The PlayStation 1 era is a time of many firsts. For some, this is when the whole world started taking notice of video games. For gamers, this was when they were playing with 3D graphics for the first time. This opportunity was due to the changing of the guard with the release of the PlayStation 1.
It was also when the West got to really experience Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) for the first time.
Enter one of the greatest Japanese video games that became the first JRPG of an entire generation: Final Fantasy VII.
Final Fantasy VII Details - History, Plot, Gameplay
Final Fantasy VII is the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series, developed and published by Square Enix, known as Squaresoft, in 1997, per the Final Fantasy Fandom. It was also published by Eidos Interactive and Sony Entertainment America for the PC and PlayStation 1, respectively.
The game follows the story of Cloud Strife, a mercenary hired by the eco-terrorist group, AVALANCHE, to help fight the Shinra Electric Power Company, a mega-corporation attempting to utilize and drain the planet's lifeblood, the Lifestream, as an energy source for the sake of profits. Although he didn't believe in AVALANCHE's fight and joined for the money and his promise to childhood friend Tifa Lockhart, he eventually found a reason and a cause greater than himself to fight Shinra Electric and his nemesis, Sephiroth.
Final Fantasy VII's gameplay vastly differs from its predecessors. Although the game still uses the Active Time Battle pseudo-turn-based menu command system, Square Enix opted to give players control of three characters rather than the usual four. However, players can equip Materia, items that allow the player to customize each party member's abilities to their preferences. This mechanic allows the player to strengthen their three characters to compensate for the lack of a fourth.
What Made The Game So Iconic?
Final Fantasy VII is widely hailed as one of the most influential RPGs to this day; it is also the most-successful game within the series, with Square Enix selling 12 million copies of it at its 1997 release, per Gaming Bolt.
First and foremost is its strategic depth. Square Enix mentioned in its article about why Final Fantasy VII is still a game worth playing in the 2020s is because the Materia mechanic is easy to learn and is "extraordinarily flexible." This mechanic lets you mix and match Materia to see what combination works for what character and what doesn't.
Another reason why the game is still worth playing is its attention to detail story-wise. Every character, even the game's various villains, get their own time in the limelight thanks to the game's focus on character arcs. Thanks to this attention, you'll get to know more about these characters, and you're likely to be sentimental and attached to them as the story progresses.
Furthermore, the soundtrack made by Nobuo Uematsu is memorable and iconic. Even now, whenever people hear the game's victory screen theme, Tifa's team, and Aerith's team, they know Final Fantasy VII is involved. Also, gamers who played the 1997 release will never forget the final fight against Sephiroth with One-Winged Angel being blasted to you.
Gamers the world over are asking Square Enix to create a remake or remaster of the original game, which eventually came true in the form of Final Fantasy VII Remake, which was released in 2020. Now, gamers from the 90s, along with new ones, can experience the game with improved graphics, minor additions to the plot, and some changes that made the game fit into the modern age of gaming, such as using a real-time battle system instead of the classic turn-based one.
