Collection essentials #356: Final Fantasy VII (PS1)

And now for another biggie.

Final Fantasy VII is arguably the most significant title ever released for the original PlayStation, and is the second-best-selling game on the system only slightly being racing sim Gran Turismo. 

Squaresoft already had developed excellent Final Fantasy titles on the SNES which are still often considered among the best RPGs of all-time. The next generation, with full 3D graphics, clearly brought a lot of new potential for the genre. Squaresoft had originally planned to develop the next Final Fantasy on Nintendo’s next console, but after Nintendo chose to use cartridges once again instead of CDs, Squaresoft opted to develop for Sony’s PlayStation instead since discs were much more favorable for RPGs thanks to the ability to store more data (since these games are so big), high-quality audio and the ability to play full-motion videos (FMVs). 

While the Sega Saturn flopped in Western markets, it was actually ahead of the PlayStation for a while in Japan. But at this time there wasn’t much that the Japanese loved more than a great JRPG, and the release of Final Fantasy VII catapulted the PlayStation in front of the Saturn on the sales charts for good, and when it was all said and done Sega was left in the dust.

Overseas, JRPGs had always been a rather niche genre, beloved with fans but without much mainstream appeal. Final Fantasy VII pretty much single-handedly changed that, receiving lots of hype, rave reviews, and far outselling any other JRPG in Western markets up to that point. After FFVII’s release, there were far more JRPGs that actually got localized into English for an overseas release since there was now very clearly a market for them.

But perhaps I should actually talk about the game itself for a bit. One problem with JRPGs, in my opinion, is that they tend to start out slow and a little bit boring. But FFVII bucks that trend with a fun and exciting introduction right from the start. After some epic music composed by the Legendary Nobuo Uematsu starts playing, you take control of Cloud Strife, a young mercenary who has been hired by the eco-terrorist organization AVALANCHE to help them bomb a factory called a “mako reactor” which is sucking the planet’s energy, and the beginning of the game throws you right into this mission. After carrying it out, the game’s pace continues to keep the player engaged, introducing them to several main characters, the villainous corporation Shinra, and the city of Midgar which is technologically advanced but has many slums in which many citizens live in terrible conditions. After some events transpire, the game’s main antagonist, a sword-wielding man with long gray hair, emerges and the heroes leave Midgar to chase him around the world.

Final Fantasy VII’s gameplay is familiar in a lot of ways in light of the previous Final Fantasy games, still having turn-based battles initiated from random encounters while traversing the world and bringing back the “active time battle” system which keeps battles moving at a nice pace. A major addition is the “Limit Break” system, which gives characters unique strong moves to use once their “Limit” gauge is full from getting hit by enemy attacks. The other main innovation is the “Materia” system. Characters do not learn abilities and magic spells upon leveling up like in most RPGs. Instead, there are items called “Materia” which contain spells and abilities which can be equipped to a character for use. Weapons and armor will have a certain type and number of slots in which Materia can be inserted, so this is something to consider when choosing what equipment to use. Some materia slots will be connected and allow for certain Materia to influence the one that it's connected to, such as the “All” Materia which allows a connected magic spell to be cast on all enemies rather than just one. It’s a pretty straightforward system that’s easy to grasp.

The most recent time I played FFVII, it helped me see and appreciate how this was the JRPG that finally managed to break through to the mainstream outside Japan. The game’s well-paced opening, amazing music, interesting world and characters, and gameplay that’s not overly complicated or difficult make this game perfect for someone new to the genre to feel at home.

FFVII boasts a lot of content with plenty of secrets and optional stuff to uncover, an excellent soundtrack, and a story with twists and turns to keep players hooked. The second half of the game features what might be the most famous video game “spoiler” in history, similar to how Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is famous for having what is perhaps the most famous movie spoiler which everyone knows. I won’t say what it is in the chance that perhaps you may be a younger reader or something who hasn’t heard what it is and are interested in playing the game. This game’s final boss battle theme, “One-Winged Angel”, is also one of the most famous and revered video game songs in history. This epic tune features actual lyrics (rare for video game music) spoken in Latin and delivers a vibe that is every bit as exciting and intense as you’d want a climactic final boss at the end of a 40-hour JRPG to be.

Final Fantasy VII was a cutting-edge title when it was first released, and it was one of the most common games you’d see mentioned in conversations about the “best video game of all time” along with the big Zelda title which released a year later. But what is it like playing it in modern times? Well, there are some ways that age wasn’t so kind to it. The game is certainly not graphically impressive anymore. The 3D character models outside of battles look especially odd with the PlayStation’s jagged graphics. In battle the models are more detailed, but there aren’t very many frames of animation. The game’s English localization, while not awful, is not quite up to high modern-day standards. There are also a lot of loading times due to being on an early CD-based console. Also, this doesn’t necessarily have to do with the game’s age, but I feel that the main game is a bit too easy, which I also acknowledge may have been for the better to introduce people to the genre. But considering that, FFVII does retain most of its appeal in my opinion and is definitely worth experiencing no matter how many years have passed. You’re better off playing one of the ports to more recent systems such as the Nintendo Switch, as you’ll get bonuses like a “speed up” button to alleviate some of the loading times and slow-paced sections.

As for my personal experience with the game, before I owned any PlayStation consoles, I was introduced to it by my friend Dan. It was his favorite video game, and I really wanted to play it for myself. Up until that point, despite owning a Super Nintendo I had not yet played through a Final Fantasy game. When I got my own PlayStation in the spring of 2003, my first thought was that I had to borrow this game from Dan and ASAP. And I had to wait longer than anticipated because there was a problem with one of his discs causing the game to always freeze in a certain location!! Once Dan got a new copy I was not disappointed as the game definitely lived up to the hype. Dan was even smart enough to give me a gameplay tip relating to “the spoiler” without actually spoiling what happens! I remember watching “the spoiler” happen and thinking, “So THAT’S what he meant!!” 

I replayed a modern port of Final Fantasy VII not too long ago and enjoyed it a lot. While I don’t think I’d call it my favorite JRPG, it’s easy to see why it is for many people, and has a special place in my heart since it’s one of the first ones I played. With incredibly memorable characters, music and moments, it’s a game that fully deserves its iconic status and is mandatory for any fan of the genre. Truly a quintessential essential.