Why is Final Fantasy 7 loved so much?

[Odbarc]

Lol i disagree, honestly 4,6 and 9 are the worst, still amazing but the weakest.

What?! These are like... the best of the series.
4 has the worse replay value because there's nothing you can do about the severe linearity of the game... which people hate in the new versions of the game (The most recent one with lightning).
FF6 has been modded in so many ways that you can replay and relive the experiences of freshness the game.
FF9 moved a bit slowly for my tastes but was WAY better than 8.

After like what an hour? even less? in 7 am developing my magic and my stats am actually leveling up. Am developing my characters slowly from the very beginning, there was a lot of interesting new spells to. 6 may have brought a lot of new stuff but game play was not the main priority and thats sad. 6 for the first few hours is pretty much a movie a text based movie.

FF6: There are benefits to getting past those areas at the lowest level possible, so there's incentive and challenge to do so.
And if your using fight all the time, you're likely using the weakest and most ineffective attack (except in rare cases where you have an elemental-weapon) except characters like Locke whose only offensive skill (before magic) is Fight.

When I replayed FF7 most recently, I discovered that it was so mana ineffective to cast anything other than cure or regen. You could get more damage from spamming Fight and using cure every 3-4 rounds than it would be to do slightly more damage with an elemental spell. The game can easily be brought down to spamming Fight and winning most battles because you can horde mana for cure spells and be near invincible and run through the entire game without worry.
I got SO bored. The random minigames I just wanted them to END because there was no prize incentives to do good or make them last longer. The game has so many side-paths for treasures that you end up going everywhere anyway because it's dumb to just bypass free power-ups.

2,3,5,7,8,10,12,13 all took great strides in game play and how to develop your character so if there were parts that were slow you didn't care you were developing game play wise instead of storyline wise.

8 had way too much of that crap. Casting Draw 11 times per spell to get max stats, never casting spells because it weakened your stats, long-ass GF scenes,

6; It was storyline first and storyline second, game play 3rd. thats why its the weakest.

Something wrong with a good story?
I'll admit that 6 had a pretty flawed battle system (Way too many defense piercing abilities.)
(Pummel, Fang, Drill to name a few). There exists modded versions of the game that correct this. It's a poor to substitute the game in this fashion to 'bring it up to par' but it's amazing to relive all the epic battles the game has to offer without any of the cheese tactics available.

People bag on 7 but at least it was interesting most of the time.

Long forced mini-games with no (or menial) rewards.
Spamming Fight is the most effective damage-per-mana if you save it fore cure/regen.
Chocobo racing/breeding a massive trial of patience for a summon that takes a minute or so to sit through the animation.
(Thank fully needless) Grind heavy requirements to power-up your character effectively.

7 would take A LONG time to remake, i dont think they need too, comon who dosent have a copy i have 3. But if they were to keep every little minigame and just everything, itd take forever, and if you take ONE thing out the fanbase will hate it, i know i would. You dont make changes to a game after its launch, unless a glitch.

Who said remake it? I would protest it's remake simply out of knowing how terribly it would be for non-nostalgic players who get their hands on it. A purely graphical alternation to it's existing template would BOMB.



Final Fantasy Tactics could use a remake.

 

[Zantos]

I didn't like 7. I'm one of those people who prefers 10.

10 was effin A! I used to get shunned at college because mates would be discussing what the best part of 7 was and they'd ask me and I'd be all "Never really got into it, I liked 9 and 10" and they'd get annoyed and not speak to me all day. I mean 9 was a really good game and I love the whole steampunk thing it's kinda rocking. But my God 10 had Blitzball!!! I swear I spent more time playing Blitzball than everything else put together.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Nostalgia, mostly. For a lot of people, it was the first Final Fantasy they played, and the one they judge all others by.

That said, my first Final Fantasy game was X, but my favorite is IX. Yes, the characters were not all great characters, but it has a lot of nostalgia, and I really did enjoy the story. A political story done right, unlike XII. And having a main character angst free after Cloud and Squall was refreshing.

Also, Vivi.

 

[HazelrahFiver]

I actually love FFVII more than others in the series because of the gameplay. The story is great and all, but most of them have decent stories, and the characters are easy to love, it's true.

However, I actually enjoy the materia system in that it allows you to create just about any class you want. You can mix and match and have very unique characters from others that play the game.

That said, it does usually end up being pretty similar between players, wanting to have all the best stuff... but the concept, and early on in the game especially, allow for a lot of customization. It harkens back to FFI but is clearly expanded as the allowance for more possibilities exists with better technology. It's a shame that no FF game since has really given this another go. What they really need is for the next FF game to have the same kind of spell/ability customization along with weapon and class choices for every character. This would be quite a huge undertaking, but it seems like a necessity so that jrpgs can cease to seem so pathetically outdated.

Oh, and Jenova ftw.

 

[Scythas]

There's just as much of a following for hating FF7 as there is for loving it, so you'll have to make up your own mind.

For me, it's just a beautiful game. It was the first FF I played, and its ingrained deeply into me because I played it as a kid. Playing it as an eight year old, the characters were deep, the story was riveting and the world was just beautiful. Getting into the Highwind for the first time and tearing across the planet that you had to painstakingly walk across before was just an incredible feeling. Aeris' death legitimately made my 8 year old self angry.

And the soundtrack. Even the most hardened FF7 haters begrudgingly admit the games soundtrack is amazing. I can hear any one of those songs and be instantly transported into the past.

It's a very special game to me.

 

[Matt Dellar]

I dunno. I liked Final Fantasy 8 quite a bit more. I liked Squall and Rinoa more than Cloud and Tifa, and I didn't even finish FF7.

Yes, Tifa is hot, but it seems that's the most she has going for her as a character. I liked Rinoa because, unlike other 3D FF heroines, her boobs weren't enormous and she wasn't sexualized. I found it much easier to look at her as a genuinely good character as opposed to Tifa with her DDs, miniskirt, and belly shirt.

Also, I played FF8 thinking that [POSSIBLE SPOILER] everything after disc 1 was just a realization of Squall's desires as he was dying from the icicle through his heart. That made the story make more sense to me, and ultimately, made it better.

Twelve years for a remake, though? If we want this game before the next world war or depression or whatever, Square would have to start making this thing ten years ago.

 

[thelastmccabe]

I re-played FF7 fairly recently on my PSP and... honestly, I un-ironically, un-nostalgically love it. I was expecting to end up saying, "well jeez, that hasn't aged well" and shutting it off in disappointment, but it's actually better than I remember it being.

I find there's a lot I appreciate about it that didn't make it through my head when I was a kid. It's not really in the big picture stuff, but more the little details from moment to moment in the setting and more in the themes that're motivating the game's events. It helps, I find, to go back, play the game, and really take it in.

Try it! See what you think! When you're just going from memory it's really easy to stop yourself and say, "eh, it's probably not as good as I remember," but maybe if you take another look you'll find new things to appreciate.

This!! I'm in the midst of doing this right now myself. The last one I played was 13, which I hated, and I was expecting 7 to be a big disappointment because 13 sort of clouded my perspective on the whole series. I've instead been surprised by how fantastic it is, and I really don't think it's just nostalgia. One thing I've noticed that I didn't appreciate as much before is that the 2.5d environments are really beautifully drawn and very detailed, and there are tons of different places to see.

I think people like it because it has a good story, great villain, and a lot of interesting themes like the above poster said. There are lots of areas to explores, lots of NPCs to talk to, and lots of hubs. It's much less grindy then 13. 13 was basically all combat, and I think in my last hour of game time of FF7 I've had 1 fight. I'm not far enough in to really comment on what else I like, except from memory, which I don't really want to do. I can't say how it compares to 6, 8, or 9 b/c I haven't played them, but I probably will after I'm finished with 7.

 

[ms_sunlight]

I think it's pretty crap compared to FFs 5 & 6. I certainly gave much more of a crap when brave, funny, likeable Galuf sacrificed himself saving his friends than when wafty, useless Aeris pulled an Ophelia. Plus, Cloud is a dickhead.

Its enduring popularity is largely due to timing. As people have said, it was one of the biggest games on the PS1 and it introduced a lot of people in Europe and the Americas to Japanese RPGs. I couldn't go back and play it again though, whereas I do go back and play either 5 or 6 about once a year. They're just that good - 5 for gameplay, 6 for story - whereas 7 stands out in neither respect.

 

[Hides His Eyes]

One thing I love about FF7 is the environments. The background, which are essentially paintings with moving parts, are - in terms of simple aesthetics rather than in technical terms - better than any environment I've seen in a game since. Morrowind and Half-Life 2 come close. But most of the games coming out nowadays, while being very IMPRESSIVE graphics-wise, are nowhere near as beautiful or visually interesting as the slums of Midgar or the mountains around Nibelheim. All the state-of-the-art graphics technology in the world can't make up for a lack of artistic vision.

Also, FF7 has my favourite music from any game ever.

There's just as much of a following for hating FF7 as there is for loving it, so you'll have to make up your own mind.

For me, it's just a beautiful game. It was the first FF I played, and its ingrained deeply into me because I played it as a kid. Playing it as an eight year old, the characters were deep, the story was riveting and the world was just beautiful. Getting into the Highwind for the first time and tearing across the planet that you had to painstakingly walk across before was just an incredible feeling. Aeris' death legitimately made my 8 year old self angry.

And the soundtrack. Even the most hardened FF7 haters begrudgingly admit the games soundtrack is amazing. I can hear any one of those songs and be instantly transported into the past.

It's a very special game to me.

This, to the letter. Except I was 11, not 8.

 

[the spud]

I didn't play it until last year and I thought it was a pretty great game.

Not the best in the series, but very good none the less.

Fun characters, fun story, descent gameplay, whats not to like?

 

[scorptatious]

For many people, FFVII was their first RPG. So it's only natural that they would look upon the game with nostalgia. Not saying the game is bad though, I played the game for the first time last year and thought it was great. I liked the battle system, most of the characters, and the story.

As for whether or not there should be a remake. I'm kind of mixed on the issue. I personally wouldn't mind seeing a graphical update or a re-translation of the script. Other than that though, I don't really care.

 

[LittleBlondeGoth]

It's a very contentious subject. in which there's basically two camps; those that think it's brilliant, and those that reckon the first lot should get their heads examined. I would be one of the fans. Let's get that out of the way now. Is it the best game ever? I'm not certain either way, but I'd be prepared to argue it's case.

Here's a thought though: This game is what, nearly 15 years old now? And it's still causing this much of a reaction and discussion? That at least should say something about it. Even if that's us fangirls are slavishly devoted creatures.

Why do I like it so much? Well. I've always liked RPGs. Before I had my PS1, I used to play Secret of Mana, Cadaver, Dungeon Master... Things like that. It's the sort of thing I enjoy, all that party selection, swords and sorcery and inventory management. It's not everyone's cup of tea, of course, but I'll happily pass the hours fiddling with my setups. So perhaps I was pre-disposed to liking the game before I even saw it, simply because of the type of games I enjoy.

I first saw it on my then boyfriends' PS1 back in 1997. He was hunched over his controller and quite cheerfully ignoring me, which was getting a little tiresome. I wandered over to see what he was doing, and came face to face with my first FF game. He was running round Midgar, and compared to the graphics I'd had up to now on my Amiga and SNES, is was stunning. I know you can look at it these days and laugh, but believe me when I say that back then it was so different from anything I had seen in an RPG before. And then there were these cool looking characters, and the beginning of an epic storyline, and wait... The President just got stabbed with a massive sword? What's going on here? I asked if I could have a go. He said no. An hour later, I was walking out the door to buy my own console and copy of the game. I never looked back.

Needless to say, I enjoyed it immensely. The characters, the plot twists, the gameplay mechanics, the Materia system... Even my mum ended up watching over my shoulder as I bred and raced chocobos. This whole concept of minigames within the main game was so new to me as well, and the hours just rolled by. I grew to feel for Cloud and Tifa, cry over Aeris and have a major crush on Vincent (something that's followed me into my 30's I fear).

So yes, I bloody loved it. And over the years, I've gone and bought all the old Final Fantasies, as well as the new ones, and played through them. I find it fascinating how the series has grown and developed from it's roots. VI was awesome, even though the graphics were the traditional top down style. IX blew me away. Hell, I even enjoyed VIII when I got my head wrapped around it.

However. Fifteen years have passed since then, and there's been some incredible games come out since. The Mass Effect series and Dragon Age have me gripped. Again, story, characters and gameplay combine to make something truly wonderful for me to play. Uncharted, Assassin's Creed... We're lucky to have such excellent titles at our fingertips.

But none have stayed with me quite so much as the FF series. Maybe it's part nostalgia. Maybe it's because I played it so damn much. The music is certainly responsible for something, to the extent that I intend to walk down the aisle at my wedding to Uematsu's Prelude.

I acknowledge the great games of today. I admit VII no longer looks shiny and new, and that the translation frankly sucks. But that doesn't stop it from having a special place in my heart. I won't foam at the mouth if you tell me you hate it. Fair dues, I'm not going to force you. But hopefully I've given a rough explanation of why some of us love it so much.

 

[LogicNProportion]

I like 8 the best personally. Which has seemingly became pretty common nowadays. I remember when I was saying that around the time of its release and I would get flamed hardcore for liking such "crap". It didn't matter that I had played every US released version of the game before that. I actually liked 3 (US) and 7 about the same.

FF7 has became a sort of meme I think due to the innovation in quality for its time and hyped up by being ammunition for Playstation to come out swinging with its console. They really raised the bar against Nintendo early on with that game. Personally, I think that most people that claim 7 is the best probably haven't sampled many and they know 7 was a "big thing" on release on a scale no other FF game has matched to date. (10 came closest but not that close) Basically, I think it is labeled "the best" because it is "the most commonly known". Could be worse though had FF13's hype caught on. Be thankful.

I've played every other Final Fantasy (Except 14, fuck 14), I've beaten all the ones I've played (Except 11, obviously) and I can still say without a doubt that 7 is my favorite. Is it the best of the series? Heavens no, at least, gameplay wise.

But what I find so amazing about 7 is the characters and the setting. Oh, and the music. 7 definitely has the best soundtrack.

If you don't like it, then I'm sticking with my theory that if you don't get it after playing it, you never will. It's not an acquired taste.

 

[Materia Girl]

It's a very contentious subject. in which there's basically two camps; those that think it's brilliant, and those that reckon the first lot should get their heads examined. I would be one of the fans. Let's get that out of the way now. Is it the best game ever? I'm not certain either way, but I'd be prepared to argue it's case.

Here's a thought though: This game is what, nearly 15 years old now? And it's still causing this much of a reaction and discussion? That at least should say something about it. Even if that's us fangirls are slavishly devoted creatures.

Why do I like it so much? Well. I've always liked RPGs. Before I had my PS1, I used to play Secret of Mana, Cadaver, Dungeon Master... Things like that. It's the sort of thing I enjoy, all that party selection, swords and sorcery and inventory management. It's not everyone's cup of tea, of course, but I'll happily pass the hours fiddling with my setups. So perhaps I was pre-disposed to liking the game before I even saw it, simply because of the type of games I enjoy.

I first saw it on my then boyfriends' PS1 back in 1997. He was hunched over his controller and quite cheerfully ignoring me, which was getting a little tiresome. I wandered over to see what he was doing, and came face to face with my first FF game. He was running round Midgar, and compared to the graphics I'd had up to now on my Amiga and SNES, is was stunning. I know you can look at it these days and laugh, but believe me when I say that back then it was so different from anything I had seen in an RPG before. And then there were these cool looking characters, and the beginning of an epic storyline, and wait... The President just got stabbed with a massive sword? What's going on here? I asked if I could have a go. He said no. An hour later, I was walking out the door to buy my own console and copy of the game. I never looked back.

Needless to say, I enjoyed it immensely. The characters, the plot twists, the gameplay mechanics, the Materia system... Even my mum ended up watching over my shoulder as I bred and raced chocobos. This whole concept of minigames within the main game was so new to me as well, and the hours just rolled by. I grew to feel for Cloud and Tifa, cry over Aeris and have a major crush on Vincent (something that's followed me into my 30's I fear).

So yes, I bloody loved it. And over the years, I've gone and bought all the old Final Fantasies, as well as the new ones, and played through them. I find it fascinating how the series has grown and developed from it's roots. VI was awesome, even though the graphics were the traditional top down style. IX blew me away. Hell, I even enjoyed VIII when I got my head wrapped around it.

However. Fifteen years have passed since then, and there's been some incredible games come out since. The Mass Effect series and Dragon Age have me gripped. Again, story, characters and gameplay combine to make something truly wonderful for me to play. Uncharted, Assassin's Creed... We're lucky to have such excellent titles at our fingertips.

But none have stayed with me quite so much as the FF series. Maybe it's part nostalgia. Maybe it's because I played it so damn much. The music is certainly responsible for something, to the extent that I intend to walk down the aisle at my wedding to Uematsu's Prelude.

I acknowledge the great games of today. I admit VII no longer looks shiny and new, and that the translation frankly sucks. But that doesn't stop it from having a special place in my heart. I won't foam at the mouth if you tell me you hate it. Fair dues, I'm not going to force you. But hopefully I've given a rough explanation of why some of us love it so much.

AGREE!!!! Final Fantasy 7 was one of the first games I ever played and I have replayed it many times since. I liked 7 and 9 the best. I just furkin' love JRPGS and RPGS alike. *weeps*

 

[Knocker]

FF7 adding NOTHING new except a 3D engine and a variety to magic and whatnot.

It's funny what passes for nothing these days.

 

[Hides His Eyes]

It's a very contentious subject. in which there's basically two camps; those that think it's brilliant, and those that reckon the first lot should get their heads examined. I would be one of the fans. Let's get that out of the way now. Is it the best game ever? I'm not certain either way, but I'd be prepared to argue it's case.

Here's a thought though: This game is what, nearly 15 years old now? And it's still causing this much of a reaction and discussion? That at least should say something about it. Even if that's us fangirls are slavishly devoted creatures.

Why do I like it so much? Well. I've always liked RPGs. Before I had my PS1, I used to play Secret of Mana, Cadaver, Dungeon Master... Things like that. It's the sort of thing I enjoy, all that party selection, swords and sorcery and inventory management. It's not everyone's cup of tea, of course, but I'll happily pass the hours fiddling with my setups. So perhaps I was pre-disposed to liking the game before I even saw it, simply because of the type of games I enjoy.

I first saw it on my then boyfriends' PS1 back in 1997. He was hunched over his controller and quite cheerfully ignoring me, which was getting a little tiresome. I wandered over to see what he was doing, and came face to face with my first FF game. He was running round Midgar, and compared to the graphics I'd had up to now on my Amiga and SNES, is was stunning. I know you can look at it these days and laugh, but believe me when I say that back then it was so different from anything I had seen in an RPG before. And then there were these cool looking characters, and the beginning of an epic storyline, and wait... The President just got stabbed with a massive sword? What's going on here? I asked if I could have a go. He said no. An hour later, I was walking out the door to buy my own console and copy of the game. I never looked back.

Needless to say, I enjoyed it immensely. The characters, the plot twists, the gameplay mechanics, the Materia system... Even my mum ended up watching over my shoulder as I bred and raced chocobos. This whole concept of minigames within the main game was so new to me as well, and the hours just rolled by. I grew to feel for Cloud and Tifa, cry over Aeris and have a major crush on Vincent (something that's followed me into my 30's I fear).

So yes, I bloody loved it. And over the years, I've gone and bought all the old Final Fantasies, as well as the new ones, and played through them. I find it fascinating how the series has grown and developed from it's roots. VI was awesome, even though the graphics were the traditional top down style. IX blew me away. Hell, I even enjoyed VIII when I got my head wrapped around it.

However. Fifteen years have passed since then, and there's been some incredible games come out since. The Mass Effect series and Dragon Age have me gripped. Again, story, characters and gameplay combine to make something truly wonderful for me to play. Uncharted, Assassin's Creed... We're lucky to have such excellent titles at our fingertips.

But none have stayed with me quite so much as the FF series. Maybe it's part nostalgia. Maybe it's because I played it so damn much. The music is certainly responsible for something, to the extent that I intend to walk down the aisle at my wedding to Uematsu's Prelude.

I acknowledge the great games of today. I admit VII no longer looks shiny and new, and that the translation frankly sucks. But that doesn't stop it from having a special place in my heart. I won't foam at the mouth if you tell me you hate it. Fair dues, I'm not going to force you. But hopefully I've given a rough explanation of why some of us love it so much.

What an excellent post. And what a heart-warming story. The perfect response to the hordes of artificially jaded, deliberately cynical, too-cool-for-school critics going on about how the game is overrated and it's all nostalgia and blah blah interminable blah.

 

[Jfswift]

FF7 had a unique graphic style that wasn't really like the other ones in the series. It looked more realistic (backgrounds and battles mostly where everyone was proper proportions instead of super deformed). It also used harsh language and had a decent style line and a wide variety of characters to please everyone. The golden saucer was cool too (I love good minigame sections). Also I think the 12 year to remake it is a lame excuse. There's no way it takes that long to remake a game like that unless they're trying to do what Kazunori Yamauchi did with Gran Turismo and try to be all perfectionist about it.

Offtopic but if you go back in time Phantasy Star II had a similar art style (realistic characters and decent graphics.. well the best they could do with what they had at the time). It's too bad the later games in the series (after IV) changed to a different play and graphic style (they're fun too but I prefer the originals).

Also, I think the original FF is the best if I had to pick one (I do prefer the playstation or iphone remake though).

 

[mikeysnakes]

I've always felt like Final Fantasy 7 was just a slightly changed version of Final Fantasy 6, that's part of why I didn't fall in love with it. Also as a twist, the twist of the game is great, but it ends up just making Cloud have no character whatsoever, so for me I felt the story fell apart a bit.

I've always been more into other RPGs anyway, like Suikoden, Grandia, Arc the Lad and Skies of Arcadia, so I've never really gotten the Square worship.

 

[Machocruz]

It wasn't bad at all, but not particularly standout to a person who had played a ton of RPGs, on mutliple platforms since the early 80's.

There is nothing so great about it, besides the presentation, that you couldn't find great about a number of other games. In all respects of the game there are examples of equal or better, before and since.

There is always a vocal minority that has extreme views, and they get the attention, but I think most people are content with just saying it's their personal favorite game, or they were impressed, or whatever.

What I am wary of is people who are incredulous that you don't share their opinion on the game, or any game. They are victims of marketing and/or group-think. I may think Deus Ex is the greatest thing ever, but I'm not taken aback if someone else says otherwise.

 

[Snowblindblitz]

To those of us who grew up from console to console, FF7 was one of those first 3d games to put in that shiny Playstation. And it was mind blowing. Watching the train ride around Midgar. Throwing you in with this resistance group fighting to save the plant. I was honestly creep-ed out walking around the Shinra building after Sephiroth went homicidal through it. That part was so great, just getting the feeling across something is wrong...

And so many mini-games. I feel like the game managed to introduce huge steps in graphics without sacrificing the fat like modern day games. And I always wanted an awesome use for the tissue (isn't that what that useless thing was called?) Doing squats to get the best wig for Cloud, the motorcycle chase, defending the reactor, all so much fun. Even the little things, like using a phone to switch party members (call them up and change your party around). The Turks, who I wanted to be a member of it for some reason. First time you summon Alexander. Knights of the Round. They just ingrain their selves into you at the time, and talking about it with friends, and what characters they used/liked. I'm still pissed at the guy who stole my FF7 strategy guide.