Seven Great Platinums - 10th Anniversary Challenge

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On February 8th, 2014, I earned my first ever PlayStation trophy. So, this is my 10th year of playing here with 300+ platinums under my belt. Last December I made a plan to complete some of the greatest games associated with the (original) PlayStation brand before February 8th, 2024. After much consideration I selected the following 7 games for this challenge:

 

• Crash Bandicoot - Because he's the original PlayStation mascot, and I have platinums of Jak and Ratchet already. Also, a good challenge.
• Devil May Cry - This is going to drive me insane, but I need to make Dante proud.
• God of War - The definitive PlayStation 2 mascot - I'm talking about, of course, the original game, which I already completed, but messed up pretty much every game-long challenges. From scratch, then.
• Final Fantasy VII - Probably not too difficult, but very guide-heavy. This is the PlayStation's system seller. Talking about the classic, of course.
• Grand Theft Auto III - I'm picking the new Definitive Edition version, because trophy-wise it's easier (and I already played the original on PC, so the botched aspects are fine with me).
• Resident Evil - I started with this one, because I'm a big fan of the series. But! If Capcom / Sony decides to release a new list before 2024 (Classic or Remake), I will be obligated to complete it.
• Tomb Raider Anniversary - Lara is another PlayStation-adjacent mascot. Since the original Tomb Raider doesn't have trophies, I will do the Anniversary version.

 

So, I have 12 months to complete 6 very challenging games, because as it happens, in December I managed to platinum Resident Evil - a head start. So, here's my first milestone:

 

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  #1 - Resident Evil 

 

The only thing I wanted to do in December was the Normal speedrun to unlock the rocket launcher. However, I was in the zone by the time I finished, and the complicated level-layout was fresh in my mind, so I got into this really intense 3-day session and I just did all the harder game modes in one go. I still hope that the Classic version will get some trophies, could be manageable with the fast-forward function.

 

The hardest part: The Normal speedrun. Each other difficult game mode had something that helped me, but handling the pressure of time in an unknown environment with limited saves took me an entire day with resets, even following a 2-hour guide.

 

Thoughts on the game: Absolute blast, once it clicked. Some of the puzzles can't be done without the tank controls, but overall, you can make some mistakes and still beat every requirement. Good balance between stressful and laid-back.

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  #2 - Final Fantasy VII

 

My first encounter with this game (and the series in general) was on the PC where I got stuck in Midgar. I hated all the characters. Now, as a more mature player, I still hate them, but overall, it was a good experience. It grew on me a bit, but it will not become my favorite FF.

 

The hardest part: The fucking bike minigame. And of course, the Ruby Weapon, but once you know the trick, it's just a matter of time. The bike minigame, however, really tested my patience for PS1 bullshit.

 

Thoughts on the game: It has not aged well, but to be fair, I never enjoyed this game, even when it was new-ish. I think, there are really good things in it, like the environmental themes and the fact that you follow a working class cast and their struggles. Some designs are fantastic, Uematsu delivers the good music... ultimately, you have to put up with a lot of PS1 nonsense. This would've been so much better as a PS2 game, fully realized. I'm saying this, because I'm not too fond of the remake either, for entirely different reasons. Keep the core design, the atmosphere, but round off the rudimentary stuff, and you have a timeless classic. This is a classic still, but eh, like Resident Evil flows so much better. FFIX is so much better (for one, better 3D models, backgrounds). This is my opinion - although I recognize that as the first 3D Final Fantasy, it's quite an achievement, and it integrates sci-fi with fantasy really well. I would still recommend for game archaeologists.