FFImpulse - Final Fantasy 7 Review

Final Fantasy VII Review
Console: PSX
Players: 1
Release Date: September 9, 1997
Reviewer: Volitar
Date: June 29, 2001

In the early days of the playstation, there were not that many RPG’s. Wild Arms was the only one that really enticed the players but still lacked that sense of urgency to complete the game and was very bland. Then along came a new game from an old series, Final Fantasy 7. It swept the gaming world by storm with its richly involving storyline and lovable characters that seem so real. At the time, the graphics were top of the line and the FMV sequences were unrivaled by any other PSX game. It was released the day the Nintendo 64 was released by Nintendo on September 9, 1997 and it was a day that fans of the game will never forget. As people scrambled to get the N64, one game was making record sales, Final Fantasy 7, said to be one of the best if not the best RPG ever created.

In terms of Graphics, at the time, Final Fantasy 7 had the cream of the crop. Now games such as Final Fantasy 9 have much better graphics than it. However this is a review of the game at the time so thus I must review this in terms of when the game was created. The graphics were unrivaled. The FMV’s really stood out for their length and the expressions on the characters faces. The prerendered backgrounds worked really well with the polygonal figures. Some places look really well designed and the colors go really well together for places such as Midgar. The popeye looking characters are its only downfall. However with a near perfect game such as this one, minor things such as that can be overlooked. The summons in this game stand out as awesome displays of graphical power. All of them are a joy to watch and the sounds emitted when cast fit perfectly with the awesome display of graphics.

The music in Final Fantasy 7 is some of the best I have ever heard. Nobuo Uematsu, the composer of all the themes in the game, has really outdone himself with this excellent array of stunning themes. The battle theme gets you into the heat of battle and the boss battle really make you fell the tension of the battle. Town themes and personal character themes almost perfectly fit with excellent portrayal of situations and moods through the music. The final battle score named "The One Winged Angel" is one of the greatest battle themes ever heard in an RPG. The Latin lyrics make the battle all the more greater. Sounds such as battle slashes and hits and noises made when casting a spell fit perfectly and are not bland in any way. It really sounds as though you have cast a lightning spell and it attacking the enemy with it.

The story is where Final Fantasy 7 gets most of its greatness from. The story in this game is incredible. It is full of so many twists and turns. Some parts will make you laugh some parts will make you cry and some parts will make your mouth drop in aw in an expression of "did that just really happen!?" The story is about cloud, an ex-member of Soldier, an elite group of men working for Shinra an evil corporation, who has turned mercenary and is helping a big guy named Barrett bomb Mako reactors because they are sucking up the life-force of the planet called Mako. The story gets very deep and involving when you and your friends hunt down a legendary warrior named Sephiroth and his mother Jenova. During the quest, the team encounters many hardships and character’s develop into more mature individuals when they learn their place in the world and why the must stop sephiroth before he destroys everything and why they must stop shinra before it destroys everything. With a deep storyline, this is what people are attracted to in this game and what makes gamers come back for more.

Gameplay in Final Fantasy 7 is also great. The battle system uses Materia Orbs that you can buy or find. There are different types of Materia. Some edit your stats, some allow you to use magic and some add special abilities to magic such as All which uses the spell it is connected to to attack all creatures instead of just one. Materia use used on Weapons and Armor and how many slots depend on the weapon. Some slots will be connected whereas some will not be connected. Being connected allows you to alter the effects on the spell using materia such as all materia or HP absorb materia. It is a very innovative battle system that deserves some recognition. Weapons are the usual swords, staffs, gloves, spears and guns. There are also Gunarms for Barret and trumpets for Cait Sith. In the game, characters use Limit Breaks after their limit bar is full. You get your bar full after you have taken so much damage. Once it is full, the character can use a limit break of the level selected, usually doing massive damage, or in some cases aiding the party through healing. This really helps in some very hard boss battles.

Square has packed the game with loads of secrets, such as two secret characters, hidden super weapons and limit breaks, hidden materia and a way to breed chocobos and race them. Also, there are two monsters in it that are not in the Japanese version. They are ultra hard and will destroy you if you are low on levels. They add to the challenge of the game. The Gold Saucer adds for loads of fun playing different games and all creates great replay value, even for an RPG. This game is a must have for RPG fans. Its a must have for anyone who loves a good story full of memorable characters and an awesome game. Everything in this game is perfect and thus deserves to be in your PSX game title collection!
Rating: 9.9/10