Final Fantasy VII

Intro:

Hey guys this is Isaac, you can call me Red. There MAY(yes there will) be unmarked spoilers here.I am 13 so don't freak out if the review is not great xD. Today I am reviewing a game that you either love it with all your heart, or you hate it and want to demolish it. I am going to share my opinion with you guys.

Attention: Before I start, I want to state that I am reviewing the PSX/PS1 version. So I have no idea if the PS3 and PSP (PSN) or even the most recently released version of FFVII on the PC have better graphics and all. So, let's start, shall we?

Story:

Many people hate this game for taking out the "fantasy" and being sci-fi instead. Yeah what's up with cellphones,elevators,guns etc? Well, still:

The story on FF7 is nice, and well, it is kinda complicated later in the game, and it may even require to do two playthroughs to fully understand. oh and if you count the prequel Crisis Core and sequel Dirge of Cerberus as well as the movie. You start with a cool looking spiky haired boy named Cloud that was with the enemy,SOLDIER, which works for SHINRA, and claims to be SOLDIER 1st class. then he joins a resistance group called AVALANCHE. In his way you realize his memories are kinda messed up. It's up to you to defeat the SHINRA, Sephiroth and uncover Cloud's messed up memories!

Fair enough. There is one more task, but I don't really want to put spoilers since I was kinda spoiled in my FF7 playthrough and it would ruin your experience. Story, altough kinda complicated, is pretty good.

Gameplay:

The gameplay is awesome and simple. The Materia system is awesome (altough you may get confused who has that materia and who etc xD) still, I found the materia system pretty simple and the battle system is just like every other main Final Fantasy game, which is also good. And the Limit breaks <3 also simple to use. I feel the gameplay on FFVII is probably the best gameplay and the strongest point of the game. It's pretty simple.



Graphics:

FFVII's graphic is some kind of 3D model. I didn't really like it, bit it was ok for a 1997 game...it is sprites moving on a brackground that was...drawn? GAH, it's hard to explain, really. For me, they should have continued with the same graphics as FFVI. still, it was not bad for a game that was released in the 90s.

Characters:

Yeah, I feel this is the weakest point of the game. Why? Let's state all the main and playable characters, and see if they got enough screentime, if they were important to the storyline and if they had character growth.

Let's start with Cloud. He was born in Nibelheim, and is childhood friends with one of the party members, Tifa. Of course, for being the main character, he is super important to the storyline, to be honest the entire plot focuses on hin, had character growth and...he got screentime for the entire game lol. That's what you get for being the main character, huh?

Next is Barret. He is the leader of the rebel group, AVALANCHE, and in the beggining of the game he got kind of a grudge against Cloud :P I didn't feel he was THAT important to the storyline as the entire game he is like: "SHINRA SUCKS @$$!" He used foul language and was a pretty funny character if you ask me. Yeah, he did get... enough screentime and there's some point of the game that focuses on him and we get to know him a lot, his past and his old friend etc. He's fine overall, but not that much important to the plot.

Tifa. She is the childhood friend of Cloud and it seems that they made a promise before Cloud joined SOLDIER. She is also with AVALANCHE, she is also one of the "crushes" in the game, she got a lot of screentime, she is pretty important in helping Cloud getting his memories back and yeah, we get to know her a lot :P Heck, she even becomes leader later in the game. Of course, she wasn't forgettable.

Aerith is a girl that apparently loves and sells flowers. She is another half of the "crushes" in the game. Yes, she has enough screentime, the plot even focuses a bit, only a bit on her, but we don't get to know her that much at first. And she is not forgettable, because we all know why ;P It may be one, if not, the most unforgettable moment in gaming history. BUT I felt she was only a...plot device. Yes, after you know what, she is barely important, rarely mentioned and all.

Next is...Red XII. He was considered some kind of "experiment" by Hojo and not much is known about him at the beginning. He...wasn't important at all. AT ALL. Not enough screentime, we don't know much about him, except for his family, heck he was kinda forgettable. I mean, when the game focuses on him, we get to know about his family and species instead of him, fair enough i guess but...instead of giving him screentime they give his grandpa screentime. Really?

Then there's Cait Sith. Cait Sith is a fortune teller that couldn't...well "fortune tell" you. Then he joins your party so that he can see what is your future. Strange, huh? Well, to be honest, I forgot Cait Sith even existed. No importance to the storyline at all, except for some part of the game. Not much screentime too and as I said, pretty forgettable character :x (I never used him in my party)

Cid is a old man whose dream is to travel in deep space. Apparently he has huge interest in flying and all. One day he was going to outer space, then Shinra cancelled the mission after taking interests in Mako energy. He is overall a great character, he uses foul language like Barret and is even funnier. He is literally unforgettable, just like Tifa, he became the leader at some point of the game. Story focuses on him just a tiny bit.

Then there are our optional characters, Yuffie and Vincent Valentine. Yuffie is a thief and a skillful ninja. She even robs you sometimes. Vincent, used to work for the Turks, then after hearing his story about "failing" to protect Lucretia, some scientist, he locked himself up in a grave for 30 years. Both are optional characters, so it's just normal they aren't important in the story (Vincent is, to be honest). Both have their sidequests, where you can know them more. They are awesome for optional characters.

Sound/Music:

Oh do I really have to do this? Nobuo Uematsu is a genius, nuff' said. Unforgettable soundtrack.

Conclusion:

Such awesomeness. Final Fantasy VII is a awesome game, which I definitely recommend. Although it may not be the best Final Fantasy game out there, Final Fantasy's best selling game, FFVII, is amazing. Definitely recommended by me.

Rating:

Story:2/2
Gameplay:2/2
Characters: 1/2
Soundtrack: 2/2
GrAphics: 1.9/2

8.9/10