Thanks but that didn't help, apparently save files for this game are encrypted and tied to the PC/OS (this only on PC) so if you swap machine or go from a laptop to a desktop or more in general change PC or reinstall the OS the encryption makes it so that files cannot be read anymore.
This basically also renders steam cloud useless between machines, Square Enix and KT went above and beyond the call of duty this time, if even a FRACTION of the effort they put into making this unplayable went into optimization I believe they could make the best PC ports ever created in the history of gaming, alas...
That said now I have a good idea of what I need, a switch save file that's right after the boat sinks (tutorial), so off I go hunting