Final Fantasy VII - A Contrarian View
April 24, 2006 5:39 PM | Simon Carless
Over on the personal site of 1UP Features Editor Jeremy 'Toastyfrog' Parish, there's a just posted, vaguely tongue in cheek, sure to be controversial re-review for Square Enix's often deified Final Fantasy VII.
Parish wastes no time in quipping that the title is: "Based on: A Hironobu Sakaguchi X Silicon Graphics slashfic crossbred with a really poorly planned D&D campaign", before explaining of the 'mediocre' title: "FFVII does have some value -- for instance, as a litmus test. In many ways, it serves as a convenient dividing line between different classes of gamer."
He continues by noting of the gamers "who totally love FFVII" and "inexplicably... number in the millions", that: "Some of them are simply nice but misguided people, but generally speaking, they're youngsters who had never actually played a role-playing game before 1997. (Or who suffer from intense, debilitating head trauma.)"
So... FFVII, travesty, or traviata for the soul? I'm afraid I wander marginally into Parish's camp - I'd rather be off playing Dungeon Master.
Categories: PlayStation 2
10 Comments
Wow, that sword is huge... It's clear he's trying to compensate for something, so maybe the article is right? :-)
Anyway, never played the game, and have no interest to play it either. I got tired of random battles (dreadful game design) a long time ago.
fluffy bunny | April 24, 2006 3:25 PM
I have always thought that game was overrated. I cannot stand it when people claim it to be the best in the series heh.
The earlier titles (FFIV and FFVI) are far superior and unlike FFVII (which I replayed when Advent Children came out), they still hold up well today.
Jakanden | April 24, 2006 3:52 PM
Final Fantasy VII is mediocre. The story is muddled and poorly written, they got rid of the guy that gave the games their fantasy element (Amano), etc.
Quite frankly, I still consider Final Fantasy IIIj and Final Fantasy V the best games in the series. Of course, I'm more interested in gameplay than melodramatic garbage.
573 | April 24, 2006 7:05 PM
I agree with him on almost every point. FFVII is almost unplayable today because of those load times. I considered it unplayable THEN because of them.
John H. | April 25, 2006 8:40 AM
I know plenty of people (self included) who played loads of RPGs before FF7 came out. There were so many reasons we liked it. For one, it actually had a plot, with themes, social satire, round(developing,changing)characters, political satire, instead of your generic save the world from the 2D magical wizard while doing a few mundane tasks en route. The characters, as blocky as they were, actually had mannerisms, for example in the battles, the way the Turks would react was quite entertaining.
Jeremy Parish's "These new gamers" reeks of the death rattle of a conservative old-skooler who can't take the fact that things continue to change whether we like it or not.
ST | April 25, 2006 9:20 AM
FFVII is a ridiculously bad game because it beats you over the head with its linearity. Suppose you get the hover car, which only serves one purpose in the game (to cross over the one river you need to get to the one next town, pheh), and you see a city nearby. "Aha!" you say, "I will defeat the linearity of the game by just driving past the town into the desert!"
So the game makes your car break down, and suggests that you "Head into that one nearby town for repairs." :P
Horrible, horrible game. I beat the game without dying once in any non-optional combat (i.e. lost number, or the ruby monster).
ShakaUVM | April 25, 2006 3:26 PM
The game was so flawed, but so are all the Final Fantasies that people claim are so wonderful, the gameplay got old. I agree that FF12 will probably be the defining game in the series to bring it in a new direction from random turn based ugliness, but, like John H. said, FF7 was important because of its exploration of new narrative content.
Michael B. | April 25, 2006 3:53 PM
The storyline in this game is soooo predictable, my cousin was raving about this when it first came out, I only had an N64 back then. I was really rocking on Resident Evil 2. I tried to play FF7 but I could never get far since I was having so much trouble trying to figure out where my own character was! The graphics were just horrible, they could at LEAST make it so you can see where your main character is. The graphics were bad even in that age (not including the cinema's) Everyone says the character profiles and the story are so unique. No they are not! Oooh spikey haired guy has big sword, he meets girl, girl dies from bad guy. Spikey haired guy must kill bad guy (who has big ass sword!) "Like omfg stry is lyke so frekin badass! Best FF evur"
In my opinion, I think FF6 was the best. I didn't get a chance to play the one for SNES, but the one for PS1.
I also adore FF9 (though the ending got me mad!)
And you need to try and think about the best parts in games, what makes the game just so great. Another reason why FF8 was so bad, I only remember Leon's bad dancing. The stupid cars. And the sweaty looking hair everyone had.
All penguins must die! | April 13, 2007 1:14 AM
I think what a lot of people are missing about this game is that it is supposed to tell the stories of these characters. I really don't think it was designed to be revolutionary game-play or non-linear plot development. There are other games out there that do that beautifully and those games are fun as well. I for one thoroughly enjoyed this game. It brought the kind of joy I get from reading a good fantasy novel, only this one was interactive. I find it interesting that games such as this are typically classified as RPG's, while in fact there really isn't any role-playing being done at all, or at least not in the traditional sense. Perhaps that is why Mr. Parish did not enjoy the game; because he was looking for role-playing where there was none to be found...
David K | July 9, 2008 6:15 PM
Really, I don't understand where the majority of the FF 7 fans are coming from. I played FF 7 and really enjoyed the first disc and the ending, but believe its plot progression faltered on the second disc. Anyways, I saw Advent Children and thought it was completely pointless eye-candy. Is this the type of "serious-minded" Remake fans are going to be looking for? Have any of the sequels or prequels lived up to the original 1997 video game? Were all of those extra characters really necessary to the plot? For me, the answer to that question is a restounding "NO".
SquareEnix, in my opinion, should move on from the past and create an entirely new game. I, for one, wouldn't be buying a FF 7 Remake. They obviously see FF 7 in a different light than I do. And, I still have my original PS copy. If I wanted to experience FF 7's world then I would do just that - put the game into the tray and start-up a new save.
Jeremey Parish did say it three years ago: Final Fantasy VII was a product of the times, and would not hold up well if it were translated to HD. All those goofy scenes with characters hopping around, looking like fools are fine with cartoony Popeye characters, but would be surreal and uncomfortable if they used more distinguishable character models.
And, I hate to say it, but (most) Final Fantasy 7 fans I've met come across as rude an elitist. They fit the bill for TV Tropes "Unpleaseable Fanbase" award. I wish they'd stop putting down FF 1-6, FF 8-12, or any other RPG in existence. They don't give the other entries a fair chance. Going through life with blinders on is not something that I'd advise.
kat | February 6, 2010 8:36 AM