230: Get the Hell Out Of Dodge

[Cyanin]

Now, as a foreword, i have to say i don't agree with this article, though i definitely agree it's very well written.

I've played FFVII since i was about the same age and have a lot of nostalgic memories towards it, particularly because it took me so long to get out of the reactor at the beginning.
I've played that game enough times since then to pretty much be able to quote it off hand, it has and always will be my favourite game.

Being released from that reactor onto Midgar was amazing to begin with, but remembering what it was like the first time i got through the Shinra building, not knowing what the game was going to throw at you next, having an actual sense of fear about what the hell was going on with Sephiroth and Jenova and what was going to happen to my guys. The fight with Rufus seems to be the epitome of tension in that area, with the elevator fight at the same time needing some getting used to and organization. And finally the escape and defense of the others while on the motorbike and the boss fight.

The point is, that first time you play it through and you don't know what's coming next, and then finding out you're leaving Midgar for what may be forever, that stirs in you. You've got no idea about the outside world and what else you could possibly need to do, you can piece together it'll be nothing like what the plot of being in Midgar unfolded as, but there's no way of predicting the development, particularly at that age. So, progressively, VII works to slowly uncover the tunnel vision you have and open up a new world which you really had no idea was actually the point.

The definitive flaw with this strategy is it's a very delicate build-up and is impossible to achieve twice with one person, making the game a tad drawn out the next times it's played if you're not a die hard fan of EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.

P.S. Yes i did just make a profile to reply to this topic, but i PROBABLY will use it from now on!

 

[K84]

I actually liked Midgar, and did'nt find it al too depressing.
Kinda liked the doom and gloom industrial feel.

Now forrests, those were depressing.

 

[littlerudi08107]

Personally I like the decaying urban blight of Midgar. I get a sort of sick satisfaction seeing that all of man's creations begin to crumble and rot under the force of nature.

 

[guruofreason]

I love FF7, and love Midgar. I would have to say that I am biased in this respect because I prefer futuristic/technological environments as opposed to the fantasy/medieval ones that are so prevalent in jrpgs. But I do have to agree somewhat with the author on the over-abundance of dark settings in many futuristic games, and in many movies and TV shows. Sure, it is great to play in the dark futurism of Doom 3, but I don't want to be constantly bombarded with dark dystopianism everytime I play a futuristic game. I like to see brighter, more utopian settings also. I would like to see more livable cities. While it makes for good eye candy and good imaginative mind candy, Midgar is not a place people would want to actually live. FF8 does better than FF7 in this regard. I would much rather live in Esthar than in Midgar. Opoona is a game which showcases a future that someone wouldn't mind living in. Xenosaga did pretty good in this regard. So while I love Midgar, sometimes, I want to play through a bright and luminous technological utopia.

 

[twaddle]

I know i am very late reading this article. This article has reminded me of what hope looks like. I really needed it. The writing was superb and it reminds me how much i need to get back to work on my writing.

 

[Infernai]

FF7's a great game with an absurdly weak opening. To be fair, once you've played any game through to completion, never mind doing all the side-quests and defeating the psychotically overpowered enemies they put in the american release (apparently as punishment for hiroshima), the starting areas always seem a but unecessary and tedious.

As far as starting areas go, however, Midgar ranks just behind Peragus in my book as the most boring, drawn-out, and overall tedious opening tutorial. I suppose that makes the rest of the world seem beautiful by comparisson, but there must be better way to do that than trapping the player in a junkyard for the first seven hours.

And as a tangent, I wish they would stop releasing other FF7-based games which royally suck ass (And god help me, Advent Children is non-canon.) and just do a remake like essentially everyone was hoping for when they showed that trailer a few years back.

Hey! I thought Advent Children was Pretty good! Ok, it's not perfect but it atleast gave us a look at how things worked out (Or in some ways didn't) for the main cast and the world after all it went through in the original. Crisis core was also good, but for different reasons: It added a bit more depth to what happened before.

Dirge of Cerberus though....yeah, i'll agree there that game is horrid and should be considered non-canon. Ok, it was nice they didn't re-use sephiroth for the big bad this time but...the whole game literally had no reason to exist. What more was there to go on after advent children? I think they should have just left it at advent children and crisis core. If we get anymore FF7 stuff, just let it be a remake.

 

[flare100]

I remember playing FFVII when I was quite young with the sole intention of getting out of midgar. Funny seeing an article on it years later.