Riku's FF7 Review

There are many people who sees FF7 as the best RPG, while other say it's a rather a snore to the FF series. But one thing that no one can deny, (and I quote Chi Phan himself) is that FF7 changed and set the standard for RPGs to come. For that reason alone, FF7 will be in the history book as the RPG that change the genre. Before FF7, RPGs were only attactive to the die hardcore fans who enjoyed Dungeons and Dragons and Cops and Robbers. FF7 also help change the way RPGs are designed in terms of story, characteristics, and gameplay. Before FF7, most RPG's stories were plain and simple (basic save the world, rescue the princess, and live happily ever after). Now RPGs stories are more in-depth, different from your average kidnap and rescue crusade, and offer more gameplay, such as mini-games and multiple endings. The one thing that stick out with FF7 is that when you play FF7, it's not just a rollercoaster ride that you want to keep going and going... it's a rocket launch that'll keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire scene. Shall we break it down?


Story


The story starts off with members of a resistance group known as AVALANCHE, on a mission to stop Shinra, a corrupt organization. You play as the mercenary, Cloud Strife, who's working for this resistance. Cloud soon comes across the same path with an old nemesis known as Sephiroth: A silver haired, sword-totting lunatic with no regards about what he does or how it gets done.. This is where your story quest begins.

What's so great and unique about this story is that it's a very emotional one. It'll hit you in every direction, whether certain scenes have been spoilered for you, or if you've just found the scenes on your own, it never fails to impress you. The story will make you happy, sad, mad, depressed, annoyed, romantic, all at the same time. Who here wasn't shocked when Aeris died? Wheither you loved or hated her, who here wasn't shocked? Or how about Yuffie? Who here wasn't annoyed or just plain pissed when she ran off with all your materia?? For the first time ever, the player actually feel involve in the game. You feel as if you're there when Cloud gives his first kiss to Tifa, or when Cid cancels the rocket launch into outer space. This is what makes FF7 story so incredibly awesome. It really gets you emotionally involve. The story also gives us plot twist that keeps us on our toes. How about the plot twist about Cloud's secret (Zack)?? Surprised you, didn't it? Or Cait Sith identity?

Overall, to this day no other RPG pushed the players' emotional button like FF7 did.
Score: 10/10


Characters

FF7 has a large number of great characters. By now everyone who has played the game, got their favorite. What's even great about this is that each character has their own little background story. Like Cloud and Tifa's promise, or Aeris being wanted by the Shinra, even Vincent's angsty tale of heartbreak between himself and Lucrecia. Sure, most of the background character developement focus on Cloud, but the game still gave us a look at the history behind each character. Meaning they all have their own little story to make us care about them. I'm going to give it another 10 as a bonus because my least favorite ended up dead... hehe...

Score: 10/10


Graphics By today's standard of realistic graphics that Final Fantasy X, FF7 graphics wasn't that much of a big achevement. But back then, it was a different story. I suppose way back when old school gamers first played the game when it came out. It was like, "Wow. How they do that?" if you know what I mean. I suppose that there was no other Playstation game that had use the kind of graphics that FF7 used. Even today, FF7 graphics are still better than other games right now. Did you take a look at the graphics for Blood Omen? I mean... damn, that was horrid. To simply put, it's use of FMV/CG was stunning. I wish that they could've used a bit more FMV's, and that Yuffie and Vincent were involved more. But either way, it was still great, and I love these graphics!

Score: 9/10


Music

I own the Final Fantasy soundtracks VII-X, and let me make one thing clear: No matter how many times I've listened to each one, no matter how many are better then others, I always find myself slipping the FF7 sountrack into my stereo and hitting the repeat button constantly. FF7 has one of the widest selections of music for any game. What makes this so great is that each music fit perfectly for the situation during the game. Come on, fess up. Don't you get choke up sometimes hearing Anxious Heart, or World Crisis?

Score: 10/10


Gameplay

I sort of had a problem with certain gameplay, mostly on the submarine mini-game. But, however, the, I'm staying true to the battle system if anything. While the battle system is the same basic traditional turn base one, it now uses real time. In other words, don't spend too long deciding what to do cause the enemies won't wait for you to finish deciding before attacking you again. Of course almost all of today's RPGs are base on real time. Another thing that FF7 pave the way for is the use of the 3 party members system instead of the usual 4 or 5 members. Now I wasn't a big fan of the 3 members system, but after playing the average 4 people per team, like in FF9, then going back to FF7, I think I prefer the 3 member. One other thing that FF7 uses that is unique and very cool is the use of limit breaks. Limit breaks are a fighter's last desperate special attack before his/her life run out, and they sure as hell saved my ass a bunch of times, mostly during the fight with Sephiroth. FF7 uses these limit breaks just the right amount without over exposing them. Still, overrall FF7 gameplay and battle system is done nicely to help broaden the enjoyment for fans within the series and to those that are new to the series.

Score: 9/10


Extras/Replay

As for the extra stuff that you can do in the game. There's trying to raise and breed a gold chocobo, fighting the two weapons: Emerald and Ruby. Then there's getting the characters limits breaks and ultimate weapons, Chocobo raising, chocobo racing, I could go on and on. Of course there's probably more to do in terms of extra stuff. The replay value comes soley from the enjoyment of the game during your first time at it. There's no alternate endings or extra special mode that you can access like in the other games nowadays (Kingdom Hearts, The Way of the Samurai, etc.) Now come on, people! Who here has only played FF7 once?? Pretty much everyone has at least played the game twice.

Score: 9/10


My final thought is this: FF7 is possibly my absolute favorite rpg, and has even been rated as "...possibly the greatest game ever made". The one thing that it is, is that it will provide you with the best emotional and kick-ass enjoyment of all the rpg's out there. Final score would be a 9 or a 9.5

Final Score: 9/10


Favorite character: Tifa

Saddest Moment: Nothing, really...

Happiest Moment: Death of Aeris.... hehehe....

Best fighter: Cloud

Best limit: I'm stuck between Final Heaven, Omnislash and Chaos... -_-"

Least favorite character: Aeris

Best midi: World Crisis

Coolest spell: Bahamut Zero

Best FF game: Definetly 7... better then the other three after it! ^^


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