>>715842587 (OP)The combat is fantastic but only truly shines in hard mode.
Start to level your materia now and get a feel for how you like to build your characters. Experiment with materia and become a fucking killer with things like first strike, atb stagger/atb boost, synergy, hp/mp absorption, among others. Also start to really learn the nuance each character brings to the table.
>Cloud carrying in Punisher mode, holding weak attack during punisher combo giving an attack buff, etc>Barret being able to quickload Overcharge gauge after finishing his round of autofire or after certain shot abilitiesThis game has a fantastic hard mode. You can't use items and benches don't heal hp or mp. You have to survive in hard mode, against far tougher enemies. It becomes a very satisfying system to engage with and conquer.