Final Fantasy VII is the best game ever made and puts everything else to shame. It tells a wonderfully engrossing story that keeps you guessing and surprised. The battle system and "Materia" system is ingenious and is not for the impatient or non-experienced video gamer. The challenge in the concept of this marvel is simply beyond the beyond. Extra quests and activities prove this game has depth. The music is fantastic! It keeps the flow of the emotion in the story move in a centrepetal, dramatic pace. The fact that this game lasts 100 hrs. makes all the better excuse for you to experience two or three times to go back and get things you missed. The game has an enigmatic way of of making you addicted to it forever............ in your heart
130 Reviews
Wonderful Plot, Awesome Music, Breathtaking Environments...
The_Karma_Monster2 December 2002
If you like RPGs...no...if you like video games AT ALL, and haven't played this game, then get off this computer NOW and go find a copy. You won't regret it.
Final Fantasy 7 is the game that brought RPGs to the mainstream US market. It's amazing graphics(at the time) were enough to warrant a rental, it's music and atmosphere enough to immerse you(even with today's graphics), and one of the most intricate and marvelous plots to ever grace game, movie, or anything of the sort.
The game sets you in the role of Cloud Strife, an ex-Shinra soldier and now a mercenary, who is hired by a small 'terrorist' group(this was made in 1997, mind you...) called "AVALANCHE" to aid them in their fight against the evil corporate menace Shinra, that is slowly destroying the Planet, polluting it's own cities(you quickly find out how horrible life is for the poor in the Midgar slums), stretching its dominance, and that will someday kill the Planet with its greed...their Mako Reactors are slowly but surely destroying the Planet, and AVALANCHE will NOT let them continue their actions. But what first starts with a string of reactor bombings, soon evolves into a much, much bigger tale, as you learn the dirty secrets of the company, and of the terror that overshadows even Shinra in terms of the destruction it will cause...
This game is often hailed as the best game ever made, and I fully support that. A must-play for all gamers.
Final Fantasy 7 is the game that brought RPGs to the mainstream US market. It's amazing graphics(at the time) were enough to warrant a rental, it's music and atmosphere enough to immerse you(even with today's graphics), and one of the most intricate and marvelous plots to ever grace game, movie, or anything of the sort.
The game sets you in the role of Cloud Strife, an ex-Shinra soldier and now a mercenary, who is hired by a small 'terrorist' group(this was made in 1997, mind you...) called "AVALANCHE" to aid them in their fight against the evil corporate menace Shinra, that is slowly destroying the Planet, polluting it's own cities(you quickly find out how horrible life is for the poor in the Midgar slums), stretching its dominance, and that will someday kill the Planet with its greed...their Mako Reactors are slowly but surely destroying the Planet, and AVALANCHE will NOT let them continue their actions. But what first starts with a string of reactor bombings, soon evolves into a much, much bigger tale, as you learn the dirty secrets of the company, and of the terror that overshadows even Shinra in terms of the destruction it will cause...
This game is often hailed as the best game ever made, and I fully support that. A must-play for all gamers.
So much more...
hybridlock29 May 2001
Every now and again a game comes along that shapes the way we see the genre in which it rests but this isn't one of them. Every now and again a game comes along that shapes the way we play the genre in which it rests but this isn't one of them. Final Fantasy VII is so much more then that, it is a game that has completely changed the way we look at all video games as a whole.
It has its detractors, mainly those who refuse to like anything of popularity or prefer to let nostalgia cloud their judgement. They will point to the previous titles in the series as the true pinnacle of storytelling and gameplay. I find this to be an entirely elitist viewpoint by people who got everything they ever hoped for, the popularity of their favorite game type, and found it to be more fun to have lived in a private "Clique".
Before this game the RPG was an unheard of genre to play yet today it is RPGs such as Diablo II and Chrono Cross which top off the charts. All of that has happened because of this game. It was the title that introduced deep, adult story lines to the American Public in a package complete with awe inspiring graphics and moving gameplay. It was the game that sold the Playstation.
A few will say that story was too twisted for its own good and lacking clarity, especially in the ending. These are the same people who will tell you that they don't like the open ending of Casablanca because we don't get a text display of what happened to each character afterward. Perhaps it is time we learn to appreciate the ability to decide fate for yourself or at least have the ability to question them.
What started as a simple rebellion turned into so much more and what started as a simple video game turned into a Every now and again a game comes along that shapes the way we see the genre in which it rests but this isn't one of them. Every now and again a game comes along that shapes the way we play the genre in which it rests but this isn't one of them. Final Fantasy VII is so much more then that, it is a game that has completely changed the way we look at all video games as a whole.
It has its detractors, mainly those who refuse to like anything of popularity or prefer to let nostalgia cloud their judgement. They will point to the previous titles in the series as the true pinnacle of storytelling and gameplay. I find this to be an entirely elitist viewpoint by people who got everything they ever hoped for, the popularity of their favorite game type, and found it to be more fun to have lived in a private "Clique".
Before this game the RPG was an unheard of genre to play yet today it is RPGs such as Diablo II and Chrono Cross which top off the charts. All of that has happened because of this game. It was the title that introduced deep, adult story lines to the American Public in a package complete with awe inspiring graphics and moving gameplay. It was the game that sold the Playstation.
A few will say that story was too twisted for its own good and lacking clarity, especially in the ending. These are the same people who will tell you that they don't like the open ending of Casablanca because we don't get a text display of what happened to each character afterward. Perhaps it is time we learn to appreciate the ability to decide fate for yourself or at least have the ability to question them.
What started as a simple rebellion turned into so much more and what started as a simple video game turned into an epic. It is one of finding who you are and defeating the impossible odds, one of love and loss. Final Fantasy VII is the War and Peace of video games, the game you simply have to play once in your lifetime. n epic. It is one of finding who you are and defeating the impossible odds, one of love and loss. Final Fantasy VII is the War and Peace of video games, the game you simply have to play once in your lifetime.
It has its detractors, mainly those who refuse to like anything of popularity or prefer to let nostalgia cloud their judgement. They will point to the previous titles in the series as the true pinnacle of storytelling and gameplay. I find this to be an entirely elitist viewpoint by people who got everything they ever hoped for, the popularity of their favorite game type, and found it to be more fun to have lived in a private "Clique".
Before this game the RPG was an unheard of genre to play yet today it is RPGs such as Diablo II and Chrono Cross which top off the charts. All of that has happened because of this game. It was the title that introduced deep, adult story lines to the American Public in a package complete with awe inspiring graphics and moving gameplay. It was the game that sold the Playstation.
A few will say that story was too twisted for its own good and lacking clarity, especially in the ending. These are the same people who will tell you that they don't like the open ending of Casablanca because we don't get a text display of what happened to each character afterward. Perhaps it is time we learn to appreciate the ability to decide fate for yourself or at least have the ability to question them.
What started as a simple rebellion turned into so much more and what started as a simple video game turned into a Every now and again a game comes along that shapes the way we see the genre in which it rests but this isn't one of them. Every now and again a game comes along that shapes the way we play the genre in which it rests but this isn't one of them. Final Fantasy VII is so much more then that, it is a game that has completely changed the way we look at all video games as a whole.
It has its detractors, mainly those who refuse to like anything of popularity or prefer to let nostalgia cloud their judgement. They will point to the previous titles in the series as the true pinnacle of storytelling and gameplay. I find this to be an entirely elitist viewpoint by people who got everything they ever hoped for, the popularity of their favorite game type, and found it to be more fun to have lived in a private "Clique".
Before this game the RPG was an unheard of genre to play yet today it is RPGs such as Diablo II and Chrono Cross which top off the charts. All of that has happened because of this game. It was the title that introduced deep, adult story lines to the American Public in a package complete with awe inspiring graphics and moving gameplay. It was the game that sold the Playstation.
A few will say that story was too twisted for its own good and lacking clarity, especially in the ending. These are the same people who will tell you that they don't like the open ending of Casablanca because we don't get a text display of what happened to each character afterward. Perhaps it is time we learn to appreciate the ability to decide fate for yourself or at least have the ability to question them.
What started as a simple rebellion turned into so much more and what started as a simple video game turned into an epic. It is one of finding who you are and defeating the impossible odds, one of love and loss. Final Fantasy VII is the War and Peace of video games, the game you simply have to play once in your lifetime. n epic. It is one of finding who you are and defeating the impossible odds, one of love and loss. Final Fantasy VII is the War and Peace of video games, the game you simply have to play once in your lifetime.
Perfection!
action-630 January 2000
Final Fantasy VII is one of the best games ever made, and sold millions when it was released back in 1997. The game looks amazing, but it is the story that is the core of the Final Fantasy series. Cloud Strife is the main-character, he is a mercenary who has agreed to work for a rebel group called AVALANCHE. AVALANCHE is fighting against the evil Shinra-inc., a company which is absorbing all energy on the planet. Cloud meets different characters as the game evolves. FF7 was the biggest games of all time when it was released, because the game comes on 3 massive CD`s packed with action, adventure, romance, love, comedy, fantasy, drama, horror etc. 10/10
An Incredible Game
Kishi5 January 2000
This has to be one of the best games I have ever seen- challenged only by Final Fantasy VIII. The story is great, the battles are amazing, the animation is wonderful, and the music (by Nobuo Uematsu) is awe-inspiring. If you can, listen to the orchestral version. But I regularly laughed at people who spent hours and hours playing these games until I started. After just half an hour, I was hooked. I spent over 100 hours across a five month period playing it. Truly addictive.
Aargh! My house is on fire!
Reaper Man7 November 2000
I didn't buy this game when it came out in Britain, but my friend did. And I'll tell you what, not a day went by when I wasn't jealous. It had rocktastic (sorry) MIDI music, brilliant turn-based battle sequences, and from what I could see, a darn good plot. Well, time wandered by, and eventually he let me borrow the game. And i can safely say I wasn't disappointed. A cracking plot, a novel format (for this country at least) and mighty good characters. you'll get all these hardcore fans saying "it's not the best in the series." But I haven't played the others, so I don't care. A brilliant game in it's own right, and still rollocking good fun all these years later. Huzzah!
The most beautiful game ever!
Leumas E.8 December 1999
This game is, without question, the greatest one ever produced. With lush, beautiful graphics, a wonderful musical score and a story that beats all other RPGs, Final Fantasy VII certainly is a landmark in gaming history. You play the young mercenary Cloud Strife, who suffers from anamnesia, with a past shrouded in mystery. In the course of the game you gather weapons, magical artifacts and information in the search for the truth of who and what you are.
This game is recommended to everyone, as it is not only a game for hardcore RPGers but for everyone.
I have yet to play the sequel, Final Fantasy VIII, but I doubt it can surpass the splendor of this magnificent game!
This game is recommended to everyone, as it is not only a game for hardcore RPGers but for everyone.
I have yet to play the sequel, Final Fantasy VIII, but I doubt it can surpass the splendor of this magnificent game!
Brief Overview
Phresh_Sephiroth3 July 2002
Final Fantasy is the best in the series and one of the best games ever. With brilliant characters and a breathtaking story you take on the role of Cloud an Ex-Mercenary caught up in the fight to save the planet.
Final Fantasy VII is an example of what all RPG's should be and will be celebrated in the future as one of the all time classics.
Final Fantasy VII is an example of what all RPG's should be and will be celebrated in the future as one of the all time classics.
One of the best games ever made and the game that ade playstation an icon
vivifan13 January 2021
Final Fantasy Vii is my Second favorite game in the series and does a great job at everything Imo. Some people call it overrated and overhyped, I myself was one of those people but after finishing it I have to disagree completely. The game has so many good things going for it and even some nit picks can be easily overlooked. The games battle system and limit breaks are fun to use. There's a lot of variety in the fights with the amount of spells and summons you have. It's fights are fast, the material system is highly customizable with easy ways to max it out. The mini games are a ton of fun, from snowboarding to bike riding to the battle areas etc. The Music is awesome, the sound effects are good, writing is good, storyline is really good with memorable moments, characters are realistic, relatable, goofy, charming, and well developed. Clouds journey about him becoming a better person and him getting rid of his mental health problem is all the more rewarding. The ending is satisfying and it's packed full of content. The only problem I can think of are the graphics not holding up but if you take into account it was in 1997 it won't be much of an issue. I think they are charming and nice but again by today's standard it won't look great. Final Fantasy Vii is a must play.
Best game ever
tant-6498910 February 2020
Can anything be better than this?
jetibear11 February 2001
Absolutely magnificent from the very beginning to the end. Characters, plot, music, graphics...it can't be described by any words, play and see by yourself. Perfect game. Just perfect. Actually it shouldn't even be called a game, it's an experience.
This review contains no nostalgia...
craigbuttcheeks19 July 2020
Well I did it I beat the game! It was amazing. Exceeded my expectations in every way possible. In the beginning I was playing just for the story but it became more than that. Once I actually bothered to learn the Materia system I enjoyed it much more. It was fun moving around peoples Materia and creating the best team I could. I think story wise it was great. Some confusing moments for sure, but it didn't bother me too much as I don't need to understand every detail personally. (I've played kingdom hearts games it doesn't get more confusing than that). One problem I had with the game was figuring out where to go. I liked the pre rendered backgrounds...but sometimes they made navigating where to go hard and confusing. There were multiple parts in the game where I needed a guide to know where/how to go. Maybe that's just me though. Random encounters made that process even more stressful. But that was really the only major flaw I could think of with the game. I think once I got the highwind I didn't have any problems with that actually. It made navigating the world faster, easier, and more fun. I actually came to love the graphics personally. Once I got highwind I explored the workd more, got all level 4 limit breaks and all ultimate weapons for cloud Tifa and cod, who were my 3 favorite characters. The blocky character designs and 3D backgrounds. At first glance some people may say they are ugly, but to me they had a unique charm that I've seen no other game have. The word was so fun and full of life, I think the soundtrack was the biggest part of this. The soundtrack of this game is one of the best I've ever heard honestly. Ahead on our way, the main theme, Aerith theme, tifas theme, and one winged angel were my favorites. Sorry for such a long comment, just thought I would give my full review here. I LOVED the game. I'd say it was incredible considering it's 23 years old! In conclusion, I would personally say it's definitely worth a playthrough in 2020. I played it without any mods, just how it was on the PlayStation 1 and t was so much fun! Enjoyed it from start to finish. Played it for 43 hours total and it was so worth it! Some people dismiss this game being considered great for nostalgic people...but I played it 23 years after it's release with no nostalgia and it was epic!!!!!!!!!
Enjoyable, but very overrated
teresaclohessy-4147714 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I loved Final Fantasy VI and when got a chance to play Final Fantasy VII, I really enjoyed it at first. The start got me really interested. The game play is okay, I like the protagonist and the storyline is okay. The music is fantastic.
But when I got more into the game, it started to get really boring. A couple of years ago, I quickly saw that how much the game has become popular. But I didn't get to play the game for another two years.
I don't hate the game, but the only reason it was so popular and critically acclaimed because it was the first 3D Final Fantasy game. Not the best Final Fantasy game but still a good one. It is probably the last good Final Fantasy game. But Final Fantasy VI still remains my favourite in the series. 7/10
But when I got more into the game, it started to get really boring. A couple of years ago, I quickly saw that how much the game has become popular. But I didn't get to play the game for another two years.
I don't hate the game, but the only reason it was so popular and critically acclaimed because it was the first 3D Final Fantasy game. Not the best Final Fantasy game but still a good one. It is probably the last good Final Fantasy game. But Final Fantasy VI still remains my favourite in the series. 7/10
Proof that popularity and quality are not linked.
sephiel2 August 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Why is Final Fantasy VII popular? This question baffled me for a long time. When I played it, I quickly saw it for what it was, a poorly crafted and incomplete stain on the record of an otherwise outstanding franchise. So why do others not see what I do? I answer my own question:
Gameplay: In this regard, it was a noticeable step down from other games in the series. The selection of playable characters was nearly halved. The ATB system still functioned exactly as it did before, with none of the refinements you would expect to see in a game on a more powerful system. The materia system ensured that characters were completely interchangeable and adaptable for any task, making the entire party dynamic worthless.
So what was there to like about the gameplay? It was easy. People didn't care about the gameplay. All they wanted was to get to the next piece of the...
Story: The entire story of FFVII is laid out in a straight line, with nothing resembling a twist along the way. Every event progresses directly into the next exactly as one would expect. Nothing ever happens to make you re-examine or change your outlook on the game's events. At the end of the game, Shinra is still bad, Sephiroth is still loony, the party members act the same way, etc. All is exactly as it seemed from the beginning.
On top of that, the story is incomplete. By the admission of the creators, the game was rushed to make its release window, and quite a bit was cut out. Much goes unexplained that should not. Things the characters know are never revealed to the player, which is a tremendous no-no in character writing.
Why is it popular then? For one thing, it was simple enough to follow without any effort at all. Good and bad was clearly defined, characters made ridiculous leaps of "logic" to keep the story progressing, and it avoided making any of the underlying complexities of the scenario vital to understanding the outcome. Then there's the fact that its incompletion has been wrongly perceived as depth. Players are not given information that should be given throughout the course of the game, so they decide to make up answers. By discussing their various theories, they form communities and reinforce their mass delusion that the game had depth, rather than a simple lack of proper presentation.
Further disproving the idea that the game was intended to be open-ended to add depth is the existence of the FFVII Ultimania Omega book, which was released years later and explained most of the things the game left out, making years of theorizing utterly moot.
Characters: Another important piece of the puzzle; the characters are shallow, showing no depth to their personalities. Each is constructed around a very basic personality template and follows it in the most stereotypical manner possible. Examples: Barrett is a brash and aggressive black guy from the ghetto, Cid is an older guy who smokes and swears a lot because he's bitter, Tifa merely fawns over Cloud the entire game, Yuffie is hyper and steals stuff, and Vincent is a gloomy and depressed guy who doesn't talk about his past.
This part is easily explained. Fans don't look at their value as characters, they look at their value as avatars. They see things that they can relate to in their personal lives, and that endears the characters to them, even though the characters are merely personality templates. On no level are they believable in any way unless you juxtapose your own personality traits onto them. Fans do this, turning ridiculously bad characters into iconic figures of their own dreams of power and adventure. On top of that, fans have mistaken their background stories for actual personality depth.
Marketing: FFVII's release marked the first time a video game had been so widely advertised. TV ads showed consumers the high-quality FMV sequences to really drive home the next-gen impact. It made people who had never even played video games before take notice. Those newcomers played the game, liked it because of the aforementioned reasons, as well the flashy graphics and high-quality music, and further drove the hype machine.
In summary, the game itself is overly simple, has a poorly developed story and shallow characters, and makes absolutely no significant strides in terms of gameplay. Around the same time, a largely overlooked game called Blood Omen delivered a powerful story with not just one, but several of the best twists ever to appear in a video game. It's a pity more people didn't play that graphically inferior game that was better in every other aspect instead of following the hype.
Gameplay: In this regard, it was a noticeable step down from other games in the series. The selection of playable characters was nearly halved. The ATB system still functioned exactly as it did before, with none of the refinements you would expect to see in a game on a more powerful system. The materia system ensured that characters were completely interchangeable and adaptable for any task, making the entire party dynamic worthless.
So what was there to like about the gameplay? It was easy. People didn't care about the gameplay. All they wanted was to get to the next piece of the...
Story: The entire story of FFVII is laid out in a straight line, with nothing resembling a twist along the way. Every event progresses directly into the next exactly as one would expect. Nothing ever happens to make you re-examine or change your outlook on the game's events. At the end of the game, Shinra is still bad, Sephiroth is still loony, the party members act the same way, etc. All is exactly as it seemed from the beginning.
On top of that, the story is incomplete. By the admission of the creators, the game was rushed to make its release window, and quite a bit was cut out. Much goes unexplained that should not. Things the characters know are never revealed to the player, which is a tremendous no-no in character writing.
Why is it popular then? For one thing, it was simple enough to follow without any effort at all. Good and bad was clearly defined, characters made ridiculous leaps of "logic" to keep the story progressing, and it avoided making any of the underlying complexities of the scenario vital to understanding the outcome. Then there's the fact that its incompletion has been wrongly perceived as depth. Players are not given information that should be given throughout the course of the game, so they decide to make up answers. By discussing their various theories, they form communities and reinforce their mass delusion that the game had depth, rather than a simple lack of proper presentation.
Further disproving the idea that the game was intended to be open-ended to add depth is the existence of the FFVII Ultimania Omega book, which was released years later and explained most of the things the game left out, making years of theorizing utterly moot.
Characters: Another important piece of the puzzle; the characters are shallow, showing no depth to their personalities. Each is constructed around a very basic personality template and follows it in the most stereotypical manner possible. Examples: Barrett is a brash and aggressive black guy from the ghetto, Cid is an older guy who smokes and swears a lot because he's bitter, Tifa merely fawns over Cloud the entire game, Yuffie is hyper and steals stuff, and Vincent is a gloomy and depressed guy who doesn't talk about his past.
This part is easily explained. Fans don't look at their value as characters, they look at their value as avatars. They see things that they can relate to in their personal lives, and that endears the characters to them, even though the characters are merely personality templates. On no level are they believable in any way unless you juxtapose your own personality traits onto them. Fans do this, turning ridiculously bad characters into iconic figures of their own dreams of power and adventure. On top of that, fans have mistaken their background stories for actual personality depth.
Marketing: FFVII's release marked the first time a video game had been so widely advertised. TV ads showed consumers the high-quality FMV sequences to really drive home the next-gen impact. It made people who had never even played video games before take notice. Those newcomers played the game, liked it because of the aforementioned reasons, as well the flashy graphics and high-quality music, and further drove the hype machine.
In summary, the game itself is overly simple, has a poorly developed story and shallow characters, and makes absolutely no significant strides in terms of gameplay. Around the same time, a largely overlooked game called Blood Omen delivered a powerful story with not just one, but several of the best twists ever to appear in a video game. It's a pity more people didn't play that graphically inferior game that was better in every other aspect instead of following the hype.
To all who can't recognize greatness when it stares them in the face...
Sligh23 August 2003
This game was the first of its kind I ever played. Because of this one game, I went on to dozens of others, as this opened the door to a whole new spin on gaming for me. I must have played through this game at least 15 times, and I love it every time.
It's many subtleties, side quests, and overall excellence make this one of the best games of all time.
Considering all the trash, the useless dribble, the terrible recycled garbage that is commonplace today, Final Fantasy VII is a pillar of gaming at its very best.
Its great diversity offers a difficulty level appropriate for as much as you are set on putting into it- whether you're just set on seeing the ending, or destroying the Ruby Weapon.
Those who so harshly criticize this game obviously lack the attention to detail, and the insight to truly enjoy a work such as this. FFVII towers over almost every CURRENT game available today.
This game is not meant to be played, it is meant to be enjoyed.
I highly recommend immersing yourself in this adventure Role Playing Game. 11 // 10 --- One of the greatest games of all time.
It's many subtleties, side quests, and overall excellence make this one of the best games of all time.
Considering all the trash, the useless dribble, the terrible recycled garbage that is commonplace today, Final Fantasy VII is a pillar of gaming at its very best.
Its great diversity offers a difficulty level appropriate for as much as you are set on putting into it- whether you're just set on seeing the ending, or destroying the Ruby Weapon.
Those who so harshly criticize this game obviously lack the attention to detail, and the insight to truly enjoy a work such as this. FFVII towers over almost every CURRENT game available today.
This game is not meant to be played, it is meant to be enjoyed.
I highly recommend immersing yourself in this adventure Role Playing Game. 11 // 10 --- One of the greatest games of all time.
(Almost) Timeless Classic
HedonisticActor13 March 2010
Final Fantasy VII is the installment of the series that majority of the people are the most familiar with. It was very ground-breaking at the time, introduced many new ways to tell a story and broke sale records. And being often hailed as one of the best - if not THE best - games of all time you just have try it just out of curiosity at least in some point of your life. The review is based on the PC version of the game.
The story about a mercenary named Cloud and his search for his own identity while he and his group of friends are looking for the murderous psychopath elite soldier named Sephiroth and trying to stop his mad schemes while the evil Shinra company is chasing them both is still touching, suspenseful, and entertaining even today. Although at first it's quite hard to follow which even the game acknowledges by occasionally letting Cloud summarize the plot to the new members of the team. Also at couple of times the translation has made the dialog quite clumsy and it doesn't always feel natural (and sometimes leaves important plot points too ambiguous).
The good characters are part of the reason why the story is engaging. Escpecially the main hero and villain are interesting and quite well built complex characters. The rest of the characters are likable personalities as well (exept the ninja-wannabe Yuffie who is just annoying and the cat-like being Cait Sith who is just too odd to describe) but problem is they just have some nice personality traits but the story is too busy on focusing in Cloud and Sephiroth (and occasionally Cloud's childhood friend Tifa) so the rest of the cast gets very little development. This is especially notable with the Shinra resistant leader Barret and the cougar/wolf warrior animal Red XIII. At one point of the game the tragic event of their past is introduced and almost immediately resolved in which after the contribute nothing more to the story.
The graphics have been bitten heavily by time. On the plus side the surroundings look nice, cinematic videos are stunning and the effects and character models in battle look personal, colorful and authentic. But when the characters are not in battle they look hideous in today's standards. Seriously, they look like deformed playmobil figures. Music once again great like in so many Final Fantasies, the touching world map theme and simple yet utterly terrifying Those Chosen by the Planet. The music's full power somewhat suffers from midi-sound but at least its quality is better than in the Playstation version. The character building and battle systems aren't anything too complicated are is fun to master.
Even though Final Fantasy VII isn't the greatest video game ever created by the humankind it is still touching, engaging, entertaining and many other adjectives I've used so far. Time hasn't been friendly to it in some things but the Final Fantasy charm can still be felt.
The story about a mercenary named Cloud and his search for his own identity while he and his group of friends are looking for the murderous psychopath elite soldier named Sephiroth and trying to stop his mad schemes while the evil Shinra company is chasing them both is still touching, suspenseful, and entertaining even today. Although at first it's quite hard to follow which even the game acknowledges by occasionally letting Cloud summarize the plot to the new members of the team. Also at couple of times the translation has made the dialog quite clumsy and it doesn't always feel natural (and sometimes leaves important plot points too ambiguous).
The good characters are part of the reason why the story is engaging. Escpecially the main hero and villain are interesting and quite well built complex characters. The rest of the characters are likable personalities as well (exept the ninja-wannabe Yuffie who is just annoying and the cat-like being Cait Sith who is just too odd to describe) but problem is they just have some nice personality traits but the story is too busy on focusing in Cloud and Sephiroth (and occasionally Cloud's childhood friend Tifa) so the rest of the cast gets very little development. This is especially notable with the Shinra resistant leader Barret and the cougar/wolf warrior animal Red XIII. At one point of the game the tragic event of their past is introduced and almost immediately resolved in which after the contribute nothing more to the story.
The graphics have been bitten heavily by time. On the plus side the surroundings look nice, cinematic videos are stunning and the effects and character models in battle look personal, colorful and authentic. But when the characters are not in battle they look hideous in today's standards. Seriously, they look like deformed playmobil figures. Music once again great like in so many Final Fantasies, the touching world map theme and simple yet utterly terrifying Those Chosen by the Planet. The music's full power somewhat suffers from midi-sound but at least its quality is better than in the Playstation version. The character building and battle systems aren't anything too complicated are is fun to master.
Even though Final Fantasy VII isn't the greatest video game ever created by the humankind it is still touching, engaging, entertaining and many other adjectives I've used so far. Time hasn't been friendly to it in some things but the Final Fantasy charm can still be felt.
Nothing will ever compare
master_dark4dune30 November 2006
I'm well aware that the vast use of film, television, written word, images, comics and other art forms are used to create some exciting, wonderful, heart breaking funny stories. Star Wars captured the imagination of millions, Disney has excelled in many different stories, J.K Rowling and J.R.R Tolkien have been reno wed for their fantasy tales. But I don't believe that there has ever been something as powerful as this. FFVII has this gorgeous urban feeling, stringed all the way throughout the game, followed by the use of Japanese anime sty;e graphics and themes that are so often found in stories, but FFVII has such a subtle way of telling them. It's also a fantasy that falls into such dazzling effects.
I'm, pretty certain that nothing has been able to create the same effect that this game has. It's been followed by its sequels and even a sequel movie, all have their own great and good points. But FFVII is heart breaking and heart warming and I think that's why it's been so strong in my mind for years. Those of you who have working PSones and a copy of the game, please ensure that it's passed on to the right person. This is one story that should never die.
I'm, pretty certain that nothing has been able to create the same effect that this game has. It's been followed by its sequels and even a sequel movie, all have their own great and good points. But FFVII is heart breaking and heart warming and I think that's why it's been so strong in my mind for years. Those of you who have working PSones and a copy of the game, please ensure that it's passed on to the right person. This is one story that should never die.
the following words have become a cliché for this game - it really is the greatest game ever made
faisalific15 May 2007
what can i say? ill have to be honest, when my cousin first introduced me to this game 8 years ago, i pointed and laughed at it saying something along the lines of "I'm controlling an action figure and all that happens are random battles and talking" - mind u it was my first rpg, and i didn't know what made an rpg. i stopped playing it after 2 hours or so and returned it to my cousin and told him never to present me with such drek ever again.
some weeks later, my friends and i were discussing video games (i was a total nerd back in secondary school) and the subject of final fantasy came up. all of my mates were united in their praise for the game describing it as "epic" and "without an equal even this early into the playstations life" - it made me think - did i play this game long enough? can it really be that good that every one of my mates loves it so much? mind u i was only 12 back then...this was the first game to make me appreciate everything games are supposed to be about.
so i forked out for a copy eventually. and after beating my previous best of 2 hours playtime, i was hooked. there was just something about it. the music, the characters, the dialogue. heck even the random battles started to have meaning. after around 4 hours of playtime i was totally hooked. it was a game i couldn't wait to get home to play and a game i talked about whenever and wherever i cud. final fantasy was very well a part of my life now so thats my story. as for details on the game itself it is easily 50-100 hours long on ur first play through. there is just so much to do. there are 3 hidden boss enemies that are actually harder than the final boss himself - and believe me he is tough! so it provides a welcome challenge for veteran gamers alike. the characters are beautifully desgined and there is just so much depth to them that u cant help but fall in love with them. the story is full of twists and turns whilst the game really does make u believe that one man can make a difference that lasts forever. this game also features the most hate-able villain in gaming history. just visit any gaming website and he will be top of the list. it is because he is such a b****** that u love him - it makes u want to kill him the music in this game touching - very touching. from the heart felt piano solos to the pounding battle music that really gets the blood flowing - this games music makes most Hollywood movies bow their head in shame.
i really am finding it hard to stop talking about this game lol...i cud write an essay let alone a review! to round things off i will just say that u must own this game no matter what the cost. its a steal at the price its going for and u shud be proud that u own such a landmark game in gaming history. it set the standard for future rpgs, and for me it is so powerful that even in 50 years time the quality of this game shall not be equalled let alone surpassed. one last note - this game took a risk that no other game took - and it paid off. no matter what age u are, what gender, one important event in this game will make u cry ur eyes out. i wont ruin it for u, but unless ur some sort of emotionless robot with no feelings whatsoever u will weep like a baby. i did...and i was only 12 back then folks.
right I'm gonna shut up now. just buy this game. the experience of a lifetime awaits u
some weeks later, my friends and i were discussing video games (i was a total nerd back in secondary school) and the subject of final fantasy came up. all of my mates were united in their praise for the game describing it as "epic" and "without an equal even this early into the playstations life" - it made me think - did i play this game long enough? can it really be that good that every one of my mates loves it so much? mind u i was only 12 back then...this was the first game to make me appreciate everything games are supposed to be about.
so i forked out for a copy eventually. and after beating my previous best of 2 hours playtime, i was hooked. there was just something about it. the music, the characters, the dialogue. heck even the random battles started to have meaning. after around 4 hours of playtime i was totally hooked. it was a game i couldn't wait to get home to play and a game i talked about whenever and wherever i cud. final fantasy was very well a part of my life now so thats my story. as for details on the game itself it is easily 50-100 hours long on ur first play through. there is just so much to do. there are 3 hidden boss enemies that are actually harder than the final boss himself - and believe me he is tough! so it provides a welcome challenge for veteran gamers alike. the characters are beautifully desgined and there is just so much depth to them that u cant help but fall in love with them. the story is full of twists and turns whilst the game really does make u believe that one man can make a difference that lasts forever. this game also features the most hate-able villain in gaming history. just visit any gaming website and he will be top of the list. it is because he is such a b****** that u love him - it makes u want to kill him the music in this game touching - very touching. from the heart felt piano solos to the pounding battle music that really gets the blood flowing - this games music makes most Hollywood movies bow their head in shame.
i really am finding it hard to stop talking about this game lol...i cud write an essay let alone a review! to round things off i will just say that u must own this game no matter what the cost. its a steal at the price its going for and u shud be proud that u own such a landmark game in gaming history. it set the standard for future rpgs, and for me it is so powerful that even in 50 years time the quality of this game shall not be equalled let alone surpassed. one last note - this game took a risk that no other game took - and it paid off. no matter what age u are, what gender, one important event in this game will make u cry ur eyes out. i wont ruin it for u, but unless ur some sort of emotionless robot with no feelings whatsoever u will weep like a baby. i did...and i was only 12 back then folks.
right I'm gonna shut up now. just buy this game. the experience of a lifetime awaits u
Just... wow.
jackstarr77718 September 2012
I just finished the game, and all I can say is... just... wow. It took over 40 hours, and I loved each and every second of it. After the end credits rolled, I can honestly say that I cried. This was quite possibly the best gaming experience of my life.
From the start, I was incredibly excited and hooked. The first level immediately thrusts you straight into the action rather than being tedious, and after my first session I couldn't sleep I was so excited to play it again.
The gameplay itself was very fun. Though it used the same basic battle formula throughout, it never felt repetitive, even though it's such a very long game. I was constantly challenged and never entirely bored or annoyed. The only criticism I can think of is the random battles that pop up as you're walking, that always startle or slightly annoy me. But it's easy to get used to.
But what really makes Final Fantasy VII stand out above any other game in history is the story, the sound, the imagery, the design... it's certainly the most heart-breaking, emotionally gripping and simply beautiful game ever made. Never has a game made me laugh or cry so much, or made me feel so exhilarated. You truly feel for the characters, you like the ones you're supposed to and hate the ones you're supposed to. They toy with your emotions, and the game soon has you under its control. The art and graphics are beyond perfect, especially considering this game is more than fifteen years old!
And the music is just fantastic. The series has always been recognised for its brilliant compositions, but FF7 stands out among them all. Every time I hear a track from this game, I really feel like welling up.
By the end, you'll feel like you've just had the adventure of a lifetime. It's the best game I've ever played, I have to say, and if I could ever recommend a game to anyone, ever, it would be this one without a doubt. In my mind, it's pretty much perfect.
10+/10
From the start, I was incredibly excited and hooked. The first level immediately thrusts you straight into the action rather than being tedious, and after my first session I couldn't sleep I was so excited to play it again.
The gameplay itself was very fun. Though it used the same basic battle formula throughout, it never felt repetitive, even though it's such a very long game. I was constantly challenged and never entirely bored or annoyed. The only criticism I can think of is the random battles that pop up as you're walking, that always startle or slightly annoy me. But it's easy to get used to.
But what really makes Final Fantasy VII stand out above any other game in history is the story, the sound, the imagery, the design... it's certainly the most heart-breaking, emotionally gripping and simply beautiful game ever made. Never has a game made me laugh or cry so much, or made me feel so exhilarated. You truly feel for the characters, you like the ones you're supposed to and hate the ones you're supposed to. They toy with your emotions, and the game soon has you under its control. The art and graphics are beyond perfect, especially considering this game is more than fifteen years old!
And the music is just fantastic. The series has always been recognised for its brilliant compositions, but FF7 stands out among them all. Every time I hear a track from this game, I really feel like welling up.
By the end, you'll feel like you've just had the adventure of a lifetime. It's the best game I've ever played, I have to say, and if I could ever recommend a game to anyone, ever, it would be this one without a doubt. In my mind, it's pretty much perfect.
10+/10
By far the best Playstation game ever!!!
nomadff79 April 2000
There is no doubt in my mind that Final Fantasy VII is the best game ever. I got a Playstation about 3 years ago, but in the beginning, I never really played it much. None of the games were, well, fun. That was before I rented FFVII. As soon as I popped the disk in my Playstation, I knew it was going to be great. I enjoyed it so much, that the day that it had to go back to Blockbuster, I bought the real thing.
The music is absolutely wonderful. It is so good, that I just bought the soundtrack of it! I listen to it all the time! The music fit each scene perfectly! It either made me sad when the characters were getting emotional, or worked me up for a big boss fight.
I think that the best part of FFVII was the memorable characters. They were all so realistic, and actually acted like real people. There's even one part in the game that something happened to one of them, and almost made me cry!
The battles are really fun, too. I play an RPG now, and get to a battle, and it's like 'why do we have to fight now? It doesn't make any sense. Games now just have you run around, fight stupid bad guys, and then run around again. FFVII wasn't like that. The battles were really fun, and sometimes a real challenge. Half the fun of the game was working up the characters levels, getting new spells, and watching the really cool summoning spells.
The graphics were really great too! At one part, you were at the Gold Saucer, a local amusement park/gambling place, and you were riding in the gondola, and the fireworks were shooting in the sky, and it's just beautiful! The FMV sequences are great! And even though the people are a little blocky, once you get into the game, you won't even notice, I promise!
If you're looking for a great game, Final Fantasy VII is the one! It's now in the greatest hits, so it's only like 20 bucks! I bought it for 50 when it had just come out, but it was the best 50 dollars I ever spent! :o)
The music is absolutely wonderful. It is so good, that I just bought the soundtrack of it! I listen to it all the time! The music fit each scene perfectly! It either made me sad when the characters were getting emotional, or worked me up for a big boss fight.
I think that the best part of FFVII was the memorable characters. They were all so realistic, and actually acted like real people. There's even one part in the game that something happened to one of them, and almost made me cry!
The battles are really fun, too. I play an RPG now, and get to a battle, and it's like 'why do we have to fight now? It doesn't make any sense. Games now just have you run around, fight stupid bad guys, and then run around again. FFVII wasn't like that. The battles were really fun, and sometimes a real challenge. Half the fun of the game was working up the characters levels, getting new spells, and watching the really cool summoning spells.
The graphics were really great too! At one part, you were at the Gold Saucer, a local amusement park/gambling place, and you were riding in the gondola, and the fireworks were shooting in the sky, and it's just beautiful! The FMV sequences are great! And even though the people are a little blocky, once you get into the game, you won't even notice, I promise!
If you're looking for a great game, Final Fantasy VII is the one! It's now in the greatest hits, so it's only like 20 bucks! I bought it for 50 when it had just come out, but it was the best 50 dollars I ever spent! :o)
Final Fantasy VII is a old game but in my book is still up on top with the legends of gaming.
scottjam8 February 2022
I was only born in the early 2000's but Final Fantasy VII is what I did with my entire childhood. I didn't like kid shows like Sponge Bob or things similar to this. Instead of these I would wait till after school and go home and play Final Fantasy VII I still play Final Fantasy VII except I play it on Xbox one now. If I ever had children i'm fine with then playing whatever they wanted however they will be cultured with Final Fantasy VII first, I could not imagine my childhood without this came. It belongs at the top of all the gaming legends of all time.
A Technological Tale of War, Peace, Hate, Love and Revenge
American Meowth13 February 2000
Amazing. Even in the face of newer, flashier games, this one holds its own through it's endearing characters, excellent plot, and strategic battles. In order avoid spoiling any part of the wonderfully crafted storyline, all I'll say is, you're a mercenary named Cloud. (or whatever name you decide give him at the beginning of the game) Your current job is with a rebel group named Avalanche and your mission is to sabotage a power plant. All the rest of plot rapidly expands from there. Likable characters, interesting plot, strategic battles, and lots of X-Files-esque secrets equals a story told better than a few of Hollywood's recent attempts. P.S - Final Fantasy VII was just made a "Best Selling Classic". This means it's only about twenty bucks nationwide. You should pick it up if you haven't already. You'll thank yourself when you do.
the best of the franchise, an absolute masterpiece
Siloty10 June 2008
i still really enjoy playing this game. there is so much replay value and also some people may need to play a few times to really understand the storyline. but thats what makes this game such a masterpiece...its story.
i had never played a game so massive before in my life. the world is huge. there are so many sidequests and background stories of characters. this world comes across as so real im sure some wish that they could actually visit this place, whether it was real or a virtual reality.
this storyline, heck this entire game!!! has the player deeply immersed from beginning to end. the characters are memorable and lovable.
this game actually has some messages within it, the obvious one to me would be friendship, that you can't always do things on your own.
the visuals are always stunning and as for the variety of monsters and bosses is just so cool. these guys really have an imagination.
if you are a fan of epic/rpg games, there is no way you can go wrong with this game.
i had never played a game so massive before in my life. the world is huge. there are so many sidequests and background stories of characters. this world comes across as so real im sure some wish that they could actually visit this place, whether it was real or a virtual reality.
this storyline, heck this entire game!!! has the player deeply immersed from beginning to end. the characters are memorable and lovable.
this game actually has some messages within it, the obvious one to me would be friendship, that you can't always do things on your own.
the visuals are always stunning and as for the variety of monsters and bosses is just so cool. these guys really have an imagination.
if you are a fan of epic/rpg games, there is no way you can go wrong with this game.
One of the worst
unetman3 August 2000
Since it debut more than ten years ago, the Final Fantasy series has placed gamers into the worlds of great fantasy epics, but things changed with Final Fantasy VI where the world of FF VI was beginning to develop industry and the elemental crystals of the past games where not involved in the plot, but the games only continued to get worse. Final Fantasy VII presents a highly industrialized world with developing computer technology run by an evil corporation. The gameplay destroys all benefits and disadvantages of any character; the materia system allows you to give any character any skill without any special features for that character. The only real thing that makes the characters individual is the Limits, which are often more original in the animation than the function. The story and the music are great, but the ending movie is shorter than any ending other than the first three. I must say that if you must choose between Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII then select this one. If the two were rated only against each other, Final Fantasy VII would receive a 10 while VIII would receive a 1.
On second thought, Sephiroth should have killed everyone.
SSJAniFan8 June 2003
Warning: Spoilers
CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS!!!!
Owning every other U.S. released Final Fantasy game during July 2001, I decided that I might as well pick up a copy of part VII as well. Early, the plot is somewhat linear and easy to follow. The music is excellent... actually, the music's always good in this. And the story still has some good spots during most of the first disc.
Then on disc 2, Square did one of the stupidest things. They added this whole horrible subplot about Cloud being a clone. Any sort of love I had for this game was forever destroyed with that one little scene. (Hey, it almost killed Spider-man, so why'd they add it here?!) The plot continued to get worse as time passed, and soon the entire game was a horrible scar on my memory. About the end of disc 2, any sense you can make of it is dead. Also, the ending is the worst of any video game in existence.
Now to tackle the graphics. They are the worst of any video game in existence as well, making even the old NES graphics seem beautiful by standards. Scenes that were supposed to be serious like Aeris's death and when Tifa and a now vegetable Cloud tried to escape a destruction of this one village looked so ridiculous I couldn't help but laugh.
The materia system? Trash. This destroys any sort of difference between the characters, and without them you can't do jack squat. Of course, it is slightly better since you can still use items, unlike part VIII(But at least 8 was still good)
Don't get me started on the characters. I hated Cloud's guts the entire game. He's supposed to be this tough soldier, but he's nothing but a whiny schzio. Cait Sith has got to be the most useless character ever. And Aeris? I CHEERED when she died! Whenever I used her, her magic spells would almost always miss! And with her low HP, she just pretty much held my group back. Everyone else was incredibly shallow, except for maybe Yuffie, Vincent, and Sephiroth(the only characters I liked)
One good point: The music's pretty good. A few of my favorites include One Winged Angel, the boss theme, and the Gold Saucer theme(it reminds me of Disneyland!)
BOTTOM LINE: I like the music, but hate the game. Well, the soundtrack's a better buy anyway.
Owning every other U.S. released Final Fantasy game during July 2001, I decided that I might as well pick up a copy of part VII as well. Early, the plot is somewhat linear and easy to follow. The music is excellent... actually, the music's always good in this. And the story still has some good spots during most of the first disc.
Then on disc 2, Square did one of the stupidest things. They added this whole horrible subplot about Cloud being a clone. Any sort of love I had for this game was forever destroyed with that one little scene. (Hey, it almost killed Spider-man, so why'd they add it here?!) The plot continued to get worse as time passed, and soon the entire game was a horrible scar on my memory. About the end of disc 2, any sense you can make of it is dead. Also, the ending is the worst of any video game in existence.
Now to tackle the graphics. They are the worst of any video game in existence as well, making even the old NES graphics seem beautiful by standards. Scenes that were supposed to be serious like Aeris's death and when Tifa and a now vegetable Cloud tried to escape a destruction of this one village looked so ridiculous I couldn't help but laugh.
The materia system? Trash. This destroys any sort of difference between the characters, and without them you can't do jack squat. Of course, it is slightly better since you can still use items, unlike part VIII(But at least 8 was still good)
Don't get me started on the characters. I hated Cloud's guts the entire game. He's supposed to be this tough soldier, but he's nothing but a whiny schzio. Cait Sith has got to be the most useless character ever. And Aeris? I CHEERED when she died! Whenever I used her, her magic spells would almost always miss! And with her low HP, she just pretty much held my group back. Everyone else was incredibly shallow, except for maybe Yuffie, Vincent, and Sephiroth(the only characters I liked)
One good point: The music's pretty good. A few of my favorites include One Winged Angel, the boss theme, and the Gold Saucer theme(it reminds me of Disneyland!)
BOTTOM LINE: I like the music, but hate the game. Well, the soundtrack's a better buy anyway.
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