Customer Reviews
Greatest videogame ever made
I originally purchased this game in 1997, but my memory card erased when I got to the end. I have since defeated every FF game since then and I must say that none of them even compare to this one. Sure the graphics may be 100x better, but the gameplay in general is unsurpassed. Also, the main villain Sephiroth, is perhaps the greatest gaming villain of all time.
This was the beginning of the new era of RPG's. I was relatively new at RPGs before this and this is still one of the more difficult games.
The WEAPONS are grueling and the storyline is amazing. Cloud Strife's constant struggle to find himself during the game keeps you guessing on the plot. Squall, Tidus, and all of the other main characters of the recent FFs seem to be mere shadows of him in some way shape or form.
If you feel like neglecting your family for 85+ hours, then this is the way to do it. Also, make sure you get your Golden Chocobo in order to get the best summon of any RPG ever.
best rpg for PS1
The storyline is immense. The characters are highly developed. The gameplay is fantastic. Unfortunately, due to the time when this game was released the 'block' characters need to be updated. This game should be re-made and like the Final Fantasy X graphics. Overall this game is GREAT. A great play.
I respect FFVII but...
...this is certainly one of the weakest games in the series,IMO. I can remember back in middle school when everyone was raving about this game. I remember watching a video my friends made of the game. It spanned the entire game and I was totally enthralled. I didn't end up owning a copy of FFVII until FFVIII was just released. I received both games at the same time. I tried out FFVII first and to be honest I found it cumbersome. I eventually went on to play FFVIII and loved it. I try not to let my exprience with FFVIII ruin my experience with any of the other games from the series but so far none of them have lived up to FFVIII. My first experience with FFVII was a bit let down. I killed the mighty Sephiroth in two hits. The ending anti-climatic too. It's a good thing that Advent Children came out. The movie wasn't too promising storywise though. I've gone back through and played FFVII many times just to see if I like the game any better. It's hit and miss. This time around I'm playing it and I must say I have noticed quite a few things.
Music:
For Midi files these are very well done. The score to this game isn't my favorite. Not a whole lot of the 'epic' tracks in the game really appeal to me. Still, the presentation through the game is very nice and if you're new to the series then this is the game that features the quintessential FF music.
Gameplay:
The gameplay is relatively balanced. There are no designated roles outside of character personality. Each character is pretty much interchangable with minor differences here and there. The controls are smooth, especially if you're using a new PS controller. The magic system is balanced with strong physical attacks. The game does reqire a bit of battle strategy and that's definately a plus. The limit break system is great as well though some of the actually characters' final limit breaks are very disappointing. Outside of Cloud, Aeris, and Tifa the other characters' limit breaks are pretty weak but visually fulfiling. Also, the materia system isn't too hard to understand though I had trouble with it the first time I played through the game. Personally, I find it to be a bit lackluster for the fact that, unless you set it up a certain way, detracts from a character's role in the party. At least with 8 and beyond you could get a feel for who played what role in your party. I do think that if you're a newcomer to the series or RPGs in general then the gameplay is fantastic. Fluidity and simplicity are a great pairing.
Plot:
Weak. I'm sorry but the plot to this game is weak and it's very confusing. There are a lot of things that go unresolved in this game plus there are so many dry spots where nothing of merit is happening. The core storyline is intriguing but the presentation seems to be jumbled, IMO. Cloud is the hero and I think he fails in the role. It may be due to a terrible english translation from the original Japanese but Cloud comes off as a major prude. He's aloof, weak minded, and has terrible dialogue. It's very frustrating. The storyline was just interesting enough for me to get through the game. It's mainly the final fight with Sephiroth that drew me into the game. However, if you're a higher level character...or you just have some upper level limit breaks then you should easily make quick work of this alleged 'badass'. The ending resolves very little and creates more questions than answer. The ending to this was even worse than that of FFX. At least with FFX there was X-2. It took years for Advent Children to come out and even the movie couldn't salvage the disappointing ending to FFVII.
Characters:
Here is where I find my biggest gripe with the game. Cloud is just borderline pathetic. I'll never forget what he said to everyone right before you go down to fight Jenova at the bottom of the crater. There is no real love story between himself and Aeris. It's questionable if Cloud is heterosexual or not. Sephiroth is probably the fanchise's most recognizable character. He's the reason I watched Advent Children. However, anyone who shows relative skill at this type of game genre could probably wipe the floor with the Almighty Sephiroth. Going through the game now I find Sephiroth to be a bit of a tweener as well. Barret has to be the most stereotypical character I've ever seen. I'm surprised the NAACP hasn't lobbied Square. The only characters I really have any respect for are Cid and Vincent. Tifa is a great character as well but her inability to get Cloud's attention is irritating. Cid is a brash and cocky individual which you can't help but love and Vincent is the mall goth that could rip you to shreds. Red XIII is a very well done character. However, the biggest turd in all of FF history came with the creation of Cait Sith. I really do wish they would've replaced Cait Sith with Reeve later in the game. For Reeve's good nature to get the best of him and join forces with Cloud directly would've been fantastic. Overall, the characters do have enough depth to them to allow the player to show some attatchment.
Conclusion:
As much as I complain about this game there is certainly something about it that will keep you playing it for hours on end. It has solid replay value. Most all of the FF games do. It's just a matter of which one captivates you the most. This game just wasn't for me. The FF clique from high school I used to hang out with all adored this game and hated FFVIII. I'd have to say that this is probably the gateway game I'd use to get someone into the series and turn based RPGs in general. The gameplay is balanced and simple enough for all gamers and the storyline is interesting enough to keep you playing. Also, paying attention to the music coreography will only enhance your experience with this game. Enjoy.
