“Final Fantasy VII” was officially released in 1997 (same year Con Air came out) exclusively on the PlayStation. It received critical acclaim from critics and gamers alike. In addition to praise, the game sold enough copies worldwide. The seventh installment of the “Final Fantasy” series expanded into a self-contained series including a prequel titled, “Crisis Core” a spin-off focusing on Vincent Valentine called, “Dirge of Cerberus” and a follow up animated film known as Advent Children.”
My first exposure to the Final Fantasy series was “Kingdom Hearts.” I’m gonna come clean. I never played a Final Fantasy game growing up. When I found out Square Enix is making a trilogy based om the original 1997 game, I thought about giving it a shot. I was immediately hooked. I haven’t bought the Final Fantasy VII Remake, from 2020. The second entry “Rebirth” will be released sometime in early 2024. The latest installment “Final Fantasy XVI” is already out. I wanna share my thoughts on the best game (if not the best) of 1997.
This review contains no SPOILERS. I’m giving some of you newcomers a chance to play the original game.
Powerful & Weak Qualities
Powerful: Graphics at the time were impressive. Pre-rendered backgrounds look amazing. Whenever you roam, the characters have Popeye like arms. Upon entering combat, they’ll look normal. Cutscenes are pretty dang good.
Chemistry between Cloud and his allies serve as the main highlight. Their interactions move the story forward.
Various enemies have strengths and weaknesses. Try experimenting on each one to exploit a specific foe’s flaw.
Active Time Battle or ATB for short is a turned-based strategy system. You decide on which tactic you should approach. Attack an enemy using your standard weapon, magic and summon. Potions, Ethers and Elixirs replenish your Health Points/HP and Magic Points/MP. Once your Limit Meter gets full, use it to unleash a powerful attack on an enemy or more. As you defeat numerous enemies, your Limit Level will increase unlocking more different types of ultimate attacks.
Level Cap racks up to 99. As you level up, your stats will grow.
Obtaining materia will let characters use magic and summons. Once you equip a magic materia, an individual’s health will decrease. Choose carefully. Summons definitely pack a punch.
If you wanna speed things up skipping unnecessary padding, press the L3 button to speed up. You can turn it off by pressing the same button again.
Grabbing a weapon will increase slots to store up materia. If you have HP Plus and MP Plus, they’ll really come in handy. Don’t forget to equip an “all materia” linked to any magic materia. As you grind your way through beating countless foes, your materia will increase to maximum power.
Here’s a tip. If you’re running low on money, max out your all materia, sell it to a nearby shop. Repeat the process and you’ll be stinkin’ rich.
The game has a cyberpunk feeling inspired by “Blade Runner,” “Akira” and Ghost in the Shell.”
You play as seven characters and two secret ones. Don’t forget to find Yuffie & Vincent. They’re hidden. Look up how to find them on various YouTube videos or a game guide. Racking up a grand total of nine playable characters. Yuffie & Vincent are my favorite characters.
Mini-Games are pretty fun. You can play them at the Golden Saucer.
As the story progresses, we learn about Cloud’s troubled past.
Sephiorth factors in as the main antagonist. I refuse to give away his backstory.
Soundtrack has some memorable tunes. Especially Sephiorth’s theme.
It took me 64 hours to beat the game.
There’s not autosave. Make sure you save periodically. Use a Tent item to restore all your HP & MP. It can only work whether your exploring the world map or at save point. If you die, you can return to your save file. Plan your adventure carefully.
There are a few twists and turns that’ll make you gasp.
Stay tuned for a Post-Credits Scene.
Weak: The game lacks a quest log and navigation system. All you got is a map showing the world. If you’re having a hard time, look up walkthroughs on YouTube or Final Fantasy VII wiki. Trust me, you’re gonna need all the help you can get. I’ll let this con slide. Thank goodness we live in a time we can look up stuff online without paying for a guidebook.
There’s no voice acting. Every piece of dialogue is told in text bubbles. Your typical JRPG game. I’ll let this con slide.
The Final Verdict: A, FOR APEX!
Final Fantasy VII sets a benchmark within the JRPG genre. Perhaps it’s the best game (if not the best) of 1997. If you’re a huge fan of Final Fantasy or into JRPGs, give the original a shot. You’ll definitely have a blast. Which Final Fantasy game or JRPG game should I review next? Please leave a comment and I’ll respond back.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 