete it

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@dustinvance243 if it were your first time playing hard mode, I could understand. I find that the item related materia take up my materia real estate, personally. I hate to say that I would ever take the cheeseless burger. But my hand has been forced in this hypothetical 😅 Plenty of quality of life improvements have been made to serve this itemless end. Lots of new accessories designed to act as hidden materia slots so you can make extra room for configurations that you want to try

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@axelwinchester4220 taking away the items is a restriction: can you handle the rule or not? That’s completely false about the item transmutation system. If you fulfill that to its goal in a normal/dynamic playthrough, you can take your enhanced armor and accessories with you into a hard mode playthrough. I haven’t made it yet, but I’m willing to bet that the best items you’ll have available for a hard mode playthrough will have been transmuted from your previous playthrough.

[@corwinchapman8270]

very cool video! i platinumed remake in 2 weeks and went from "this combat is ok" to "this combat is phenomenal" when i did hard mode. just did chapter 1 of rebirth on hard mode at lvl 50 and realised i need to go back and finish gilgamesh and leveling before i challenge the remaining chapters after trine did more damage than i had HP. i also didnt know the weapon desinger from MHW worked on FF7R, but looking at it, it makes so much sense. subbed to see more!

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Glad you liked it and thanks for the comment! Regarding the battle system changing: right?? It’s like night and day!

[@drgonzo123]

FF7 Remake’s hard mode is probably the best I’ve ever played. It’s not that they simply just made enemies damage sponges, taking your items away and making benches only refill health fundamentally changes how the game is played. You’re forced to use materia you ignored in the normal game, and completely changes your strategy. I’m still working on my first playthrough of Rebirth, but I guarantee you I will play it again on hard mode

[@UnexpectedAmy]

My algo has been picking up growing creators lately and I love it. Vids like these, made with passion and excitement are why I love youtube. Great video, enjoyed the depth and the humour :D

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Hey well thanks a bunch! That means more than you know 🥲

[@mfntonberry]

The inability to not use items is a bit overkill.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

When an item costs the same ATB as a healing/resurrection spell, and the only items worth using are mist giga potions, phoenix downs, ethers (various grades), and elixirs, it’s not that terrible of a restriction. Healing spells counteract half of those items, if not outperform them. So then it boils down to resource management (you’re already doing this with items) and finding ways to use materia efficiently.

[@VitaminSwann0]

1/10 people are left handed “Less than one tenth of the player base, I wonder how many of those players were left handed” It’s like 10 percent inception….. or just compound statistics… but I’m not here for that. Inception😂.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

You get it 😉🤚

[@michelepessagno]

Hard mode in remake made me realize how much of a "cheat" items are, so much so than i'm playing rebirth already without touching them.

[@supersaiyaman11589]

its not a cheat normal is meant for those people that want to play the game with normal reasonable difficulty so items are available. hard mode is for those that want a way better challenge so items are not available as it would make hard mode too easy. not everyone has the skill to play on hard mode or wants to the first time. that bing said did you play remake as well what did you think of the first game in the series of 3

[@f_derik7719]

I also love that you can cancel attacks with long recovery animations like Tifa's Whirling Uppercut into a roll, which gives a interesting risk/reward option, because the sooner you roll, the more time you save, but if you roll too soon, you don't do any damage.

[@56Tyskie]

Hard mode is where the game shines. I have the Remake Platinum trophy, it was a grind but i loved every moment of it. Learning the game mechanics and materia loadouts. It really forces you to think and plan ahead to exploit enemy weaknesses

[@xRoycex]

For sure

[@dobbear]

Hard Mode is where the game has always shined. Get to really flush out the mechanisms and learning the boss mechanics as if it were a FromSoft game.

[@tuskgarcia9851]

I have to say you did a great job at showcasing this man. Great job. I still cant get to like the perfect block mechanic which seems to be the future of FF games. It seems 16 spear head the game play style and FF7 Rebirth kick up a notch by making to the point you can block all attacks if you are quick enough with the dodge. Great Vid

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks for watching as well as sharing your insight. And thank you for the feedback!

[@kkim5000]

xenoblade 2 and 3 are two of my favorite games of all time. ff7 remake and rebirth feel like xenoblade's combat systems cranked up to 11. ff7 remake and rebirth are now two of my favorite games of all time.

[@kevo1441]

I don’t think you mentioned weapon ability Trade Off for Cloud and Barret which replenishes MP when you take damage. Regaining MP and HP after staggering enemies also helps a lot. Cushions at choco stops also replenish MP. Hard mode’s biggest challenge are the bosses as they do significant damage and the game punishes you for being reckless.

[@stevendouglas3781]

I find it weird how many people are complaining about hard mode Rufus. Like we didn’t fight him in Remake.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Right? 😆

[@stevendouglas3781]

@@wizcatcheslightning chill video, bro. A lot of your commenters are absolute l u n a t i c s. Like they feel personally betrayed that they don’t like rebirth/you.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@stevendouglas3781 thanks! You know what they say: if you got a few haters, find yourself 10 more. But from what I’ve read, it resonated with more people than it didn’t in the comments. If someone wants to put the energy into making a thoughtless jab, 1) I’ll take the engagement, 2) it’s an opportunity for discussion, and 3) it could be a character development moment for them (but maybe not, ha ha)

[@stevendouglas3781]

@@wizcatcheslightning oh for sure. I mean, it’s just a Rebirth Hard Mode video lol. We all got what we clicked on. I really like arguing, but it’s like these people are angry they didn’t like the vid as much as they wanted to. Like that’s immoral. Bizarre. But you’re def right about engagement. I’ll jump off the soap box though. Heck House bit was funny. Have a good weekend, buddy. I subscribed.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@stevendouglas3781 I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy a lil’ confrontation myself. Hey well thanks! Hope you have a great weekend too 😎

[@ahmadaldajani2059]

Bro literally explained the whole franchise combat to make us play hardmode 😂😂😂😂,

[@BlueEye096]

I beat Remake Hard mode and loved it, 7R's combat is just some of the most fun I've ever had with a video game and a big reason for me not even noticing any "pacing" issues in my initial playthrough because I was just having so much fun fighting and experimenting with all the characters and abilities, something apparently a lot of people never do, they just stick to Cloud for 90% of the game and only switch if he dies or is stunned, anyway I completed Rebirth Dynamic after 100+ hours a day ago and had this video in my Watch Later playlist for a couple of weeks now and now I'm finally watching it and now I'm itching to boot up Rebirth despite planning to take a break for a couple of weeks cause good lord it too me 30 days to beat Rebirth, but the combat is just so fun!

[@wizcatcheslightning]

I think that if you do as much of a completionist run as you can in Dynamic Mode before attempting Hard Mode, you’ll be able to do mostly main story related content during your HM run 😎

[@hitsumaru100]

I'll have to pass on playing hard mode. The no item's rule is kinda a deal breaker for me, since remakes normal mode is already challenging enough for me. I'm currently replaying it now to get ready for when it eventually releases on pc. I like to believe I'm a little better with playing as cloud (favorite playstyle) and barret (easiest for me to understand how to use), but i completely suck with tifa so i normally don't use her unless im forced to, and kinda the same with aerith. Hell I just found out from my roommate that you can fight normal bahamut in the simulator (the only one i knew about was the one you fight before sephiroth) but that's mainly because I never made it pass leviathan so i just left it alone. Which kinda shows how bad i am at the game.😅 But I know it's a me issue, mainly because i can't really adapt and customize well with the materia system.

[@xRoycex]

I feel like I'm in a similar boat as you LOL. Like I was able to enjoy the hard mode for the remake, don't get me wrong. But sometimes it gets so complicated, and it can be an even BIGGER pain looking at so many differing opinions on the internet and still not making things "work" with certain builds, if that makes sense? While I don't necessarily have any pointers, I am trying to get into the habit of getting into active playing with the shortcuts instead of relying on the command menu. Maybe that might help you, as well?

[@rell1202]

I enjoyed your video and writing style keep up the good work I look forward to seeing more of your content

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks for the view/comment/feedback!

[@DarkFrozenDepths]

Also, think a fusion of materia is already OP like fire/ice mixed into one? Can you imagine if they brought back MASTER materia for part 3?

[@Indiefraiche]

I'm only 5 minutes in and giving this a thumbs up. I thought this was gonna be dry but we are already delving deep into theory of play and I love it.

[@MugenLord]

I completed Remake Hard mode I am left handed. Chakra got me through hard mode in Remake, it was a God send. I discovered this was the key materia with my first playthrough so I had a gameplan going into hard mode. I am beginning a hard mode run for Rebirth starting tomorrow for my audience, I'm so ready for this lol.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Oh wow. Wasn’t expecting Chakra to be your answer. It may seem like more of a commitment, but try using Prayer!

[@MugenLord]

@@wizcatcheslightning I never leveled up Prayer at all during Remake, in fact, I unequipped it from Aerith instantly lol. This was before I understood the importance of MP and ATB in hard mode. I never bothered to try Prayer even after that fact. I never tried any fancy builds. I played hard mode like a normal run but with Chakra as my crutch. I did hard mode when Intergrade was released, and hard mode is where I obtained Bahamut for the first time as well. I said the hell with Weiss lol. I couldn't beat him lol. So I will try something different with my Rebirth run. Hard mode in Remake was hard but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Only the final boss gauntlet with the Fates, leading into Sephiroth is where I died for the first time and I died a lot, that's when I realized my current strategy of relying on Chakra alone was flawed but I managed to beat it anyway XD Earned a sub!

[@teenprez]

Definitely going to need more content from you on on rebirth battles! I’m loving it so far, but I don’t think I’m operating at even a quarter of full potential.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

There are a lot of new things to learn! But I’ll see what I can do. I appreciate the feedback

[@kagekun1198]

120 hours later and I just completed Rebirth's story. I also completed every intel in the world. I'm still processing the ending of the story and wrestling if I have it in me to completed hard mode for Rebirth. I completed hard mode for Remake before, but by god, the process took it out of me.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

No rush to do it. The benefit of hard mode is you can tackle just the story as long as your party is leveled up all the way, which is actually super easy to do in this game. But I completely hear you. I have 130 hrs and just did some of the bonus stuff that’s leftover in my original playthrough

[@zoltire6478]

rebirth hard mode makes Sekiro and all the other FromSoft games a cake walk, remake did the same. goes to show that Square don't fuck around when it comes to "HARD"

[@Rennyblue]

The padding sections of the chapters (e.g: Cait Sith section in chapter 11) makes playing on Hard a hassle I dread

[@PhyzEdPixelz]

Cool informative video dude. Yet aside most won't STILL WONT complete hard mode. They're still complaining about mini games on easy smh

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Glad you liked it! Yeah I’ve been seeing people saying Hard Mode is “too hard”. If that’s the case, figure out how to beat the challenge. You’re doing something wrong. Don’t cave at the first sign of resistance. Believe in yourself!

[@PhyzEdPixelz]

Oh believe me, I'm on hard mode getting my butt whooped but, no other FF platinum had me quit so not likely rebirth will.

[@PhyzEdPixelz]

@wizcatcheslightning every FF since part 6 iv platinum. I'm working on rebirth now fighting Roche at end chap11 . But not gonna lie rebirth is slightly difficult than previous installments. Do u agree?

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@PhyzEdPixelz haven’t been able to jump into it yet. I almost have my entire party on level 70, and I’m also leveling up materia as well as acquiring the Genji Armor to prepare for it all. Probably like a 2-3 hr commitment but I’ve been focused on making content 😅

[@PhyzEdPixelz]

@@wizcatcheslightning fair play. Keep it up in both angles

[@BelleVEX]

I wish they would just do away with the "beat the game to unlock hard mode" concept. I'd rather just play the full experience from the start.

[@discreaderror]

I'm few on FF playthroughs, but I can't help but appreciate your level of knowledge and insight about this stuff. And the implication that people should dive in and more actively appreciate the gameplay nuance and enjoy the challenges is a way of living life for me. Like we don't need more, so much as we need to appreciate what's already there. There's so much poorly thought out content that we all seem compelled to just churn through, when there's stuff out there like this.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Thanks for the thoughtful comment! That means a lot 🥲

[@maximos905]

Almost every twin i met in my life one was left handed while the other was right handed

[@wizcatcheslightning]

That’s me 😎

[@BouncingTribbles]

In my experience there are two kinds of hard modes: the kind that is balanced around actually just using all your tools, like the Witcher 3; and the kind that just turn everything into bullet sponges, like fallout 4 survival mode. The problem is always figuring out which one any particular game does.

[@krash9911]

Ill never forget first time fighting Hell House on Hard Mode. At the beginning 3 Tonberry's get spit out at you. Nearly shit bricks seeing that.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

I don’t know when it will be out, but stay posted for a big video about that monster. Writing scripts is tough 😅

[@powergi3996]

I get EXTREMELY enraged when I get interrupted because I got tickled my a normal attack from a monster and lose all the MP and ATB bars that I tried to use, I will never take this combat and game seriously.

[@dennisc3438]

As someone who couldn't disagree more with the idea that harder is somehow more fun, I just made it through the game on normal, and I tried it Hard Mode for a bit. I BARELY made it through chapter 1, but couldn't even get past the first hard VR fight (in the hopes of getting the Marlboro achievement), I gave up and never looked back on that bullshit. It's also the reason why I will never play FF16 myself. Spending multiple minutes and half a dozen spells, each of which could level a moderate village, to take down a single trash mob every few steps is not how I want to spent the little free time I have. I love the strategic element of combining the right materia, equipment and abilities, but developing reflexes to be able to survive the onslaught of attacks, auditory and graphical effects quick enough and for long enough to survive a single battle is not for me. If only Classic mode actually did something other than make your characters block 90% of the time...

[@TheTez1990]

Are you elderly or disabled?

[@joseluisgarcia6251]

Wait 16 on normal or even action mode isn't too crazy. Enemies aren't damage spongy. But ff mode after beating it ehhh different story

[@SamuelCatsy]

I agree about the audio/visual overload but FF16 is much easier though with how generous the perfect dodge window is. My biggest problem with Rebirth is that enemies randomly change who they're attacking when you have your squad. Like they tend to favor the player-controlled character but then they'll switch to the Barret right when you're ready to counter a move and then you get blindsided by another monster you thought was attacking Tifa. Remake and Rebirth feel way better to play IMO when you're in a 1v1, or 1v2/1v3 and can properly focus on the enemy or enemies. When enemies are shifting targets you have to play super paranoid, constantly shifting to punisher mode and holding block only to be hit by a ranged attack from an enemy off screen because the camera isn't great.

[@FredMaverik]

what? its easy af. Just have the right equipment. Maybe not try the VR fights outright, i think i only did them by the end/when i finished Hard mode, therefore having a lot of max level materias if not all i needed plus lvl 50 and all if not most of the hard-only books that level up your weapons. This is not a button mashing game, maybe in normal mode lol.

[@FredMaverik]

@@joseluisgarcia6251 action mode? You mean FF mode.

[@RuneKatashima]

The problem with Red XIII is that, unlike every other character, the enemies stop hard focusing me when I control him. So I stopped using him :/ Even though I love the archetype. It's not fun if it can't be used. I use the stagger time extension synergies and they feel like they do nothing in terms of actually extending the stagger. Unlimited MP is mostly useless to me too until I got Comet. I'm ATB locked, not MP. I always have MP. I think ATB should have been 3 bars by default and Refocus (and Remake's equivalent) should have opened it to 5. I also really hate all the enemy moves that CAN'T MISS. Holy fuck.

[@SlayPrincess_ImpregnateDragon]

Stagger recovery lets you run around the world and spam magnified quickcast Firaga/Quakega and get all the MP back. Hard mode is a joke. Also you could just perfect block, by the time you finish all the advanced arena fights in gold saucer and all the combat sims you pretty much know the moveset of every enemy

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Any chance you could repost this comment underneath the pinned comment? Trying to give people tips and tricks 😅

[@R.-.W]

I love Rebirth’s combat system. Bearing Kujata twice after Phoenix revived him made me so proud. I will go to my grave that mp and atb being able to be interrupted and enemies can’t is infuriating and any move that takes a ally out of the battle like Swallow is pure bad design.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Yeah that battle was awesome. And I also loved sticking it to Odin and Alexander. Alexander is such a punk. I think those mechanics are more balanced than you think. 1) you can interrupt enemies if you can get them in either the pressured or staggered stages 2) that swallow mechanic used to not be limited to one ally. It could cause a game over with poor RNG

[@Sctn187]

Remakes hard mode was by far the best part. Didnt need any guides till the final combat challenges. 140 hours in on rebirth and getting ready to start rebirths hard mode and im stoked. Kamarhi can attack air with his spear. Combat has only gotten better because you can extend stagger with synergy and having limits set up while tifa is is multiplying the stagger percentage if youre not getting stagger to 300 percent every stagger youre doing it wrong

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Heck yeah! We're in the same boat. I just need to get my remaining party members to level 70, and probably level up my Materia while I'm at it.

[@Sctn187]

@@wizcatcheslightning I'm grinding ap right now lol trying to get every materia I need or might need to max so I can just build how I like. In normal I just put the essentials on and pack mule everyone to try and get ap on materia I know ill neednon hard.

[@asaffin1]

The thing that worries me most about Rebirth's hard mode is that throughout my entire 66 hour first playthrough, the number of Shinra crates that gave MP felt like one in a hundred, maybe even less. Unless hard mode rebalances that to give more MP and fewer items, the long chapters with sometimes multiple boss fights are going to be an agonizing stretch on resources.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

I think I remember the mako shards increasing in hard mode but I think you bring up a valid point

[@alexgozza6433]

When you rest at a Chocostop with a cushion in hard mode, it also restores mp. Game changing.

[@asaffin1]

@@alexgozza6433 Yeah, so I've heard. So game changing, in fact, that I wouldn't be surprised if it's an oversight that gets patched out at some point. If it is intentional, then I suspect the game isn't going to be any harder than Remake.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@asaffin1 when I’m hearing word of level 60 party members getting one shot by mandragoras, it’s probably warranted. I’m guessing that a folio can’t be fully unlocked during a normal playthrough like what happened with remake

[@TokenCast]

That 9.1 doesn't include digital purchases.

[@dkolendo]

i have spent days now just trying to beat materia keeper. it keeps one-shot killing cloud with that attack where he pins you down. i give up. it's too hard, and honestly i can't devote months of my life just to beat this, i will never have enough reflexes to perfect parry every single attack from the 1st boss in the game. and ff7 is my fav game of all time, it hurts me that i will never get a platinum because rebirth just takes too long to get through the 10 million boss fights.

[@SuperSoulSpark]

0:18 as a left handed twin, don't call me out like that. Genuinely spooky.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

With hindsight being 20/20, I should have kept count of everyone who has said that they’re a left-handed twin in the comments. Not exaggerating, it has to be like 10-15 at this point.

[@SuperSoulSpark]

hahaha. Well to add to this, I just began hard mode before watching this video. The spooky levels rise.@@wizcatcheslightning

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@SuperSoulSpark heck yeah! Have fun dude 😎

[@SuperSoulSpark]

thanks wiz@@wizcatcheslightning

[@ErnestoAguila-mk5oi]

I really appreciate this mode in the game. It really puts you to the test.

[@mrskye08]

I really enjoyed the gameplay of remake. But as a turn based player, the action in remake is taking the toll on me. I can finish the game on normal but hard mode gets truly tough on me. My issue with hard mode is that playing in normal did not make me fully understand the nitty gritty details of the gameplay. Just mashing the attack and using the abilities when atb and mp are available are enough to do the job. No need to practice perfect timings, or familiarize barret's charge or tifa's unbridled strength. But this is just me. I'm not suggesting that hard mode should be easier or normal mode should be harder. I'm leaving the hard mode to better players.

[@SpiderMark86]

I did Hard mode in the remake mostly for the platinum trophy. I agree that the battle system really shined in hard mode and i was surprised how much i enjoyed the boss battles in that mode. It does require some pre knowledge of whats coming next and full maxed builds for characters to really handle. Im attempting to do the hard mode for rebirth once ive got the levels and materia maxed, and I fully expect I'll enjoy it

[@CidGuerreiro1234]

Having finished it in Remake, I'm actually really looking forward to hard mode in Rebirth, which means I'm like you in that regard. Not a leftie or a twin, though.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Your desire to play Hard Mode has absolved you of any would be irredeemable qualities /s

[@jessemedina9618]

Left-handed. Hardened Veteran and Master of Fate 13 months ago. It was incredibly fun. Started Rebirth a few days ago. I appreciate the reminders and tips for hard mode.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Of course! I appreciate the mention of your dominant hand status. Our demographic doesn’t get enough love 😂 As more of an observation, I’m seeing a lot of lefties coming out of the woodworks in the comments. It’s been a windfall of positivity 😎🤚

[@JesusXina]

It might be a skill issue, but I realized I fucking suck at Rebirth

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Just take your time with it. You’ve got this 💪😤

[@JesusXina]

@@wizcatcheslightning lol idk if they made the game harder, but I remember not having this much difficulty back when I played remake.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@JesusXina if you start on Dynamic difficulty, that can make it harder. But I also think they upped it in general due to the new additions to the battle system

[@TheGintama86]

Idk im playing it on dynamic so far on chap 6 I only had trouble with 1 boss. Try doing the side quests before the main, ull lvl up and get new gear/materia to pass content. Also its important to block and parry so practice that​@@JesusXina

[@TakiGamesOfficial]

Same here. I would say I’m a pretty seasoned action rpg hack and slash player, but the FFVII series and it’s turn based(?) rpg(?) action game hybrid is always funky feeling and not as responsive or crisp as your typical action game. Parrying for example feels really weird cause you have to switch stances and then block. Something about dodging that feels odd, maybe the fact that it takes a lot of frames and time so you can’t fully rely on dodging in a game like this. In essence it’s just way harder and near impossible in this game to not get hit.

[@weebnerdgaming4908]

A Monster Hunter dev got involved in the FFVII remakes...! Now it makes so much SENSE! FFVII Rebirth's Hard mode content is so hard, to survive you must understand action game logic too. Not only you need to understand Pressure, but the mere necessity to understand flinching / stun lock is fatal! It also has to be mentioned that parrying is by default can be done by everyone. Guess what, some patterns beg you to parry them or you're dead :) A small tip. There is a risk of getting killed when used, but Synergy Abilities have absolute flinching potency. So while the 2 Synergy members are doing their attacks and flinching the target basically nonstop, the one left alone can fill the ATB up in complete safety. This also works on Sephiroths.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Right? Each party member feels like a different weapon load out from monster hunter. Thanks for the tip! I have people adding those under the pinned comment. I may need to make a video compiling all of them.

[@RippahRooJizah]

I have played, but never finished Remake Hard Mode, but all I had left was the final boss. I failed and promised I'd get back to it but never did. As such, I know how hard Hell House can get, haha.

[@JohnRambo1947-July-6th]

I would totally do it if they had a hard mode from the beginning. I don't want to go through the entire game again, when i have so many games to get to.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

I can completely understand that. In your instance, I would recommend Dynamic Mode. But, should you decide to revisit the game 3-4 years from now when part 3 is near releasing, maybe give hard mode a try

[@nightmare0xranmabloodedge122]

Square Enix was not playing when Hard Mode was first introduced in Remake. Rebirth is a whole lot of different games and strategies cuz if you are caught lacking, the game will beat you to bricks. Golly. Shows to go, Square still has it

[@F1nicky]

The game came out and while Hard mode in Remake was a great challenge, Hard mode in Rebirth is just absurd. It is borderline impossible to do *anything* unless you are absolutely perfect with your builds for every situation, which absolutely kills any variety you could get out of a replay, and the entire new premise of item transmutation is *completely* useless, because you CANT USE THE ITEMS THAT YOU MAKE. Massive L this time around, especially with the various materia nerfs.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

What level did you start hard mode with? How leveled up was all of your materia? My counter argument to your item transmutation argument is that completing it in your first run leads to the best armor in the game.

[@xaelchim3005]

Another left-handed twin here 😄 (have a twin sis). Remake's Hard mode felt like a different game, absolutely enjoyed it. Forced me to actually LEARN each character. Looking forward to Rebirths one!

[@killerking2346]

For Remake, All Haste + 2 Prayers made Hard mode a joke lol Some bosses can still be a pain, like the graveyard ghost, hell house, or even Airbuster, if you picked the wrong debuffs. But overall, once you remove over reliance on Curaga, the game becomes much more manageable. Sucks to have all my hoarded items go to waste tho lol Wish there was a hard mode with items on just so I could use them. Excited to see how Rebirth shakes things up.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Man I hated that Graveyard Ghost boss… Based on what I hear, find the revive/prayer materias, transmute the best items before going in, get at least 2 luck up for Cait Sith for posterity, get all elemental folio abilities

[@ViewTube_Emperor_of_Mankind]

I absolutely do not play this game for the combat challenge. It is literally the lowest priority to me. The game to me is more like... experiencing a reading a book.

[@topsicles5268]

Synergy Materia and knowing what comes next helps too.

[@FredMaverik]

how to use synergy

[@topsicles5268]

@FredMaverik You equip it to an elemental spell (Fire,Ice,Lightning,Wind) on a character you won't be controlling. Then every time you use ATB on controlled character (Excluding the one that has it equipped) the character who has it equipped will follow up with that spell at no MP or ATB cost.

[@matten_zero]

14:00 yes! Fight me its TIDE-us. I agree. Never let anyone change your mind good sir 💪

[@boebie5052]

Put a lot of work into hard mode lmao omg thats funny. If making the enemies ho spounges while also taking away a vital option and removing the ability to restore ur mana is work then yes i most certainly said fuck that. Id only one was taken fine i can compensate but this game was supposed to be diverse and have the players create various builds and explore options....on hard mode u have one option and one build.....not very fun imo

[@Mystra]

I agree. Hard mode was never something interesting. It does not change the game mechanics in any way just nerfs your ability to use them. Something like honor mode in BG3 is way better since the AI actually becomes smarter and has new actions.

[@kclink1579]

Ive got Remakes plat, twice straight and cant wait to get Rebirth's plat as im going thought hard mode at the moment.

[@jwalk6378]

Very unhappy about hard mode not being out from the start. Played remake on Hard from the start and loved it. Bring back Hard mode from new game!

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Did you happen to try Dynamic Mode?

[@user-ki4no3ly5]

I wish there’s an in-depth guide for every character in rebirth. There are so many hidden mechanics combine with synergy skills. Aerith tifa cloud can do serious numbers while charging up atb bar, it’s insane that I only notice this after completed hard mode 😢 maybe I’ll do dynamic play through again

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Check out NorZZa’s build guides. He’s the best I’ve seen

[@user-ki4no3ly5]

@@wizcatcheslightning thank you, somehow he never shows up on my search

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@user-ki4no3ly5 just try “NorZZa enemy skill guide” or “NorZZa Cloud guide”

[@user-ki4no3ly5]

@@wizcatcheslightning oh I mean before, he never showed up when I search “ff7 rebirth guide”. Just watched his videos, I wish I knew about him sooner

[@thegammelier]

Hey, I’m left handed…but I ain’t no twin, bay-beeeeeeee

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@thegammelier I knew you were a real one 😎

[@MrTmm97]

I’m left handed too! Got to say I’ve never heard anyone randomly mention it on KZbin… I’m excited for hard mode also. But it’ll be awhile because I’m 100%ing everything I can in my first run. Also nice catch on Sephiroth being left handed. I would have never caught that if someone didn’t point it out.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

That’s because this world is run by right handed people, my friend. We’re a talented, unsought minority. I’ll also say that the people coming out in the comments stating their left handedness has been really nice to see 🤗

[@brycetheoddball]

Excellent video. Spoiler warning, Rebirth is the greatest video game ever made

[@Averagejon95]

Found this video ironically the day I finished rebirth 😂 want to do hard mode but first want to clean up and get everything I missed in my normal playthrough. Then want to do a run of all the games starting with remake on hard mode. Know it’ll take a while and will have some new games coming out but I know it’ll be worth it

[@wizcatcheslightning]

EXP Plus Materia, Chocobo Armband, and AP UP Materia should make getting prepped easy for you

[@Averagejon95]

@@wizcatcheslightning I think I need to take my time and buy multiple of all materials because I’m tired of always going to the menu and rotating the material between all of them 😂

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@Averagejon95 that will help too

[@Elysian-III]

Hard mode was an absolute blast. It took me a bit to get used to after beating it for the first time. But playing it a 2nd time in hard mode was rewarding as fk. Eventually... i stopped playing remake. And then rebirth came out. And then i realized i forgot how to play this game 😂😂😂

[@jesse-ray]

An 8-at-best game will never "own", no matter the difficulty lol. And this is coming from a die-hard Final Fantasy AND 7 fan who unironically loved Remake (part 1)

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Remake was a 9 at worst to me. Rebirth has only strengthened it

[@ZackL.R.]

Ha yes when i picked up hard mode and ended passing 3 hours fighting the first boss. I did finish the playthrough but i was on edge the whole time. Good times. Seriously was fun.

[@heavyc4450]

Aerith can raise the stagger bar. Dunno if yuffie or Red XIII can do that as well.

[@AceAussie77]

Hell house still gives me PTSD from my hard mode play through. It was the only boss that gave me trouble (I feel like it took 6 gaming sessions and endless feelings of quitting this hard mode playthrough). Once you understand the mechanics it’s not that difficult, as I said I only had issues with Hell House.

[@CidGuerreiro1234]

I overprepared so much for it, it wasn't that hard for me. Toughest fight was the two bosses back to back on the train graveyard. Also Bahamut + Ifrit on the simulator, Jesus Christ.

[@escalaregalia]

At least broken benches in Rebirth let you recover MP in hard mode... Didn't realise that until I was in Gongaga...

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Oh wow 😯 Kudos for making it that far regardless

[@micenabled9418]

The bench is pretty much the tent item

[@marcusbayley5126]

I’d be interested to know what you think of xenoblade chronicles 2 battle system if you’ve played it. It’s my favourite jrpg battle system I didn’t play remake’s hard mode but I’m going to try it now great video.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

I remember liking it but didn’t get far enough into the game. I would really like to jump into Xenogears at some point due to its reputation/history

[@marcusbayley5126]

The game teachs you very poorly so it’s likely you didn’t engage with the battle system at all. For me it feels quite similar to remake but it took me 20 hours to get to that point.

[@DarkFrozenDepths]

Just a side comment, but the irony in that FF13 trailer that had a hud plastered on it? That "battle system" actually became a real thing for lightning returns.... mostly.....

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Oh wow I may have to check that out

[@DarkFrozenDepths]

@@wizcatcheslightning yeah, that trailer you shown in the vid tried to put an AP bar and actions in it's hud to make it simulate you were doing all that instead of a cutscene. that system actually got used in Lightning Returns, but with tweaks.

[@lilybeejones]

Remake’s hard mode is so good. It straight up utilizes all the mechanics. It was so fun. I’m loving it in rebirth too. There are a lot of things I learned from how to work things out with it. Synergy materia, weaknesses, elemental materia, focusing on stagger

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Please let everyone know what you learned in a reply to the pinned comment! I’m definitely curious to hear/learn more 👀

[@lilybeejones]

@@wizcatcheslightningoh sure!

[@lilybeejones]

@@wizcatcheslightningalso I need to mention I love this video so much. I absolutely will share it when trying to show others how deep this combat system is.

[@mattias3668]

Problem with Hard Mode on Remake (haven't gotten their yet on Rebirth) was that it didn't at all live up to the name. It was easier than Normal Mode (because you couldn't start on Hard Mode from scratch) which was already way too easy. I had hope to at least use an item once outside of the first boss, but no luck as that was no long an option. What you had to do to make it actually difficult was to remove all weapons updates, only use the first weapon, and only use Healing Materia. Only than was it actually difficult to play on Hard Mode. Thankfully Rebirth is a bit harder, I actually hade to use items against Odin+Alexander and Gilgamesh (and that's as first as I have played). Unfortunately, that is about all of the good things I have say about Rebirth. The worst thing of all with Rebirth is that it's basically just a compilation of minigames (including two maze games if you include navigating Gongaga and Cosmo Canyon) whereas Remake had an intense story and just a little minigaming sprinkled in. Mind you that I've played any Final Fantasy after 9, but I was disappointed in that FF7 Remake used a completely different combat system from FF7.

[@devastatheseeker9967]

This just sounds real shit. Can't restore hp or mp and everything hits harder/takes more hits? I'll pass

[@facelesshalo5174]

I only didn't finish Remakes hard mode cause I didn't have a ps5. Got 99% of the way through, then intergrade came along. Then got it on Epic and got intergrade. By the time I unlocked hardmode I was totally burnt out at the prospect of a 4th playthrough. Rebirth is whooping my behind.

[@DrinkJunky]

You have a lot of passion for this game. Unfortunately after finishing my 100hr play through of rebirth there are some things which make the game more frustrating than challenging. There are only 3 but they are brutal. Enemies have attacks that knock you out of atb commands and you will lose your atb guage and get nothing for it. This game also makes a big deal of dodging certain unblockable enemy attacks to pressure them. If you've used the dodge on any character other than Tifa you'll notice very quickly that Rebirth's dodge is abysmal, and with enemies that have unblockable attacks that are extremely accurate this is a nightmare. Last but not least enemies can easily combo you to death because once you get hit there are no recovery frames. On their own none of these are terrible, but together these problems will make your play through of hard mode an exercise in frustration rather than skill.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Well thank you for the observation. I would need to know if you ever played and beat Remake. I think if you have, these frustrations you’ve mentioned are already understood and will teach the player to respect what could go wrong. I also haven’t started hard mode yet because my party isn’t ready yet. I need to get everyone to level 70 as well as get all of the best equipment.

[@DrinkJunky]

@@wizcatcheslightning Yes I platinumed ff7 remake and all these problems were there as well. Was the only thing really wrong with the game's combat, and it's these returning problems why I won't be playing through rebirth on hard mode.

[@おれんじゅーす-d4c]

I always put my games in the hardest mode when I first begin them. I feel it’s bad design when you have to beat the game first to unlock it. Not everyone has the time to replay games they already finished. I also play games for story. Without something to look forward to because I already beat it, it’s just gameplay and I’d rather put my time into something else. Perhaps years down the road when it’s ancient in my mind I’ll come back to it.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

While I disagree about it being bad game design, I think you have valid criticism about how it can be a time suck. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts!

[@aegis5678]

Question: if you’re a left handed twin, then is your twin also left handed? 🤔

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Right handed 😅

[@mw5885]

Left handed and FF7R platinum trophy owner here and I 100% will be beating Rebirth hard mode even if it takes me 100 extra hours.

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Much love to your left handedness as well as your dedication

[@fullm3tal90]

The Rolling mechanic in remake doesn’t dodge … at that reason alone a checked out of normal mode lol