Final Fantasy VII on Steam

Odale

Active Member
... for $12.

I call myself a gamer, well... because I game. But when I tell people I've never played a single Final Fantasy game they tend to discredit my self-imposed status.

I've also heard that FFVII is the best Final Fantasy game there was.

Worth it? Dunno, but talk about it.
 
I call myself a gamer, well... because I game. But when I tell people I've never played a single Final Fantasy game they tend to discredit my self-imposed status.
I once re-bought some Final Fantasy games at Gamestop when they were on sale. Employee asked me if they were good games and stated that she'd never played Final Fantasy before. I'll still accept gamer status; not doing so would be like saying people don't like music if they don't listen to metal or classical. That said, as with disliking metal or classical, you're missing out to not play Final Fantasy. :p

While I don't mean to discredit FFVII, my experience has shown that there's often a strong connection between "FFVII is the best!" and nostalgia, with it often being the speaker's first real Final Fantasy experience. Similar situation for Ocarina of Time. Both are solid entries in their series, and both played important parts in the development of their series and (though the degree to which this is true is up for debate) gaming as a whole.

That said, FFVII isn't the Final Fantasy I would personally recommend starting the series with. I'd honestly say to start with the original Final Fantasy in one of its updated forms that's been made available all over the place (though maybe not on PC; go figure). It's available for iOS/Android/Windows Phone as well as GBA and PSP. While it may not be the best game ever, and it does show its age at times (though I don't always consider that a bad thing), it really does lay the foundation for the series. In my experience, the games least like it in the main series tend to also be the weaker ones in the series. Against the background of the first game, later releases are that much better because they are variations on the themes of the original, similar to how symphonies function.

Anyway, $12 for FFVII isn't a bad deal or a bad decision. (It's $10 on PSN and has been there forever, though. It even goes on sale sometimes. :p) I would recommend the first Final Fantasy first, though. Then, if you have access to the hardware to play them, I'd recommend IV and X to at least the same degree as VII. IV is the epitome of 16-bit RPGs in my eyes, with colorful worlds, expressive music, and great characters. X, despite legitimate complaints about some points of voice acting, has one of my absolute favorite stories in all of gaming. I would actually write a doctoral dissertation about it. haha

If you don't have the means or interest to play other games in the series, though, I wouldn't oppose a purchase of VII. It's just not the game I'd recommend as an entry point to the series.
 
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7 has a lot anime, cyperpunk and Taoist tropes. Since I had not been exposed to them before playing 7 it was more "original" to me than it really should have been. Comparatively I think I even preferred 10 over 7 due to me actually agreeing to one of it's moral conclusions. 10 even has some themes with sin that made me wonder just what they were getting at. Regardless 6 and 4 (2 and 3 American) are superior in plot lines and characterization IMO. The series also lost charm when it went from 6 being cuss free with cute sprites to the teen rated awkward early 3D of 7. That's not to say the plot in 6 is kiddy (attempted suicide anyone?) it's just not as explicit.

Also unless you've been in a closet you probably already know the big spoiler from 7. It was probably talked about like who was Luke's father in Star Wars.

Basically there are better Final Fantasy games than 7. 7 was more of a you had to be there at that time to really enjoy it. Early FMV, Early polygons and probably some Kids first foray into cussing and cyberpunk.

I hate to contradict Kendrik but, unless you really want to see how the series started, I would not play Final Fantasy 1 first if at all. It was not a bad Nes game for then but the others in the series are really vastly different. In 1 you create a generic character party in the later ones you have actual characterization and plotlines for your party members. You can still enjoy the later one's plotlines and characterization today with 1 it's going to feel very bare bones.

I would not revoke your gamer card for not playing FF, no worries :) .

Reminisces: Thinking about it I prefer Chrono Trigger to FF so it's like Chrono Trigger > FF 6 > FF 4 . FF Tactics was pretty good too although I didn't like or understand the ending. Saga Frontier 2 was good as well and overlooked too considering the first was lameness incarnate. Then one has to work out Xenogear's convoluted plot on paper almost XD. I digress though as those are different types of games. I was a big Squaresoft fan back in those days. When they hopped from Nintendo to Sony they were the sole reason I bought a PlayStation. So yeah I played most of the Squaresoft games made back then.
 
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Thou wouldst dare to contradict me?! :O

Good. :D

Your points on the first game are totally fair. I agree with them while standing by the ones I made previously. :)

Oh, and I definitely prefer the Chrono games to most of my Final Fantasy experience. I was just dealing exclusively in numbered Final Fantasy games. I love the mechanics and Tactics and its Advanced sequels too. I still gotta pick up Xenogears at some point.
 
I still gotta pick up Xenogears at some point.

Meh extremely convoluted plotline and Oedipus complex made my head hurt. I'd totally play Saga Frontier 2 over it if you haven't. It's got this understated Napoleon and vampire hunter plot things going on which is refreshing from the "Da world's going to end. My special friends and I must save it". It's also got that watercolor art.

I think I'd even prefer Brave Fencer Musashi over Xenogears and it's like a two day play through.

EDIT: I was thinking of Threads of Fate not Musashi. Musashi is forgettable.
 
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I call myself a gamer, well... because I game. But when I tell people I've never played a single Final Fantasy game they tend to discredit my self-imposed status.
Waitwaitwait, you were giving me flak for never playing through Ocarina of Time and you've never played through a single Final Fantasy game?

/smh

And to think I suffered through the Water Temple.

But seriously, FF was, at one time, a great series in its day. Now? Well, I hear the relaunch of FFXIV is shaping up to be a major improvement on the total disaster that was the original launch. And the FFXV trailer looked kinda cool. I guess.


I've also heard that FFVII is the best Final Fantasy game there was.
In terms of battle system? Yes. (Again, this is all my opinion.)

In terms of characters and story? Oh, goodness, no. FFVI easily had the best characters in the series (though I am among the few who found Zidan refreshing after the "life is pain, pouting in the back of mom's minivan" CloudSquall of VII and VIII) and the story was, well, very good by Final Fantasy standards. Let's face it; this isn't Shakespeare. But the Opera House scene still gives me chills.

In terms of music? Yeah, probably. The main theme and the airship theme (or rather, the orchestral arrangements of those tracks) are two of my favorite video game music tracks ever.

Worth it? Dunno, but talk about it.
Definitely not at $12.

Just like Ocarina of Time aged poorly (sorry, but the controls were rubbish by modern standards and early 3D graphics do NOT hold up well), FF7 is (IMO) really only worth a playthrough if it's for purposes of nostalgia or if you're just a hardcore video game historian. It is not worth suffering through random encounters to try to get a better idea why people go gaga over this game. If you must satisfy your curiosity, find a "Let's Play" video series on YouTube and fast forward through the battles.

While I don't mean to discredit FFVII, my experience has shown that there's often a strong connection between "FFVII is the best!" and nostalgia, with it often being the speaker's first real Final Fantasy experience. Similar situation for Ocarina of Time. Both are solid entries in their series, and both played important parts in the development of their series and (though the degree to which this is true is up for debate) gaming as a whole.
This is proof that Kendrik is nicer than I am.

Basically, if I want to estimate someone's age on the Internet, I ask them what their favorite Final Fantasy game was. If they say FFVII, they're probably between the ages of 25 and 30. If they say FFVI, they're probably over 30. Furthermore, like Kendrik said, if FFVII was their favorite, it was very likely also their first FF game.

And in all fairness, the game's graphics were amazing for their time. FFVII moved from the magical steampunk-ish setting of FFVI to a much more modern environment. Also remember that RPGs were pretty much a niche genre of games before FFVII. For better or worse, FFVII was the RPG that brought the genre into the mainstream in the US.

On a somewhat related note: I played through the first 15 minutes of FFX, decided I couldn't stand to play another RPG where I wanted to punch the main character in the face (especially after Zidane provided a much-needed reprieve following FFVII and FFVIII), so I just dropped it altogether. I've seen "the laughing scene" from FFX and it helped confirm I made the right choice. (I just can't stand bad voice acting. It makes me cringe.) But after reading Kendrik's and Gerbil's comments, I find myself wanting to find a plot summary and read through it. :p

That's not to say the plot in 6 is kiddy (attempted suicide anyone?) it's just not as explicit.
Attempted suicide. Coping with death, loss, and grief. Physical abuse of women (which, if memory serves, was edited out of the US version). FFVI was not a children's game. It's just that fewer people took notice of it because (1) FFVI wasn't really a mainstream game, (2) Squaresoft "cleaned up" FF games for US release, probably at Nintendo's urging, and (3) the graphics were nowhere near as realistic as modern games. If a female army general was smacked across the face and knocked to the floor in FFXIII, you'd probably hear your local congressperson trying to blame video games for domestic abuse.

Basically there are better Final Fantasy games than 7. 7 was more of a you had to be there at that time to really enjoy it. Early FMV, Early polygons and probably some Kids first foray into cussing and cyberpunk.
And crossdressing. Don't forget the crossdressing.

I hate to contradict Kendrik but, unless you really want to see how the series started, I would not play Final Fantasy 1 first if at all. It was not a bad Nes game for then but the others in the series are really vastly different. In 1 you create a generic character party in the later ones you have actual characterization and plotlines for your party members. You can still enjoy the later one's plotlines and characterization today with 1 it's going to feel very bare bones.
Yeeeah, I tried to play FF1 to satisfy my video game historian tendencies and I just couldn't keep with it. I mean, Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy set the standards for year to follow, so respect where respect is due but oh MAN does FF1 feel generic in a modern context.

Reminisces: Thinking about it I prefer Chrono Trigger to FF so it's like Chrono Trigger > FF 6 > FF 4 .
+1

Then one has to work out Xenogear's convoluted plot on paper almost XD.
Japanese studio + preoccupation with German philosophers + controversial use of Christian symbols = Instant Genius In A Bag(TM).

Wait, were we talking about Neon Genesis Evangelion or Xenogears (or Xenosaga)? :p

The good news is that Xenoblade is awesome and there's no mention of any German philosophers in sight in the first 10 hours of gameplay.

I was a big Squaresoft fan back in those days. When they hopped from Nintendo to Sony they were the sole reason I bought a PlayStation. So yeah I played most of the Squaresoft games made back then.
That's because Squaresoft games of the 16-bit era (and Chrono Trigger, which was a "dream team" collaboration between Squaresoft and Enix) were amazing for their time. Looking at FFVII on, it feels (IMO) like Square has been on the decline ever since.

EDIT: I was thinking of Threads of Fate not Musashi. Musashi is forgettable.
But Musashi is fun and light-hearted and, IIRC, not even an RPG!
 
I would not revoke your gamer card for not playing FF, no worries :) .

Haha, I appreciate it :D.

Waitwaitwait, you were giving me flak for never playing through Ocarina of Time and you've never played through a single Final Fantasy game?

/smh

And to think I suffered through the Water Temple.

Rofl. I literally lol'd at this (I knew it was coming too, though).

Yeah I can't say that I feel a strong urge to play an old game. I think that in this case, one of FFVII's main purposes was to display amazing (for the time) graphics to people who otherwise may not play the game. I think it's safe to say that games with this sort of purpose do not age well (Ocarina included).

Also, turn-based games turn me off (Civ 5 is different!). Also, the "voice acting" in a lot of JRPGs is not so much voice acting as it is voice over-ing. SW:TOR had voice acting, and it was spectacular. JRPGs are different, and it doesn't work for me.
 
My copy of FFVII. It has survived many, many hardships, including moving to college, from college, to alaska, and back to missouri: http://i.imgur.com/Rx9ury9.jpg?1 It surprisingly still works on my PS2.

But I do believe it is time to update and get it on Steam at some point...
 
We really, really need a like/+rep button. Even though it's not my favorite game in the series, that kind of dedication to a game is worth liking. :D
 
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