The game dubbed by many as the "best game of all time"… Final Fantasy VII.
If you're reading this, then you probably know all about the Final Fantasy
series, but are unfamiliar with the seventh instalment. Let me take you on
a journey…
It all begins with Prelude, that familiar Final Fantasy tune, before one of
the best FMV sequences of all time (even now, five years after it's release)
kicks in, and by now you should get some appreciation of how big this epic
really is. The story concerns Cloud, a blond guy who has a big sword, a big
hair spike and big attitude problems, teaming up with a bunch of eco-warrior
terrorists called AVALANCHE. They set about the task of blowing up all the
reactors in the capital city of Midgar, but soon, the story escalates into
the generic hero vs. villain, and, in true FF tradition, the heroes find
themselves trekking all over the world trying to stop Sephiroth, who is
probably one of the best villains of all time. Along the way, Cloud & co.
must endure hardship, heartbreak, love, hate, and even the odd spot of
cross-dressing.
The gameplay system is very user-friendly, like all FF games. Menu, run,
confirm, cancel, that sort of thing, only unlike the first 6 games, the
gameplay is all in 3D. The battle system is not far removed from all the
other FF's either, consisting of a menu, options, characters waiting for
their turn to attack, and little numbers popping out of baddies' heads when
they get hit. The materia system can get a little complicated, though, but you
soon get the hang of it, and by disc 2, you'll wonder how you were ever
confused by it. It's a shame there's no such thing as a "job system" in this
game, but the overall standard of play more than makes up for it. The
mini-games are also well made and an often welcome distraction from the
adventure. The snowboarding one in particular (in this reviewer's
humble opinion) has hours of life in itself, as you will find yourself trying
just one more time to set that perfect score.
The characters, asides from Cloud, are an odd assortment, ranging from Mr. T
look-alike Barret, through the two main love interests, leggy, busty Tifa and
innocent flower girl Aeris, to odd creatures like Red XIII (a cross between a
lion and a dog) and Giant moogle Cait Sith. However, while some characters
(such as Cait Sith and teenage ninja girl Yuffie) will get on your nerves
eventually, they are all well-developed, and it takes a cold-hearted man not
to be moved by events at the end of disc one (I won't spoil it for you,
but needless to say, tissues on standby).
In spite of all this, though, FFVII is not perfect, and has it's flaws. There
may not be many, but they are there. The third disc is VERY short, and the
ending is confusing to say the least, and unfortunately leaves the game feeling
somewhat unfinished (there are rumours that the game was unfinished, but
they're all yet to be confirmed) and, as stated before, the battle system
(materia in particular) can be a bit overwhelming for newbies. Also, steer
clear if you just want a game you can casually pick up and put down- FFVII
will take at least 35 hours the first time through, and some may not have the
patience to see it through to the end (I know of two people who jacked it in
halfway through disc 1). In spite of that, though, if you let it, FFVII will
have you hooked, kind of like a good novel, and like a good novel, the urge is
there to play it through justone more time…
The best game ever? Possibly.
The best FF ever? Probably.
Worth buying? Definitely.
FFVII is less of a game and more an experience- everyone must play this game at least once. Go get. Now!
- Reviewed by Neb
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