Final Fantasy VII (PSOne, 1997)
Why You Should Play It
A week from today will mark fifteen years since Final Fantasy VII hit North American store shelves. Yeah, that's right. 15 years. Think about that for a second, grandpa.
This past decade and a half has been one of frightening change and evolution, with many of these changes being brought on by Final Fantasy VII itself. It's clear to see, looking back from where we are now, that Final Fantasy VII transcends gaming and has become a deep-rooted cultural phenomenon. Just when we think the fad has finally subsided, a new tidbit of information sneaks into the media and the fanbase goes apeshit once again. Every time Yoshinori Kitase or Yoichi Wada pass gas, some obese 30 year old in a long grey wig and a black trench coat with a giant, fake sword strapped to his back will be hovering a few inches away from their ass cheeks, sniffing diligently for that distinct FFVII aroma. If it's there, said fanboy will immediately hit the internet and speculation will spread like wildfire. If it's not there, said fanboy will still immediately hit the internet and speculation will spread like wildfire.
With all these fanboys constantly pining for more FFVII and reminding us how it was the greatest game ever made, it's easy to see why the hardcore gaming community has become very jaded or even resentful toward this almost sentient game. Even if they liked it when they first played it, the level of integration into pop-culture with mountains of multimedia-based spinoffs and constant fanboyish waxing has killed all appreciation they had for the game. Because of this, it's not rare for Final Fantasy VII to be grouped together with words like "overrated", "ugh", and most notably, "meh". I'm not sure if those last two are words, but you get my point.
I, on the other hand, have always been fond of Final Fantasy VII. While I hardly consider it the greatest game ever, the greatest RPG ever, or hell, even the greatest Squaresoft RPG ever, I appreciate the game quite a bit and I feel that the media's overall perception of it has been warped by the passage of time and overexposure to its legacy. As I thought about the approach of FFVII's 15 year anniversary, I became nostalgic and decided to replay it for the first time in about 5 years. Although it wasn't nostalgia alone that brought me to this. I was curious to see how well the game had aged over the years, and whether it was as good as I felt it was back then or if I was just so amazed at its presentation and production values that I glossed over all of its flaws.
So, eager to relive the days of my early teens, I popped the first of three Final Fantasy VII discs into my PS3. The familiar Prelude theme that had introduced every game in the series up to this one began to play. As I began a new game, and the ominous opening theme began to play as the camera made that first, dynamic, industry-changing sweep through the Midgar slums, I felt a wave of memories and fondness wash over me. It was like the first time I'd ever played the game.
One thing I've always liked about the Final Fantasy series is that it almost always has an explosive, "in media res" opening. You almost never start in a peaceful town in an ordinary life that will soon be disrupted. Typically, you'll be launched right into a conflict or mission, not knowing who the characters are or what's going on exactly. In Final Fantasy IV, which was the first Final Fantasy game I'd played from start to finish, the player "walks in" on the Dark Knight Cecil as he reflects on the massacre he was just ordered to commit. In Final Fantasy VI, we stumble upon the heroine similarly laying waste to the defenders of Narsche and subsequently discovering an Esper in the mines. And now in Final Fantasy VII, we once again are thrust into a new world, observing people we haven't even been introduced to yet, launching an assault upon a form of power plant. Why? We're not sure. But this information will be divulged shortly. I think being thrown into a story with no knowledge of what's going on is far more intriguing than the long, slow set up in most JRPGs where the hero lives in his peaceful town with his childhood sweetheart that he can't express his feelings to and then they go to a mountain for an herb or something and come back and find their town ruined, etc.
It doesn't take long for us to be introduced to our somewhat taciturn young hero. Actually, looking back on all the JRPGs I've played since Final Fantasy VII, Cloud isn't really young at all. He's 21, an old man to most heroes of the genre. Man, I'd almost forgotten what it's like to play an RPG where some of the characters are actually adults. Anyways, as I was saying.. we have Cloud, who has the distinction of having quite possibly the most recognizable face in the RPG industry. But almost like a real historical figure, time seems to have divided Cloud into two separate entities; the Cloud of Final Fantasy VII and the Cloud of Final Fantasy VII's legacy. Words commonly used to describe Cloud by FFVII's critics are "emo", "jerk", "pansy", etc. However, the first few hours of Final Fantasy VII paint a different picture of Cloud. He's actually a likable, clear-headed, bright-eyed individual with a decent sense of humor, and for all his pessimism, he still doesn't seem like a hopeless anti-social type like his successor. Definitely not the same Cloud we see in Advent Children.
Of course, Cloud's attitude changes as his simple quest to take down the corrupt and greed-driven, planet-sucking Shin-Ra corporation, no doubt a critique of modern day capitalism that's only become more and more relevant over the years, spirals out of control into a world-wide manhunt, a mission of revenge, a search for truth, and finally a campaign to save the world from the greatest crisis it's ever faced. Joining him are his equally recognizable team of friends. The unshakably faithful Tifa, who's starred in more graphic fanfiction than all the other video game characters in the world put together, the ill-fated Aeris, who's death we're frankly sick of seeing mentioned as one of the best video game scenes ever despite the fact that it really is, Barrett, who might as well have a bucket of fried chicken under one arm and a watermelon under the other, Red XIII, who's awesome until you've seen him fornicating with Sonic the Hedgehog on DeviantArt one too many times, Yuffie, who thankfully has nothing to do with the story, Vincent, who's recently learned what TV's Matt LeBlanc, Sonny Shroyer, and Norman Fell learned years earlier: starring in your own spinoff of an extremely popular title isn't a very good idea, and lastly, Cid, for whom I can't think of anything smart-assed to write at this moment. Oh, and Cait Sith was there too, I guess.
One thing I've always been sure of is that Final Fantasy VII's story works, and it works really well. Call it convoluted, messy, angst-ridden, whatever you want. It was a fascinating mind-play that maintained an air of mystery and foreboding from start to finish. Even in its most peaceful moments, there's a constant sense tension looming overhead. It was a first in so many ways, and I'd even go as far as to say parts of it are pure genius. The way the overall quest is overlapped by a case study of the main character (an unreliable narrator, in a video game...), the death of Aeris and its purpose being played out in the end, its preachy, ecologically conscious messages, and yes, even Sephiroth's role as a friend turned villain. Call me crazy, but I love it all, and I think it was executed with the utmost skill and craftsmanship.
Graphically, I think Final Fantasy VII has aged fairly well. Sure, there's the common complaint of the Lego characters outside of battle, but environments are still incredible. The amount of detail, depth and atmosphere in the pre-rendered backdrops amazed me back then and it still amazes me today. There are some key moments where the game still stops me dead in my tracks and forces me to appreciate it aesthetically. For instance, when I'm walking over that last hill in the Sleeping Forest and the City of the Ancients suddenly creeps over the tallest crest, it always takes me by surprise and I sit back in my chair for a second and breath it all in. Is that the sound of a game that hasn't aged well, visually? I don't think so.
And what about the battles? Well, they still look really good. They were just about the best looking thing around back in 1997, and they still pack quite a punch. Luckily, Final Fantasy VII was made during Square's transitional period between old school Final Fantasy and modern Final Fantasy, so the length of most of the attack animations was quite comfortable. They were long enough to be flashy and impressive, but unlike the following FF games, they weren't so long and overly elaborate that you found yourself saying, "Christ, when is this going to be over? Screw this. I'm going to go make a sandwich."
Alright, so I've beaten Final Fantasy VII once again, probably for the last time in a long while. It was a fun, nostalgic experience, and it's taught me to appreciate the game once again. And trust me, in the post "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII" era, it wasn't easy. Me and Final Fantasy have a rough relationship. We're like that bickering couple that's invested too much time in each other to just break up. For every Final Fantasy game that I love, there's one that I hate ten times more than I love it, and even the ones I love tend to get on my nerves sometimes. But Final Fantasy VII, you're probably my favorite, and in spite of all your flaws, blemishes, your entorage of annoying fans, and your psychotic character designer who seems narrowly determined to ruin everything you once stood for, you still please me.. and.. well.. I guess I have to say.. I love you. Happy anniversary.
Potential Barriers
Once again, this is a traditional RPG we're talking about here. You don't press buttons and make magic, colorful shit and blood fill every pixel. I spite of all the similarities to such, it's not a summer blockbuster. It's a slow, plodding, deliberate narrative that will test you emotionally and mentally if you buy into it enough. Look passed the thin veneer of age and feel the resonance radiating from this brilliant game.
Current Availability
Final Fantasy VII can be a bit pricey for a complete copy. Fortunately, it's available on the cheap in the Playstation Store. It was also recently released on Steam.
If You Really Dig It
Final Fantasy VII was an immensely influential game, and as such, there are a lot of games that attempted to capture its magic with varying levels of success. Here are a few JRPGs cut from the same cloth, and also a few that starkly contrast with it that you may use to compliment it if FFVII has managed to pique your interest in the genre.
Breath of Fire III (PSOne, 1997)
Breath of Fire IV (PSOne, 2000)
Internationally, Breath of Fire gave Final Fantasy it's most competent competition in the 16-bit era (which is often considered the Golden Era of JRPGs), seeing as how Dragon Quest kept itself in Japan. The two franchises made the 32-bit jump together in 1997, though Breath of Fire III decided to go in a diametrically opposed direction from Final Fantasy VII, opting for 2D sprites on 3D backgrounds, going for an almost painfully traditional thematic and aesthetic, and retaining a sense of wonder in the face of FFVII's vehement grittiness. Breath of Fire III is one of the more epic and enthralling JRPGs of its day, with a surprisingly brilliant story to tell that occasionally gets hung up on tedium. Breath of Fire IV is much more streamlined and functional, but also loses some of the charm in the process.
Xenogears (PSOne, 1998)
The real genius behind Final Fantasy VII is scenario writer Masato Kato, who also penned Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Baten Kaitos, and along with Tetsuya Takahashi, Xenogears. As a result of this commonality, all of these games have incredibly convoluted, deep, mind-fucking stories to tell, and as such, they are absolute must-plays. Xenogears is the most notoriously labyrinthine of Kato's works, and you will love it or hate it because of that. Still, looking back on Xenogears, I miss the days when JRPGs really made me feel like what was happening in them was critically important, and few games do that as well as this one.
Final Fantasy VIII (PSOne, 1999)
Final Fantasy IX (PSOne, 2000)
If you really enjoy Final Fantasy VII, this would seem the most obvious place to send you. But really, these games will only continue your enjoyment to a point. FF8 and 9 are some of the most difficult games to properly assess, because the temptation to stack them up against their legacy is too great, and no game can stand up to a legacy as immense as Final Fantasy. One thing is certain, however--Final Fantasy VII was a high watermark. It is where the wave finally crested and began to roll back, and every game that has followed has been merely wading in the tide.
Chrono Cross (PSOne, 1999)
Chrono Cross is also an excruciatingly difficult game to judge because it has the sheer audacity to follow in the footsteps of Chrono Trigger, quite possibly the most beloved JRPG of all time. There are some definite missteps the game takes, but that is somewhat remedied by the fact that it's a charming and terribly beautiful game. It also has one of the greatest soundtracks ever, to boot.
Legend of Dragoon, The (PSOne, 1999)
I can't recommend any game to someone who loves Final Fantasy VII more than LoD, because LoD IS Final Fantasy VII. Almost verbatim. That's no knock against it in any way. Aside from a really shoddy translation and some oddly simplistic character models (for a game with LoD's budget and development cycle, anyway), it's a pretty charming game. Back in the day, I had a bit of animosity for it, but looking back on it, I mourn the loss of games like it.
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