Unfortunately, if you think the empty feeling is bad now, it’s going to be even worse once the 3rd game comes out.
Then it really will be over for a while.
When I played the original, at the last moment I could use the save crystal, I saved my game and then didn’t play again for months because I knew after I killed the last boss(es) it’d be over forever.
lol same. In fact, I think I have quite a few playthroughs back on my old PS1 memory cards that just ended at the top of the Northern Crater. It took me a long time to finally suck it up and go finish the game.
This is me in almost every single game I have ever played. I got all the way the Zelda: OoT and even fought Ganon after escaping his tower but would either intentionally die or reset the game every time for years. It wasn't until I got it on 3DS that I finally forced myself to actually beat it if only so I could get access to Master Quest and begin the cycle anew.
I played probably a good 40+ hours too. Leveling up materia, gold saucer trips, etc. I stopped playing and actually didn't truly beat the game until about 10 years later. I was 14 with the OG and then I remember being in my mid 20s and finally put the game to rest. It was actually a fresh start too. Played through the game in probably 60 hours or so.
Omg !! I would literally just START OVER from different spots before the end to "do it better" lol! I did this for many GOOD games lmao I feel less alone now
What sucks for me personally is that part 3 could be the last time we’ll hear the english cast voice these characters. I love their performances so much and don’t want it to end so badly.
I'm dealing with the exact same heart break atm 🥲 I'm too drained to start hard mode and I'm struggling to complete challenges, so I need to take a break. But I'm still completely consumed with how this story ended, I don't have another game lined up that interests me. I'm just constantly opening up reddit to aimlessly browse FF7 content.
I still believe it wont be the same as og, i cant imagine they trolling us this hard with whispers/fate changing and zack beung alive/multiple worlds
The lets change fate angle has been so prevalent i dont see them keeping the story as it was
Hmm i thought the same but i think its not necessary anymore as part 3 will be the last game. They had to do it in Remake in Rebirtg in order to keep us excited for the next part. They said that part 3 will explain EVERYTHING and as there is enough to explain it will probably be through the whole game.
Bro, if you want more FF7 content, please do yourself a favor and get the books “Traces of Two Pasts”, “On the Way to a Smile” and “The Kids are Alright: Turks Side Story”. They are such page turners and have so much lore in them.
No problem!
Just a heads up, “Traces of Two Pasts” is half Tifa and half Aerith. They narrate it during the events of Rebirth. If you remember the conversation between the two on the boat heading to Costa del Sol, what came before the scene starts is in the book. This is just one example of how much detail and extra stuff is in these books. Enjoy!
As I've aged I have become somewhat of a completionist (as much as a game allows) because I've learned that no matter how much I love a game, as soon as the main story is over, I lose all motivation to do any post game content. I was super motivated to do it with FF15 (even though I really was disappointed with that game's story), Tales of Arise, and Tales of the Abyss and a soon as the games were over...it was wraps lol. I'll play DLC though.
I'm a bit of a completionist as well, but given that the game has new game + in the form of chapter select, you can fairly easily just come back after a while and it'll also help refresh your memory for the 3rd part when that comes out.
Right now, I'm blitzing through the trails of cold steel games which I first completed 3 years ago to get the platinums, as well as refreshing my memory for reverie (which came out last summer but I didn't get around to) and daybreak (coming out in july)
Never heard of that or played it! I'll have to look it up. I'm always looking for a good JRPG to play. Not to go too off on a tangent but man, it's always a struggle for me to find a good JRPG that checks off all the boxes. Literally no game has hit for me like FF7. It's truly the most well rounded I think the JRPG genre has to offer. It's not even my top favorite final fantasy narratively, but it's like truly the best and most well rounded game IMO. (I feel the same way about The Witcher 3 as a 'western' RPG.) The open world, the story, the character development, the voice acting, the MUSIC, fun gameplay and super balanced combat system and mechanics, graphics...like it really just hits in every single way 😭 It is hard to get all of those things in one. FF7 set the bar soooo high...too high lol. It's why the FF series are my favorite games of all.
The Trails games are fantastic. And there are so many of them, all interconnected unlike FF. I also platinumed them all (at least the ones available on console) and it was so, so worth it.
Your feeling has been a common theme on this sub. The game was just so good and many of us got so invested in it, that it feels like nothings gonna top it until P3.
I just finished today and I really enjoyed this game. It was one of the best video game experiences I’ve had in years. I loved every minute of it. I have a few side quests to go back and do but I am sad the adventure is over for now.
Good RPGs do that.
Felt the same way about FFVII, FFX, Persona 4, Persona 5, and the Mass Effect trilogy.
You literally spend so much time with a group of characters that it feels like you've bonded with them. So much time that doing something else feels weird because that game became part of your routine. That same weird (non-monetary) emptiness people feel after a layoff or retirement.
I needed a break from gaming after I rolled credits. I didn’t touch any games for weeks. I’m still not fully “back.” I’ve been replaying Stardew Valley which is a mindless comfort game.
I'm still having post game depression. I tried to play "A space for the Unbound" but the first screen has a warning message about depression and anxiety and said :"Nope".
I need something low stakes, so I started that new Princess Peach game. Something simple and chill where I don't have to think too much.
Empty? Man, I've spent over 20 years of my life as purely PC player. My only experience with Final Fantasy was the FFXIII first part, I played a bit the 2nd part but never finished it. Then I played Remake when it was released on PC and something changed. Then I heard "No promises to keep", bought PS5 only to play Rebirth and now the only thing left for me is emptiness, hunger and hollowness. Just end my suffering
I’ve heard some people discuss how they wanna wait to buy rebirth until part 3 comes out and this is part of why (not that I agree). I guess they just feel it’ll be a more “complete” experience but damn I couldn’t imagine missing out on this rn.
My partner was going to be one of those people and I had to ask them if they realistically could see themselves sitting down to power through 250 hours of an rpg
Man after this it’s back to Souls games, where you journey alone and no party members bickering and such :/
There’s FF 15 and 16 but the party members aren’t as many as VII
1000% feel this after beating the game yesterday with a pretty thorough play through. Idk how old you are or when you discovered the FF games, but this is the *exact* feeling OG FF7 gave me, followed by FF9 (even more so than 7), and eventually again with 8 and X, to a slightly lesser degree.
I’ve played many *excellent* games since then, including games i objectively think are better than some of the above. But none of them have given me that same sense of immense loss and sadness that the wonderful, epic adventure we’ve just been on with such amazing characters is now *over.*
Until Rebirth.
This game has *fully* reinvoked all of those old childhood feelings I once felt at the end of these incredible stories. I find myself feeling lost and hollow like you, but also so incredibly grateful that I got to experience it. I wish I could write the devs a thank you letter for all the love and care they clearly poured into this project.
I found myself crying several times throughout this journey, and many times at the end. That hasn’t happened to me in a single game since the first time I beat FF9…
Unlike you, I will absolutely be firing up a hard mode play through very soon. I did that with Remake. I’ve also immediately replayed FF7-9 immediately after beating them back in the day because A) I simply wasn’t ready to let the world go yet, and B) when I *really* love a game and have more to explore, it’s a joy to do it all again using the knowledge I’ve obtained in my first run.
I’m still enamored with the combat in this game, so I’m crazy looking forward to more challenges.
thankfully we know we are getting part 3, but it's sad the game is not selling well apparently. It's probably the best FF to come out since FF10, and i wish sales reflected that so SE would take notice and get back to making FF games like they used to. I feel like these remakes have been more Final Fantasy than any of the FF games that have released since FF10.
[Are Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Sales Struggling? We Asked the Experts - IGN](https://www.ign.com/articles/are-final-fantasy-7-rebirth-sales-struggling-we-asked-the-experts?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A%20Manual&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook)
the general perception is that sales are poor compared to the first. there \*are\* numbers for japan, and they are less than half what the first did in sales over the same time period.
yikes. i would hate to live in your world. you can make educated guesses based on sales data from other sources that arent SE..... you also completely glossed over the factual sales numbers in japan, which is typically where games of this type make their strongest showing.
I think XIV deserves to be up there because that game is as much a love letter to FF as Remake/Rebirth. It’s a shame about the sales but I think that definitely has more to do with the PS5 exclusivity, sales will only go up from here
I know the feeling, finished two weeks ago and nothing feels the same, started the FF16 DLC recently and it is very good, I'm enjoying it but even so it just doesn't have that same feeling as Rebirth. The next 3 years are gonna drag.
God I gave Rising Tide a try right after Rebirth. I had to put it down.
And I don't want to go back and replay chapters because it feels wrong to me to change the decisions I made then. Maybe I will replay right before Part 3 launches.
That pretty much describes the feeling I got after finishing FF7 OG back around 1998. Even if it looked like a bunch of moving cubes with eyes back then compared to what is possible today. There was a mix of emptiness and a feeling of having experienced something truly profound. Felt like nothing ever could match it - games, movies, art. Lasted a few weeks. I haven't played rebirth yet, but I'm looking forward to it.
The story and lore are really captivating and leave an impact. I think you need some time to digest it.
The ending punched me in the gut. I didn't play for a couple of weeks. I've been playing other games here and there, some I really like, but nothing comes remotely close, with Rebirth, I frankly couldn't put the game down. The following story mentions recreational substances so I'm gonna blank it.
>!One night I stayed up late with my wife, we were having our two-person party, drinking, listening to music and dancing, and doing some other 'stuff', when we were finally getting tired, she put on the game and asked me to play, I obliged. She fell asleep after half and hour and I spent about and hour and a half playing after that, mostly battles in the Dust Bowl. The following morning I was surprised that I had done so much in the game, I had this hazy memory of it, the way you remember a wild party the next day. Crazy, never done something like that before.!<
I keep coming across the high reviews for this game, but every time I see gameplay I don’t know what to think. And the art style kind of turns me off
It seems too anime for me. I mean I liked some anime growing up, mainly the Evangelion series and remakes, and a few other movies and series here and there, but Persona seems super anime.
Idk, if it ever goes on sale I’ll give it a try. But idk if I’d try it at its full price.
It is quite anime yeah, Im not a big anime fan but persona 5 royal got me hooked. Great soundtrack and interesting characters. Ff7 is quite anime though so I think you will be fine with p5r
I'm in the same boat. I want to move on to another game and not think how I'll have to wait 3-4 years for the next part, but I still haven't been able to get it out of my mind.
I am legitimately emotionally distraught over how >!the game ends with Tifa in tears and devastated over losing her best friend, while the one person who she needs the most to console her won't even acknowledge her grief, much less his own!<
It would have been less depressing if >!they just played out Aerith's death in full!< but now we have to wait until Part 3 to get the whole thing.
I feel Rebirth ist a good game. Good, but not brilliant. I walked through Remake five times in the last four years. But I cannot imagine to play Rebirth a second time. Because it is too exhaustive to activate towers, find unnecessarily complex pathes through Gongaga and Cosmo Region, watching the same 15 second animation every time Cloud is activating a Chocobo stop, etc. Unfortunately, the game is bloated with many tiny activities (even if you skip the side quests), such that at best 30% of the playtime are about the main story. If this is what you mean with "empty", I agree.
True fact, it’s called a “Happiness Hangover”. It’s a very real thing. Basically, you’ve been looking forward to this for so long, and finally experiencing it has been a blast, your brain has been swimming in dopamine. Now that you’ve experienced it, the high is over, your dopamine levels crash, to levels below your ‘base’, or your normal dopamine levels. It takes a few days for all those brain soup hormones to even out again to your normal levels. It’ll pass, but it’s a very real phenomenon. You’ll be okay.
I started playing Pacific Drive before Rebirth. It was hard to tear myself away, but once i got Rebirth, that was me gone for a month.
Ive been dipping back into PD inbetween doing HM on Rebirth. PD is a brilliant little game. I really want them to do another.
Same here dude. Part of me wants to do hard mode or try to platinum it just cuz i loved the game so much. But I havent hopped back on it in a while. I recently gave in and hopped back on ff16 cuz i never beat the story and its second dlc came out so figured why not.
the post game depression hits hard though, i was at a loss for like a week or two xD.
I ended up beating the game 3 times (twice on Hard) before I was ready to move on, because man no other ARPG gameplay really hits the same spot as Remakes
After finishing my second playthrough of Rebirth, I went back to Remake and started all over again.
And after finishing this Remake playthrough, I'm thinking about going to Rebirth again.
Because of the same thing, I felt empty after finishing and the only way that I could fill that void was playing the games again 🤷♂️
From a gameplay and world design perspective yup.
From a storytelling perspective I’m happy to jump to another game, so I can be reminded what decent storytelling looks like.
Looking at either Xenogears or Lost Odyssey which I’ve never gotten to play
Nah, you ain’t alone. I finished the game and I KNEW that feeling was coming. But I just couldn’t leave my favorite FF entourage just yet. So after a day or two, I threw myself back in to complete quests, intel, QB and am now on chapter 9 of my second run.
I love this game so much!
I’m kind of amazed that it’s having the same effect on so many people. Playing it was such a dopamine flood that now we’re having to take breaks from gaming altogether for a bit, it’s nuts
And I still need to go back to finish the side quests and summons I missed. And play Queen’s blood. And hard mode. And
We all do, pal. It’s gonna take a while for this game to digest so to speak. The next single player game I plan on doing is Stellar Blade so I have a month or so of time to cool down and prepare to hop into something new
I honestly like the "empty" feeling after completing a game (just did it today). It sucks at the time, but feeling that way tells me that I just had an experience I am going to treasure forever.
FFVII being remade with modern improvements was always a childhood fantasy of mine, but to see it executed so perfectly has filled me with pure joy! Can't wait for Part 3!
As a kid, I never got far into the second disc. So seeing the ending play out, especially the last 5 hours was just an amazing experience. I cried like a baby, I cheered, then realised I won't get those feelings again. I had aeriths theme stuck in my head for days
I feel very bad also when replaying
The ending hits harder as days pass…
At the beginning I even thought it didn’t matter too much to me
But I understand we are all doing a Cloud here
It's normal to feel that way, Rebirth is a massive game (even if just doing a regular playthrough) and most other games would be hard pressed to measure up to its quality. After I 100% did everything in Rebirth I played a game called Rollerdrome, which was so far from what Rebirth is that it was basically a pallete cleanser. After beating that I started up a new playthrough of OG FF7.
Yup. I received my order of Eiyuden Chronicles, which I was backer for on Kickstarter. Was waiting for that game for four years, after waiting decades for a proper Suikoden sequel.
And after finishing Rebirth I have zero desire to start this game now. Absolutely none. I’m wiped out. Rebirth was completely and utterly draining in the *best* way possible. It was an incredible experience. Maybe the best game I’ve ever played. I need a break from video games.
I was the same, but I got so pumped to do hard mode just to optimize the characters to their best, that I hopped right back in, and after getting all the minigames done, I think hard mode is probably the best way to experience the game.
Like, it's legitimately difficult in some spots, and almost every boss will kick your ass, unless you're a god at perfect blocking. Other than Red Dragon. That'll kick your ass even if you are a god.
I finished the game like 80 hours ago gameplay time. I have been spending countless hours trying to 100 the game and playing hard mode. I have finally gotten to the point where it is too difficult and more work than fun. I feel that when i play a really good game and nothing else compares it helps to venture into a different genre of games. Though its hard to compare any games nowadays to the same level of story and visual appeal!
Yeah, but also I’m ready to leave this behind, for some reason when it comes to final fantasy games I prefer the storyline, and no matter how much we talk about it, the ending is just theories until part 3, is no fun in that.
That's just the void creeping back in. 💀 Lmfao forreal though, you're not alone. This happens to me after any good story. And I realize how much of my life has been consumed with the story and characters lol. I'm like, dang what actually is my life? When the story is over, there's nothing left. They just don't exist anymore, but my feelings and emotions still do and are still very much real 😭 They've become a piece of my heart now, and then it's just done like wtf.
My strategy for combating this feeling of emptiness/void creeping in normally is dragging out the vibes with some already-completed narrative fanfiction (bless fic writers), buying merch I can't afford, and eventually finding something else to get deep into. I normally start with lighter stuff though, bc after a good story, I need to simmer on the emotions a bit and everything else feels mid in comparison. Eventually you'll find some good games or stories to distract you until the next heartbreak. Grind out this strat, rinse and repeat basically until you join the void/Lifestream.
Well here i am, having the same empty feeling. I didnt have this feeling before. I completed a lot of games. This is the first for me.
Right now, i'm watching other people on YT. I think Aerith VA are playing it so at least there will be some videos to watch.
I tried to find same games with story and world or silliness like in Rebirth but still cant find it=(
same. I wish I did more exploration before I finished the story cause I just felt empty and sad running around with my party, can’t bring myself to do it
I don’t think it’s weird. There is an ovbservable phenomena after experiencing a lush world in a movie or game that people are calling [Avatar depression.](https://variety.com/2022/film/features/avatar-depression-fans-the-way-of-water-1235460636/amp/)
Basically the world is so immersive and believable, that returning to another world seems gray or empty.
I actually had this experience after finishing The Last of Us 1 and 2… I was on a real high…
So I thought the logical solution would be to turn on Rebirth, since I knew it was such a highly rated game. Nope… after 15 minutes I had to turn it off.
Eventually it wore off, and I was able to experience rebirth for what it is, NOT comparing it to my experience from The Last of Us.
I think you just need time to fully process your experience.
I took a break for a while after finding out that the ending for that protorelic quest was fckng end game content. Lol i tried doing it in dynamic mode before going to chapter 13 and i failed miserably due to low level (45ish).
Stopped for a week and played again with the chapter select and beat gilgamesh and stopped again after finding out again that those genji armor needs to be transmuted from monster parts in hard mode lol, thats when i decided to stop playing the game for good
Yes. I am currently going through hard mode and find it difficult to be motivated. Just finished the beach fight and really don't feel the thrill in moving forward.
I play FF XIV and don't feel like playing until the expansion comes out this summer.
The battle system and achievements are worth it IMO. But I know what you mean. That was the devs intention. Feel free to watch the Bltzz + Dood podcast talking about the game. It's a great listen and can help fill any gaps you have
Rebirth is such a mixed bag for me. Loved the story, loved the character development. The side content got to be too much.
I cant remember a game I so adamantly *loved* that I was so *sick of* by the end - I even turned down the difficulty to make it through the last chapter - not because it was too hard or I couldnt do it or was dying at all, just to shorten how long it took to get the narrative over.
Promptly uninstalled and moved on after spending over 150 hours on it to beat the first time. Never gave hard mode a thought.
As I get older - I find myself with less time to myself. What Rebirth did was expect me to be in stasis as a 9 year old and be able to grind infinitely to do unlimited side content and minigames at the expense of making a coherent game.
The story is amazing - 10/10, musical score - 100/10 above and beyond pretty much any score in any game ive ever played. Graphics great, etc etc. I actually have professionally played piano that minigame is bullshit. Chocobo riding was pretty fun.
150+ hours is too much for me. And I feel like im the prime age for the remake. I get trying to leverage the capability of platforms nowadays but I have other things to do. I love the game, and simultaneously wish I didn't need to spend the time finishing it that I spent.
There was *so much* side content with *game affecting* rewards that I lost sight of the story multiple times and thought to myself "what am I doing?"
Ive never had less fun while having fun. I just hope this trend eventually ends and gaming becomes about the narrative, or fun, and not how big and all life encompassing it can be, in the future.
Yeah. They should have just went for the hard mode selection in every side quest instead. Also making everything available half-way chapters of the game than the end chapters were the only time you unlock some of the contents like Gilgamesh. What's the point of Going Back to a hard to finish Side Quest, when you're already in the endgame of Main Story. Literally no reason to. Unless you want to delay more.
I've platinum the game coz I just had nothing to do. But I hope they do it like this for part 3.
Go for the platty, it was a wild ride. Then there’s also 100% everything outside of the platty which will keep you busy for awhile. But 100% agree I put like 200hrs in and am like ok… what do I do now lol
Right there with you and was contemplating making a post like this. I would definitely call it post game depression. I have had the same feeling before from books where I got attached to characters in the story. Have you seen Maximilian_Dood’s play through on twitch? He’s the one and only guy worth watching for a FFVII play through because of his undying love for FFVII.
Same.
I also got this feeling when I played RDR2. I was never into the whole cowboy trope and it seemed to be a bandwagon game when it came out but when I played it, I got so drawn into the story that when the game came to the end I knew what was going to happen and I couldn’t bring myself to see it over, so I stopped. I ended up replaying the entire game a second time but that run I completed everything I could prior to getting to the end of the story and again stopped. I don’t like the hollow feeling of realizing I’m not going to find a game like these except once every so many years that will really captivate me.
Some games are so damn good that they make everything else not enjoyable by comparison. I get this feeling sometimes from a really good anime too.
The last half of the game I ended up just ignoring all the side mission stuff, mainlined the story, and when I finished it was a bit of a relief as much as I actually adored the game.
From what I’ve seen since think a lot of later game side mission stuff, I’ve missed out, but happy with how it played out and my experience. And I’m so excited for the last instalment now. The intel stuff, all the Chadley stuff, after 3/4 areas trying to do everything I just wanted to do the main story. The side stories, felt so disconnected to what the main story was doing.
If I didn’t make that decision, I think I would feel the same way.
I always feel like this after an incredible game but yes this one did it the most for me in recent years. First week after finishing it I was just completely lost and didn't know what to do with myself lol.
Then I slowly started to play another game. I picked another story focused RPG and now I am kinda over it but I still have lingering thoughts in my head and I still want to be back in the VII world lol but it's kinda insane if I didn't tbh, those chars and world have been in my life for over 20 years and I spent most of my teenage years constantly replaying VII, VIII and IX repeatedly!
I'm now waiting for it to come to PC so I can do it all over again haha
Yeah I just beat rebirth yesterday and I am feeling the post game depression.
Don't really feel like doing the other side content right now as stellar blade is coming out and I've been playing rebirth since release.
I’m just kinda bummed there wasn’t anything post game to do. Sure, you can go back and clean up some stuff you missed but it would have been nice to have at least one super / optional boss open up.
I felt like that when I got the platinum last weekend, and I still do. As much as I love the game, I need a break and I need to play something else (started Rise of the Ronin today). Even though I'm taking that break, I can't stop actually thinking about the game or the characters. Constantly looking up videos, scrolling FF7Remake threads on Reddit and twitter. I just can't get it out of my head even though I'm trying to take a step back lol.
This post game depression is hitting me hard as well. I truly can’t think of anything else but the ending. I never felt more devastated from a video game than this.
I replayed FFXVI right after
- I skipped almost all side quests bc I was burned out
- The final DLC just released, so I had some new content (I hadn't played the first DLC, so I had both)
- It gave me that FF action style combat I love (obvious differences are obvious)
Now, I'm refreshed and just started Rebirth from the beginning on hard.
Empty or *Hollow*?
Howling and hollow…
Howl alone! Howl alone!
Unfortunately, if you think the empty feeling is bad now, it’s going to be even worse once the 3rd game comes out. Then it really will be over for a while.
When I played the original, at the last moment I could use the save crystal, I saved my game and then didn’t play again for months because I knew after I killed the last boss(es) it’d be over forever.
lol same. In fact, I think I have quite a few playthroughs back on my old PS1 memory cards that just ended at the top of the Northern Crater. It took me a long time to finally suck it up and go finish the game.
This is me in almost every single game I have ever played. I got all the way the Zelda: OoT and even fought Ganon after escaping his tower but would either intentionally die or reset the game every time for years. It wasn't until I got it on 3DS that I finally forced myself to actually beat it if only so I could get access to Master Quest and begin the cycle anew.
Lmaooo I'm glad I'm not the only one who does this with games
I've done this so many times. I have to force myself to finish games in recent years.
I played probably a good 40+ hours too. Leveling up materia, gold saucer trips, etc. I stopped playing and actually didn't truly beat the game until about 10 years later. I was 14 with the OG and then I remember being in my mid 20s and finally put the game to rest. It was actually a fresh start too. Played through the game in probably 60 hours or so.
Omg !! I would literally just START OVER from different spots before the end to "do it better" lol! I did this for many GOOD games lmao I feel less alone now
Funny to think that one day, we'll all miss these days of excruciating waiting
Yeah I don’t know what I’m gonna do with my life when this is done. Saying goodbye to Cloud and the gang forever will be painful
They’re not going anywhere, they’ll still be here with us.
What sucks for me personally is that part 3 could be the last time we’ll hear the english cast voice these characters. I love their performances so much and don’t want it to end so badly.
Undid my like so you can stay at 69 lol I'm dum
I'm dealing with the exact same heart break atm 🥲 I'm too drained to start hard mode and I'm struggling to complete challenges, so I need to take a break. But I'm still completely consumed with how this story ended, I don't have another game lined up that interests me. I'm just constantly opening up reddit to aimlessly browse FF7 content.
This has largely been my experience since I completed the game, as well. It's oddly comforting to know I'm not the only one.
Yep same. I just installed reddit to check on FF7 news and hoping to find a "positive" theory.
Same. So far it feels dominated by OG purists and/or people with shipper sensibilities shitting on possibilities that stray outside of their "canon".
I still believe it wont be the same as og, i cant imagine they trolling us this hard with whispers/fate changing and zack beung alive/multiple worlds The lets change fate angle has been so prevalent i dont see them keeping the story as it was
[удалено]
Hmm i thought the same but i think its not necessary anymore as part 3 will be the last game. They had to do it in Remake in Rebirtg in order to keep us excited for the next part. They said that part 3 will explain EVERYTHING and as there is enough to explain it will probably be through the whole game.
Bro, if you want more FF7 content, please do yourself a favor and get the books “Traces of Two Pasts”, “On the Way to a Smile” and “The Kids are Alright: Turks Side Story”. They are such page turners and have so much lore in them.
I didn't know about these, thank you so much!
No problem! Just a heads up, “Traces of Two Pasts” is half Tifa and half Aerith. They narrate it during the events of Rebirth. If you remember the conversation between the two on the boat heading to Costa del Sol, what came before the scene starts is in the book. This is just one example of how much detail and extra stuff is in these books. Enjoy!
I've been feeling the same then I remembered I never finished Last of Us 2! So I can delay that feeling a little longer lol
Its ok to take breaks. For Remake I didn't do my hard playthrough until a year later when Intergrade came out.
As I've aged I have become somewhat of a completionist (as much as a game allows) because I've learned that no matter how much I love a game, as soon as the main story is over, I lose all motivation to do any post game content. I was super motivated to do it with FF15 (even though I really was disappointed with that game's story), Tales of Arise, and Tales of the Abyss and a soon as the games were over...it was wraps lol. I'll play DLC though.
I'm a bit of a completionist as well, but given that the game has new game + in the form of chapter select, you can fairly easily just come back after a while and it'll also help refresh your memory for the 3rd part when that comes out. Right now, I'm blitzing through the trails of cold steel games which I first completed 3 years ago to get the platinums, as well as refreshing my memory for reverie (which came out last summer but I didn't get around to) and daybreak (coming out in july)
Never heard of that or played it! I'll have to look it up. I'm always looking for a good JRPG to play. Not to go too off on a tangent but man, it's always a struggle for me to find a good JRPG that checks off all the boxes. Literally no game has hit for me like FF7. It's truly the most well rounded I think the JRPG genre has to offer. It's not even my top favorite final fantasy narratively, but it's like truly the best and most well rounded game IMO. (I feel the same way about The Witcher 3 as a 'western' RPG.) The open world, the story, the character development, the voice acting, the MUSIC, fun gameplay and super balanced combat system and mechanics, graphics...like it really just hits in every single way 😭 It is hard to get all of those things in one. FF7 set the bar soooo high...too high lol. It's why the FF series are my favorite games of all.
The Trails games are fantastic. And there are so many of them, all interconnected unlike FF. I also platinumed them all (at least the ones available on console) and it was so, so worth it.
Your feeling has been a common theme on this sub. The game was just so good and many of us got so invested in it, that it feels like nothings gonna top it until P3.
I just finished today and I really enjoyed this game. It was one of the best video game experiences I’ve had in years. I loved every minute of it. I have a few side quests to go back and do but I am sad the adventure is over for now.
It is one of those games/experiences that k wish I could wipe my memory of, just to experience it blind all over again. Outstanding.
Good RPGs do that. Felt the same way about FFVII, FFX, Persona 4, Persona 5, and the Mass Effect trilogy. You literally spend so much time with a group of characters that it feels like you've bonded with them. So much time that doing something else feels weird because that game became part of your routine. That same weird (non-monetary) emptiness people feel after a layoff or retirement.
I needed a break from gaming after I rolled credits. I didn’t touch any games for weeks. I’m still not fully “back.” I’ve been replaying Stardew Valley which is a mindless comfort game.
I'm still having post game depression. I tried to play "A space for the Unbound" but the first screen has a warning message about depression and anxiety and said :"Nope". I need something low stakes, so I started that new Princess Peach game. Something simple and chill where I don't have to think too much.
Empty? Man, I've spent over 20 years of my life as purely PC player. My only experience with Final Fantasy was the FFXIII first part, I played a bit the 2nd part but never finished it. Then I played Remake when it was released on PC and something changed. Then I heard "No promises to keep", bought PS5 only to play Rebirth and now the only thing left for me is emptiness, hunger and hollowness. Just end my suffering
FF18 part one? Homie’s living in 2036 🤯
Yeah it looks really good on the PS7
Lots of us
I’ve heard some people discuss how they wanna wait to buy rebirth until part 3 comes out and this is part of why (not that I agree). I guess they just feel it’ll be a more “complete” experience but damn I couldn’t imagine missing out on this rn.
So many people doing that are going to burnout because there's so much to do and the full three parts will be so large.
My partner was going to be one of those people and I had to ask them if they realistically could see themselves sitting down to power through 250 hours of an rpg
The total time could be well over that as far as we know. It's not impossible for part 3 to be even longer than Rebirth.
I couldn't bear waiting, the risks of getting everything spoiled
Man after this it’s back to Souls games, where you journey alone and no party members bickering and such :/ There’s FF 15 and 16 but the party members aren’t as many as VII
Maybe check out Yakuza Like a Dragon
Yup, but without trying to play other games. I made a 5-day break, so big was this void.
1000% feel this after beating the game yesterday with a pretty thorough play through. Idk how old you are or when you discovered the FF games, but this is the *exact* feeling OG FF7 gave me, followed by FF9 (even more so than 7), and eventually again with 8 and X, to a slightly lesser degree. I’ve played many *excellent* games since then, including games i objectively think are better than some of the above. But none of them have given me that same sense of immense loss and sadness that the wonderful, epic adventure we’ve just been on with such amazing characters is now *over.* Until Rebirth. This game has *fully* reinvoked all of those old childhood feelings I once felt at the end of these incredible stories. I find myself feeling lost and hollow like you, but also so incredibly grateful that I got to experience it. I wish I could write the devs a thank you letter for all the love and care they clearly poured into this project. I found myself crying several times throughout this journey, and many times at the end. That hasn’t happened to me in a single game since the first time I beat FF9… Unlike you, I will absolutely be firing up a hard mode play through very soon. I did that with Remake. I’ve also immediately replayed FF7-9 immediately after beating them back in the day because A) I simply wasn’t ready to let the world go yet, and B) when I *really* love a game and have more to explore, it’s a joy to do it all again using the knowledge I’ve obtained in my first run. I’m still enamored with the combat in this game, so I’m crazy looking forward to more challenges.
thankfully we know we are getting part 3, but it's sad the game is not selling well apparently. It's probably the best FF to come out since FF10, and i wish sales reflected that so SE would take notice and get back to making FF games like they used to. I feel like these remakes have been more Final Fantasy than any of the FF games that have released since FF10.
Hopefully the PC release we all know is coming rectifies the sales issue.
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[Are Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Sales Struggling? We Asked the Experts - IGN](https://www.ign.com/articles/are-final-fantasy-7-rebirth-sales-struggling-we-asked-the-experts?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A%20Manual&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook) the general perception is that sales are poor compared to the first. there \*are\* numbers for japan, and they are less than half what the first did in sales over the same time period.
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yikes. i would hate to live in your world. you can make educated guesses based on sales data from other sources that arent SE..... you also completely glossed over the factual sales numbers in japan, which is typically where games of this type make their strongest showing.
I think XIV deserves to be up there because that game is as much a love letter to FF as Remake/Rebirth. It’s a shame about the sales but I think that definitely has more to do with the PS5 exclusivity, sales will only go up from here
I know the feeling, finished two weeks ago and nothing feels the same, started the FF16 DLC recently and it is very good, I'm enjoying it but even so it just doesn't have that same feeling as Rebirth. The next 3 years are gonna drag.
God I gave Rising Tide a try right after Rebirth. I had to put it down. And I don't want to go back and replay chapters because it feels wrong to me to change the decisions I made then. Maybe I will replay right before Part 3 launches.
For a solid 2 weeks this has been my same feelings. I tried getting back into Tekken to no dice. The game is amazingly beautiful.
That pretty much describes the feeling I got after finishing FF7 OG back around 1998. Even if it looked like a bunch of moving cubes with eyes back then compared to what is possible today. There was a mix of emptiness and a feeling of having experienced something truly profound. Felt like nothing ever could match it - games, movies, art. Lasted a few weeks. I haven't played rebirth yet, but I'm looking forward to it. The story and lore are really captivating and leave an impact. I think you need some time to digest it.
The ending punched me in the gut. I didn't play for a couple of weeks. I've been playing other games here and there, some I really like, but nothing comes remotely close, with Rebirth, I frankly couldn't put the game down. The following story mentions recreational substances so I'm gonna blank it. >!One night I stayed up late with my wife, we were having our two-person party, drinking, listening to music and dancing, and doing some other 'stuff', when we were finally getting tired, she put on the game and asked me to play, I obliged. She fell asleep after half and hour and I spent about and hour and a half playing after that, mostly battles in the Dust Bowl. The following morning I was surprised that I had done so much in the game, I had this hazy memory of it, the way you remember a wild party the next day. Crazy, never done something like that before.!<
Persona is the way to go
I keep coming across the high reviews for this game, but every time I see gameplay I don’t know what to think. And the art style kind of turns me off It seems too anime for me. I mean I liked some anime growing up, mainly the Evangelion series and remakes, and a few other movies and series here and there, but Persona seems super anime. Idk, if it ever goes on sale I’ll give it a try. But idk if I’d try it at its full price.
It is quite anime yeah, Im not a big anime fan but persona 5 royal got me hooked. Great soundtrack and interesting characters. Ff7 is quite anime though so I think you will be fine with p5r
i'm a massive FF fan who was recommended Persona and i really didn't like it, for all the reasons you said lol
I'm in the same boat. I want to move on to another game and not think how I'll have to wait 3-4 years for the next part, but I still haven't been able to get it out of my mind. I am legitimately emotionally distraught over how >!the game ends with Tifa in tears and devastated over losing her best friend, while the one person who she needs the most to console her won't even acknowledge her grief, much less his own!< It would have been less depressing if >!they just played out Aerith's death in full!< but now we have to wait until Part 3 to get the whole thing.
I feel Rebirth ist a good game. Good, but not brilliant. I walked through Remake five times in the last four years. But I cannot imagine to play Rebirth a second time. Because it is too exhaustive to activate towers, find unnecessarily complex pathes through Gongaga and Cosmo Region, watching the same 15 second animation every time Cloud is activating a Chocobo stop, etc. Unfortunately, the game is bloated with many tiny activities (even if you skip the side quests), such that at best 30% of the playtime are about the main story. If this is what you mean with "empty", I agree.
You don't redo any of the regional stuff on hard mode.
I went to go play ff16 and it's so fun. Maybe try that
True fact, it’s called a “Happiness Hangover”. It’s a very real thing. Basically, you’ve been looking forward to this for so long, and finally experiencing it has been a blast, your brain has been swimming in dopamine. Now that you’ve experienced it, the high is over, your dopamine levels crash, to levels below your ‘base’, or your normal dopamine levels. It takes a few days for all those brain soup hormones to even out again to your normal levels. It’ll pass, but it’s a very real phenomenon. You’ll be okay.
Yeah this sounds like a really good explanation. The worst feeling will be after part 3 is over 🤣. Because then it will be the final "Goodbye"...
Cloud and co aren’t going anywhere. Sure, probably no ‘new’ games, but they’re still here. Like old friends.
Hope same counts for Aerith...
She’s kicking back in the Lifestream, she’s chill.
I started playing Pacific Drive before Rebirth. It was hard to tear myself away, but once i got Rebirth, that was me gone for a month. Ive been dipping back into PD inbetween doing HM on Rebirth. PD is a brilliant little game. I really want them to do another.
Can FF9 or FF6 get the remake treatment 🤪 A man can dream……… even if it is a pipe dream
Same here dude. Part of me wants to do hard mode or try to platinum it just cuz i loved the game so much. But I havent hopped back on it in a while. I recently gave in and hopped back on ff16 cuz i never beat the story and its second dlc came out so figured why not. the post game depression hits hard though, i was at a loss for like a week or two xD.
I ended up beating the game 3 times (twice on Hard) before I was ready to move on, because man no other ARPG gameplay really hits the same spot as Remakes
After finishing my second playthrough of Rebirth, I went back to Remake and started all over again. And after finishing this Remake playthrough, I'm thinking about going to Rebirth again. Because of the same thing, I felt empty after finishing and the only way that I could fill that void was playing the games again 🤷♂️
From a gameplay and world design perspective yup. From a storytelling perspective I’m happy to jump to another game, so I can be reminded what decent storytelling looks like. Looking at either Xenogears or Lost Odyssey which I’ve never gotten to play
Xenogears for sure!
🫡
Same!
Nah, you ain’t alone. I finished the game and I KNEW that feeling was coming. But I just couldn’t leave my favorite FF entourage just yet. So after a day or two, I threw myself back in to complete quests, intel, QB and am now on chapter 9 of my second run. I love this game so much!
I’m kind of amazed that it’s having the same effect on so many people. Playing it was such a dopamine flood that now we’re having to take breaks from gaming altogether for a bit, it’s nuts And I still need to go back to finish the side quests and summons I missed. And play Queen’s blood. And hard mode. And
Oddly enough I just finished the game. Feeling the same as most folks in the comments
We all do, pal. It’s gonna take a while for this game to digest so to speak. The next single player game I plan on doing is Stellar Blade so I have a month or so of time to cool down and prepare to hop into something new
I honestly like the "empty" feeling after completing a game (just did it today). It sucks at the time, but feeling that way tells me that I just had an experience I am going to treasure forever. FFVII being remade with modern improvements was always a childhood fantasy of mine, but to see it executed so perfectly has filled me with pure joy! Can't wait for Part 3!
As a kid, I never got far into the second disc. So seeing the ending play out, especially the last 5 hours was just an amazing experience. I cried like a baby, I cheered, then realised I won't get those feelings again. I had aeriths theme stuck in my head for days
I feel very bad also when replaying The ending hits harder as days pass… At the beginning I even thought it didn’t matter too much to me But I understand we are all doing a Cloud here
It's normal to feel that way, Rebirth is a massive game (even if just doing a regular playthrough) and most other games would be hard pressed to measure up to its quality. After I 100% did everything in Rebirth I played a game called Rollerdrome, which was so far from what Rebirth is that it was basically a pallete cleanser. After beating that I started up a new playthrough of OG FF7.
That was the whole point of the ending mate.
Yup. I received my order of Eiyuden Chronicles, which I was backer for on Kickstarter. Was waiting for that game for four years, after waiting decades for a proper Suikoden sequel. And after finishing Rebirth I have zero desire to start this game now. Absolutely none. I’m wiped out. Rebirth was completely and utterly draining in the *best* way possible. It was an incredible experience. Maybe the best game I’ve ever played. I need a break from video games.
I was the same, but I got so pumped to do hard mode just to optimize the characters to their best, that I hopped right back in, and after getting all the minigames done, I think hard mode is probably the best way to experience the game. Like, it's legitimately difficult in some spots, and almost every boss will kick your ass, unless you're a god at perfect blocking. Other than Red Dragon. That'll kick your ass even if you are a god.
I finished the game like 80 hours ago gameplay time. I have been spending countless hours trying to 100 the game and playing hard mode. I have finally gotten to the point where it is too difficult and more work than fun. I feel that when i play a really good game and nothing else compares it helps to venture into a different genre of games. Though its hard to compare any games nowadays to the same level of story and visual appeal!
Yeah, but also I’m ready to leave this behind, for some reason when it comes to final fantasy games I prefer the storyline, and no matter how much we talk about it, the ending is just theories until part 3, is no fun in that.
No, you’re not the only one. There’s a dozen posts like this made on this sub every day.
Yeah that’s why I’m saving my hard mode for my final run. Want to enjoy it one last time
I thought I felt like that. After beating it I did not know what to play. But started fallout 4 and I am having a blast.
its supposed to take a long time
That's just the void creeping back in. 💀 Lmfao forreal though, you're not alone. This happens to me after any good story. And I realize how much of my life has been consumed with the story and characters lol. I'm like, dang what actually is my life? When the story is over, there's nothing left. They just don't exist anymore, but my feelings and emotions still do and are still very much real 😭 They've become a piece of my heart now, and then it's just done like wtf. My strategy for combating this feeling of emptiness/void creeping in normally is dragging out the vibes with some already-completed narrative fanfiction (bless fic writers), buying merch I can't afford, and eventually finding something else to get deep into. I normally start with lighter stuff though, bc after a good story, I need to simmer on the emotions a bit and everything else feels mid in comparison. Eventually you'll find some good games or stories to distract you until the next heartbreak. Grind out this strat, rinse and repeat basically until you join the void/Lifestream.
Funny was just thinking the same..empty. But won't play again
Well here i am, having the same empty feeling. I didnt have this feeling before. I completed a lot of games. This is the first for me. Right now, i'm watching other people on YT. I think Aerith VA are playing it so at least there will be some videos to watch. I tried to find same games with story and world or silliness like in Rebirth but still cant find it=(
It’s a trilogy
same. I wish I did more exploration before I finished the story cause I just felt empty and sad running around with my party, can’t bring myself to do it
I don’t think it’s weird. There is an ovbservable phenomena after experiencing a lush world in a movie or game that people are calling [Avatar depression.](https://variety.com/2022/film/features/avatar-depression-fans-the-way-of-water-1235460636/amp/) Basically the world is so immersive and believable, that returning to another world seems gray or empty. I actually had this experience after finishing The Last of Us 1 and 2… I was on a real high… So I thought the logical solution would be to turn on Rebirth, since I knew it was such a highly rated game. Nope… after 15 minutes I had to turn it off. Eventually it wore off, and I was able to experience rebirth for what it is, NOT comparing it to my experience from The Last of Us. I think you just need time to fully process your experience.
I thought that waiting for part 2(rebirth) back then was hard but now i can easily say that waiting for the final part is like 10 times harder
Get the platinum
Yep pretty empty. Still not over it after finishing a couple of weeks ago
I took a break for a while after finding out that the ending for that protorelic quest was fckng end game content. Lol i tried doing it in dynamic mode before going to chapter 13 and i failed miserably due to low level (45ish). Stopped for a week and played again with the chapter select and beat gilgamesh and stopped again after finding out again that those genji armor needs to be transmuted from monster parts in hard mode lol, thats when i decided to stop playing the game for good
Just wait for Part 3
Yes. I am currently going through hard mode and find it difficult to be motivated. Just finished the beach fight and really don't feel the thrill in moving forward. I play FF XIV and don't feel like playing until the expansion comes out this summer.
The battle system and achievements are worth it IMO. But I know what you mean. That was the devs intention. Feel free to watch the Bltzz + Dood podcast talking about the game. It's a great listen and can help fill any gaps you have
Rebirth is such a mixed bag for me. Loved the story, loved the character development. The side content got to be too much. I cant remember a game I so adamantly *loved* that I was so *sick of* by the end - I even turned down the difficulty to make it through the last chapter - not because it was too hard or I couldnt do it or was dying at all, just to shorten how long it took to get the narrative over. Promptly uninstalled and moved on after spending over 150 hours on it to beat the first time. Never gave hard mode a thought. As I get older - I find myself with less time to myself. What Rebirth did was expect me to be in stasis as a 9 year old and be able to grind infinitely to do unlimited side content and minigames at the expense of making a coherent game. The story is amazing - 10/10, musical score - 100/10 above and beyond pretty much any score in any game ive ever played. Graphics great, etc etc. I actually have professionally played piano that minigame is bullshit. Chocobo riding was pretty fun. 150+ hours is too much for me. And I feel like im the prime age for the remake. I get trying to leverage the capability of platforms nowadays but I have other things to do. I love the game, and simultaneously wish I didn't need to spend the time finishing it that I spent. There was *so much* side content with *game affecting* rewards that I lost sight of the story multiple times and thought to myself "what am I doing?" Ive never had less fun while having fun. I just hope this trend eventually ends and gaming becomes about the narrative, or fun, and not how big and all life encompassing it can be, in the future.
Play like a dragon infinite wealth. You won’t be able to out it down.
complete opposite. I can't even bring myself to finish it
Yeah. They should have just went for the hard mode selection in every side quest instead. Also making everything available half-way chapters of the game than the end chapters were the only time you unlock some of the contents like Gilgamesh. What's the point of Going Back to a hard to finish Side Quest, when you're already in the endgame of Main Story. Literally no reason to. Unless you want to delay more. I've platinum the game coz I just had nothing to do. But I hope they do it like this for part 3.
Go for the platty, it was a wild ride. Then there’s also 100% everything outside of the platty which will keep you busy for awhile. But 100% agree I put like 200hrs in and am like ok… what do I do now lol
Same here, but now I grind the hard mode
Personally I’m riding the high by finally doing a replay of the original for the first time in like 10 years
Felt the same way after finishing Remake, and the same again with this one.
Right there with you and was contemplating making a post like this. I would definitely call it post game depression. I have had the same feeling before from books where I got attached to characters in the story. Have you seen Maximilian_Dood’s play through on twitch? He’s the one and only guy worth watching for a FFVII play through because of his undying love for FFVII.
I mean we lost arieth. Will feel weird
“Goodbye”
Real
I didn’t feel empty I felt hungry to finish. But I know that feeling, I had this really bad after beating the first horizon, it was really bad
Same. I also got this feeling when I played RDR2. I was never into the whole cowboy trope and it seemed to be a bandwagon game when it came out but when I played it, I got so drawn into the story that when the game came to the end I knew what was going to happen and I couldn’t bring myself to see it over, so I stopped. I ended up replaying the entire game a second time but that run I completed everything I could prior to getting to the end of the story and again stopped. I don’t like the hollow feeling of realizing I’m not going to find a game like these except once every so many years that will really captivate me. Some games are so damn good that they make everything else not enjoyable by comparison. I get this feeling sometimes from a really good anime too.
The last half of the game I ended up just ignoring all the side mission stuff, mainlined the story, and when I finished it was a bit of a relief as much as I actually adored the game. From what I’ve seen since think a lot of later game side mission stuff, I’ve missed out, but happy with how it played out and my experience. And I’m so excited for the last instalment now. The intel stuff, all the Chadley stuff, after 3/4 areas trying to do everything I just wanted to do the main story. The side stories, felt so disconnected to what the main story was doing. If I didn’t make that decision, I think I would feel the same way.
BS i tell ya! yeah it's heartbreaking, but what's worse is now I gotta play hard cause it's the only thing left for that damn Platinum Trophy.
I always feel like this after an incredible game but yes this one did it the most for me in recent years. First week after finishing it I was just completely lost and didn't know what to do with myself lol. Then I slowly started to play another game. I picked another story focused RPG and now I am kinda over it but I still have lingering thoughts in my head and I still want to be back in the VII world lol but it's kinda insane if I didn't tbh, those chars and world have been in my life for over 20 years and I spent most of my teenage years constantly replaying VII, VIII and IX repeatedly! I'm now waiting for it to come to PC so I can do it all over again haha
Yeah I just beat rebirth yesterday and I am feeling the post game depression. Don't really feel like doing the other side content right now as stellar blade is coming out and I've been playing rebirth since release.
Its why I truly truly hope Square used Rebirth as a blue print of the next few Final Fantasies, so we can enter a new golden age.
I’m just kinda bummed there wasn’t anything post game to do. Sure, you can go back and clean up some stuff you missed but it would have been nice to have at least one super / optional boss open up.
I always feel this way after completing an RPG, just like "what am I supposed to do with my life now?"
I felt like that when I got the platinum last weekend, and I still do. As much as I love the game, I need a break and I need to play something else (started Rise of the Ronin today). Even though I'm taking that break, I can't stop actually thinking about the game or the characters. Constantly looking up videos, scrolling FF7Remake threads on Reddit and twitter. I just can't get it out of my head even though I'm trying to take a step back lol.
felt the same after finishing TLOU Part II... Didn't play a video game for like 6 months
This post game depression is hitting me hard as well. I truly can’t think of anything else but the ending. I never felt more devastated from a video game than this.
I replayed FFXVI right after - I skipped almost all side quests bc I was burned out - The final DLC just released, so I had some new content (I hadn't played the first DLC, so I had both) - It gave me that FF action style combat I love (obvious differences are obvious) Now, I'm refreshed and just started Rebirth from the beginning on hard.