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FF7 - over-rated or under-rated?
- Thread starter Shyne
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007sephiroth
ShinRa Guard
I agree with Talon, FF7 has been put at the front of people's minds a lot.. But some people, like myself just genuinely love the game and could live without so many naysayers attacking everything about the game.. The game is great, the products they make from the game: if someone buys it that is their business, not the whole world's! Advertising such accessories is just a way to sell it so everyone who thinks the game has been 'whored out' needs to get off of those who love just the game itself's backs!
crueldemeanor
Chocobo Breeder
I can't really say it was over-rated or under-rated. Athough, this game was a breakthrough from the previous Final fantasy's breaking away from the Jobs ( knights, wizards and etc.). But I have to agree with some people that they should had not made the spin-offs from FF7.
To be honest, I think much of the 'controversy' comes from FF fans discussing the holy hell out of it. Over time each game has been nitpicked by fans down to the bone. Personally, I don't pay attention to these things. Sure I like discussing the games, I think that can be fun. But arguing between what game is better, I usually don't bother with them, or at the very least, I don't take them very seriously.
My main thing is, I play a game, regardless of how new or old it may be, and I play to see if I enjoyed it or not. Generally when playing an older game, I keep in mind when it was released, what games came before and around it and what games came after. With VII, I have played it many times and I love the game. It's one of my favorites, not my all time favorite, but having started to replay it recently...even with time, it shows to be a solid game. The game had some troubles with localization, but I think its the grammatical errors that give it a charm, something that makes me laugh. I put it on the same level of 'You spoony bard!' from FFIV. Errors, glitches and all, it's a very rewarding game.
I don't believe it is overrated. If it was, there would honestly be more negativity for it than positive feedback. Fans (or haters) have a way of getting their point across, even into mainstream media. Voices of the people who play these games get out there. I also disagree that it is underrated. If it was underrated, it wouldn't get nearly the amount of attention and fan service that it has for years. Xenogears or Suikoden II are underrated. Not the juggernaut of Final Fantasy VII.
It is neither over or underrated, its the general population that talks about it, tearing the game apart (not necessarily always in a negative way) discussing every small thing to death, that can make some to view it negatively. I personally don't let any outside interference get in the way. I enjoy a game based on my own thoughts and opinions, no one else's. Many loathe and hate Legend of Dragoon, saying how much it sucks and tried to copy FFVII. Well, its one of my favorite RPG's, no one can hope to take that feeling away from me, no matter how much they talk. With FFVII it's the same.
The franchise is saturated more by fans than the franchise itself as well. Advent Children and Crisis Core are very solid creative works. Its a great movie in my opinion, even better with the new director's cut, adding about 30 minutes of new content to the movie itself. I haven't seen it, but I imagine it's more scenes with the other characters, if just a little more. Many talk about how it's nothing more than a fan service, but those who say that probably ended up missing the portrayal of Cloud. Forgetting that he lost both Zack, his close friend, and Aerith (hard to say what that was). It'd be understandable for him to be distant from others and displaying that dark side of him, despite becoming 'whole' through the later events of the original game. Crisis Core can also stand on its own two feet as a solid game, let alone a simple prequel. It fleshed out the FFVII world in a way many didn't suspect or have any idea about with the original game. Dirge of Cerberus was a 'close but not quite' type of game. Despite that, the story was suitable as another chapter in the FFVII universe. Though it probably would have been seen in a better light if it was released as a downloadable story through PSN or something like that.
All of that probably makes me sound like a rabid fan, but I'm really not. It isn't even my favorite Final Fantasy, not my favorite bunch of characters as a whole. But the bickering as a whole, the collective rolling of the eyes, detracted from the whole thing. I think only recently, after Crisis Core had been released, that it was seen more positively instead of before it was released, when not too many were giving it half a chance. It's things like that, that can detract from the series or for this topic, the original game.
We tend to compare every other Final Fantasy to VII, and that is an incorrect thing to do. Each FF is individual and should be treated so. Comparing Cloud to Squall or Tidus, or is Kuja better than Sephiroth, are just questions that shouldn't even come up. It's things like that, that make us look at FFVII negatively. So...above anything else we might be the cause of this 'problem' if there really is one. Treat a game as it is, just a video game. Play it as it was meant to be, not comparing it to the most popular one. That's what I've tried to do, and through that, I see FFVII as a great RPG that was released in the late 90's. Definitely one of the best of the decade. But it was 10+ years ago, as fans we should learn to let go and move on, but still cherish it as Final Fantasy at some of its finest in the dark ambiance the game holds.
But that's my opinion, others may say that its awful and deserves none of its popularity. That's fine too. I'm in no way saying its the perfect game, there clearly is none and FFVII is far from that utopic idea in its poor localization, glitches, and spotty plot holes. But as a story and with its range of characters and their backgrounds explored, I think its definitely one of the better ones.
My main thing is, I play a game, regardless of how new or old it may be, and I play to see if I enjoyed it or not. Generally when playing an older game, I keep in mind when it was released, what games came before and around it and what games came after. With VII, I have played it many times and I love the game. It's one of my favorites, not my all time favorite, but having started to replay it recently...even with time, it shows to be a solid game. The game had some troubles with localization, but I think its the grammatical errors that give it a charm, something that makes me laugh. I put it on the same level of 'You spoony bard!' from FFIV. Errors, glitches and all, it's a very rewarding game.
I don't believe it is overrated. If it was, there would honestly be more negativity for it than positive feedback. Fans (or haters) have a way of getting their point across, even into mainstream media. Voices of the people who play these games get out there. I also disagree that it is underrated. If it was underrated, it wouldn't get nearly the amount of attention and fan service that it has for years. Xenogears or Suikoden II are underrated. Not the juggernaut of Final Fantasy VII.
It is neither over or underrated, its the general population that talks about it, tearing the game apart (not necessarily always in a negative way) discussing every small thing to death, that can make some to view it negatively. I personally don't let any outside interference get in the way. I enjoy a game based on my own thoughts and opinions, no one else's. Many loathe and hate Legend of Dragoon, saying how much it sucks and tried to copy FFVII. Well, its one of my favorite RPG's, no one can hope to take that feeling away from me, no matter how much they talk. With FFVII it's the same.
The franchise is saturated more by fans than the franchise itself as well. Advent Children and Crisis Core are very solid creative works. Its a great movie in my opinion, even better with the new director's cut, adding about 30 minutes of new content to the movie itself. I haven't seen it, but I imagine it's more scenes with the other characters, if just a little more. Many talk about how it's nothing more than a fan service, but those who say that probably ended up missing the portrayal of Cloud. Forgetting that he lost both Zack, his close friend, and Aerith (hard to say what that was). It'd be understandable for him to be distant from others and displaying that dark side of him, despite becoming 'whole' through the later events of the original game. Crisis Core can also stand on its own two feet as a solid game, let alone a simple prequel. It fleshed out the FFVII world in a way many didn't suspect or have any idea about with the original game. Dirge of Cerberus was a 'close but not quite' type of game. Despite that, the story was suitable as another chapter in the FFVII universe. Though it probably would have been seen in a better light if it was released as a downloadable story through PSN or something like that.
All of that probably makes me sound like a rabid fan, but I'm really not. It isn't even my favorite Final Fantasy, not my favorite bunch of characters as a whole. But the bickering as a whole, the collective rolling of the eyes, detracted from the whole thing. I think only recently, after Crisis Core had been released, that it was seen more positively instead of before it was released, when not too many were giving it half a chance. It's things like that, that can detract from the series or for this topic, the original game.
We tend to compare every other Final Fantasy to VII, and that is an incorrect thing to do. Each FF is individual and should be treated so. Comparing Cloud to Squall or Tidus, or is Kuja better than Sephiroth, are just questions that shouldn't even come up. It's things like that, that make us look at FFVII negatively. So...above anything else we might be the cause of this 'problem' if there really is one. Treat a game as it is, just a video game. Play it as it was meant to be, not comparing it to the most popular one. That's what I've tried to do, and through that, I see FFVII as a great RPG that was released in the late 90's. Definitely one of the best of the decade. But it was 10+ years ago, as fans we should learn to let go and move on, but still cherish it as Final Fantasy at some of its finest in the dark ambiance the game holds.
But that's my opinion, others may say that its awful and deserves none of its popularity. That's fine too. I'm in no way saying its the perfect game, there clearly is none and FFVII is far from that utopic idea in its poor localization, glitches, and spotty plot holes. But as a story and with its range of characters and their backgrounds explored, I think its definitely one of the better ones.
Peder Andersson
Haste
Final Fantasy 7 has never been my favorite FF game, that does not mean that I dislike it. As I play it again, the third time now I think, it is finally revealed to me that the game is borrowing many old themes and revitalizes them as well as creating new ones that are with us to this day.
The story is simple at its center but a maze once you dig below the surface of each character and event, it is a game that presents a world larger then the story with secret characters, locations, factions similar to many old games but new in it's own right.
My largest complaint is the awful text in the game, I don't know if it was the translators who did it of if the Japanese text was that way. Either way, it's horrible and I find myself skipping text more often then not only so I can play. Because the Materia system is what makes the game new and refreshing; yes it borrows from old FF staples but as above mentioned revitalized and perfected, a perfection that created the fantastic Junction system in FF8 (I am not sarcastic).
So is the game overrated or not? I say yes. It is a hallmark amongst PRG:s, among games and might have created a paradigm shift in the PRG genre but in hindsight it's just another Final Fantasy game spawning many spin-offs and kept alive by a legacy larger then the game itself.
The story is simple at its center but a maze once you dig below the surface of each character and event, it is a game that presents a world larger then the story with secret characters, locations, factions similar to many old games but new in it's own right.
My largest complaint is the awful text in the game, I don't know if it was the translators who did it of if the Japanese text was that way. Either way, it's horrible and I find myself skipping text more often then not only so I can play. Because the Materia system is what makes the game new and refreshing; yes it borrows from old FF staples but as above mentioned revitalized and perfected, a perfection that created the fantastic Junction system in FF8 (I am not sarcastic).
So is the game overrated or not? I say yes. It is a hallmark amongst PRG:s, among games and might have created a paradigm shift in the PRG genre but in hindsight it's just another Final Fantasy game spawning many spin-offs and kept alive by a legacy larger then the game itself.
Xephonai
Ex-Soldier
I would say that Final Fantasy VII is neither over or under rated. For me it was the first Final Fantasy game I played and what blew me away the most was seeing the FMV (full motion video's) at the time and this was the reason I purchased this game along with a PSX.
When I look back to the N64/PSX/SS era the games that really stand out to me are the following.
Super Mario 64
Final Fantasy VII
Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Golden Eye: 007
Metal Gear Solid
These games all had one thing in common, they broke new barriers in gaming that had never been done or seen before in gaming. For this reason alone many people will continue to keep these games at a hotted debate. What I do find sad about Final Fantasy VII is this. There's no way, what so ever that someone who plays Final fantasy VII today could be blown away by the game if they played it 11 years ago today.
When I look back to the N64/PSX/SS era the games that really stand out to me are the following.
Super Mario 64
Final Fantasy VII
Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Golden Eye: 007
Metal Gear Solid
These games all had one thing in common, they broke new barriers in gaming that had never been done or seen before in gaming. For this reason alone many people will continue to keep these games at a hotted debate. What I do find sad about Final Fantasy VII is this. There's no way, what so ever that someone who plays Final fantasy VII today could be blown away by the game if they played it 11 years ago today.
From my last post, I'd like to add more detail.
FF7 is overated, easily. It's got god awful graphics (no they weren't even good for that time), a hole-filled storyline, and awful characters. I detest it, and I hate it even more everytime someone fills the need to go all out with how awesome they thought it was.
Just for details, FF7 was actually my first FF, before I moved on to FF8, but I hated it so much that I didn't try to get past the first disk. The epic storyline felt forced, the only character that made sense died. It just didn't appeal to me. Alot of people think that the first one you played is the one that you love the most, but not me.
However, I would find that game slightly tolerable, not good, not even okay, but tolerable, if so many people didn't insist on using the game as a benchmark for other games. It's had it's moment, and it's over, so get over it and move on. I'm talking to you, too, Square Enix.
FF7 is overated, easily. It's got god awful graphics (no they weren't even good for that time), a hole-filled storyline, and awful characters. I detest it, and I hate it even more everytime someone fills the need to go all out with how awesome they thought it was.
Just for details, FF7 was actually my first FF, before I moved on to FF8, but I hated it so much that I didn't try to get past the first disk. The epic storyline felt forced, the only character that made sense died. It just didn't appeal to me. Alot of people think that the first one you played is the one that you love the most, but not me.
However, I would find that game slightly tolerable, not good, not even okay, but tolerable, if so many people didn't insist on using the game as a benchmark for other games. It's had it's moment, and it's over, so get over it and move on. I'm talking to you, too, Square Enix.
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Aidy91
ShinRa Guard
i know where youre coming from, this was also my first ff all those years ago!!, i was 7 years old!! i didnt have a clue what i was playing!, but i must say that i enjoyed it and i really truely do love it to this day but as a fan of it ill be open and say that it is overrated , terribly , i really hate fanboys going on about it , and another thing that gets me mad is square - enix making completly SHIT spinoff's , dirge of cerberus is the most cringe worthy game i have played , like we havent seen 3rd person shooting in a game before, not to mention that the story was brutal too, its been more than 10 years now since its hay day and the money grabbing bastards are still getting money from it , now im not saying i hate spinoffs , i would seriously love to see an ff8 and ff9 remake but as Square soft had them all those years ago, im sick of hearing about ff7 sometimes theres too many differnt versions of it , square enix need to wise up and stop wasting time.
Cyezero
Blue Mage
Well I'm just gonna say that Final Fantasy 7 is alittle bit over-rated. Now I know alot of people won't agree with what I'm saying and there maybe some that will agree with me.
Final Fantasy 7 was the first game that I can say I enjoyed on the Playstation. At the time the game had great graphics a wonderful story line and one of the best villians (who's still #1 in my book). But the untold character stories and the cut-scene at the end of the game lead alot of fans to want more. That's when advent children came along to help fill in the blanks. But when square-enix began milking the franchise by releasing spin-off after spin-off after spin-off. It kinda turned me away from the series creating characters that where never mentioned in the main game. And making it seem as though Cloud and Sephiroth are the greatest hero and villain pair of all time. Kind of disappoints me.
Final Fantasy is a series each game has a great hero and villain if we remain stuck on FF7 then when can we move on to the rest of the series. But if another final fantasy 7 spin off where to come out I would like to see one about the shira turks. I know theres a cell phone game out there already about them but I want to see one for the handhelds aleast.
Final Fantasy 7 was the first game that I can say I enjoyed on the Playstation. At the time the game had great graphics a wonderful story line and one of the best villians (who's still #1 in my book). But the untold character stories and the cut-scene at the end of the game lead alot of fans to want more. That's when advent children came along to help fill in the blanks. But when square-enix began milking the franchise by releasing spin-off after spin-off after spin-off. It kinda turned me away from the series creating characters that where never mentioned in the main game. And making it seem as though Cloud and Sephiroth are the greatest hero and villain pair of all time. Kind of disappoints me.
Final Fantasy is a series each game has a great hero and villain if we remain stuck on FF7 then when can we move on to the rest of the series. But if another final fantasy 7 spin off where to come out I would like to see one about the shira turks. I know theres a cell phone game out there already about them but I want to see one for the handhelds aleast.
Priestess-Mars
.:The FFF Kitty:.
Well I honestly think it's not UNDERRATED or OVERRATED. It's in the middle! A lot of people got into FFVII after Advent Children which actually makes me really mad inside because the original gamers who played it understood what the game was about than these people who just come in and go, "Yeah, Cloud was sooo emo. What an emo boy." Like they didn't even know the Cloud from FFVII, so they just start judging the characters from the movie. Also, the hype started because all these people liked AC which made the games more popular and expensive.
And yes FFVII does kick Zelda's butt anyday because it's just got a better plot and interesting characters. I understand everyone has their own opinions about FF, but they shouldn't hate on it because it seems popular to them.
And yes FFVII does kick Zelda's butt anyday because it's just got a better plot and interesting characters. I understand everyone has their own opinions about FF, but they shouldn't hate on it because it seems popular to them.
FinalHeart
Svegli
I say over-rated by the FFVII fanboys who say it is the best game ever, but under-rated by everyone else who says it sucks. It's a great game to this day (I just beat it yesterday, so I would know), with the materia system being absolutely addicting to the OCD in me. However, I felt like there was little to no challenge until the very last dungeon, which is a shame. It felt like the game dragged a little in the middle, and challenge would've helped it pick up.
A very, very good game though.
A very, very good game though.
i agree, in my childhood it was an incredibly hard game, but playing through it again with my sister, i don't even have to strategize most of the time. i defeated the red dragon at the temple of the ancients with one meteorain, my opening move.
i'm glad someone else can see the POV i have on its popularity; that it's put on a pedestal as some god for fanboys while trampled upon as a pile of crap by other fanboys. not that other games aren't the same situation, but FFVII is the most popular of the PSX era, making its fanboy/hater base larger than most.
Chocobowill
SOLDIER
I love the game, absolutely spectacular. I don't think it under-rater nor over rated. I think its just right, imo the game was the best of its series, and probably will stay there. It has a deep story line, great music, and lovable characters. However haha, im a Zelda fan to, but in the end i sadly think FFVII does beat it. But no its no over or under rated, i think its right.
I don't think it's overrated.Might have been in the past but not anymore.
Why?Cause graphics,gameplay and everything changed.So people don't play old games for those reasons.It ends up being underrated now.
It's one of the few games that made me enjoy it so much and caused me so many feelings while playing it.I would wake up early in the morning everyday just to play it non-stop for a month.
Although I must say that I was one of those people who first saw the movie and then played the game.But I'm happy that I decided to give the game a try.Too bad some other people won't.For me that's the reason it becomes underrated.Usually RPG games are underrated,because other kinds of gamers make fun of them.Who cares,it's them missing it.
Why?Cause graphics,gameplay and everything changed.So people don't play old games for those reasons.It ends up being underrated now.
It's one of the few games that made me enjoy it so much and caused me so many feelings while playing it.I would wake up early in the morning everyday just to play it non-stop for a month.
Although I must say that I was one of those people who first saw the movie and then played the game.But I'm happy that I decided to give the game a try.Too bad some other people won't.For me that's the reason it becomes underrated.Usually RPG games are underrated,because other kinds of gamers make fun of them.Who cares,it's them missing it.
^ I agree 
just because it's not High Def or on a Blu-ray disc doesn't mean it's bad, the storyline is emense along with the materia system, which is original and unique. Maybe it's the bother of people having to have a ps1 or ps3 to play it (you can buy it off the ps3 store online).
just because it's not High Def or on a Blu-ray disc doesn't mean it's bad, the storyline is emense along with the materia system, which is original and unique. Maybe it's the bother of people having to have a ps1 or ps3 to play it (you can buy it off the ps3 store online).
Chocobowill
SOLDIER
Yeah i agree, i dont understand why people do that. Graphics/technology doesnt make a good game. its the story that does.^ I agree
just because it's not High Def or on a Blu-ray disc doesn't mean it's bad, the storyline is emense along with the materia system, which is original and unique. Maybe it's the bother of people having to have a ps1 or ps3 to play it (you can buy it off the ps3 store online).
The_Sandman
Newbie
I'd say its very overrated. Here are my reasons.
The characters weren't used very effectively. The story revolved around 3 characters. Cloud, Tifa, and Aeries (even after her death). The rest were ignored. There was no importance in the other characters. Cait Sith sacrificed himself, the sad music played, I was sad, then the game played with my feelings when another Cait Sith popped out of nowhere instantly. There were no bond or any type of relationship between the characters. When do you see a conversation or any sort of interactions between Cid and Vincent? Barret and Yuffie? Cid and Yuffie? Was there any sort of relationship between Cloud, who is supposed to be the main character, and any of the minor characters? The answer to all these questions is no. All these minor characters were used for nothing but battle purposes except Cid who provided the airship and Cait Sith who sacrificed himself. There was absolutely no character development.
Sephiroth was very over-rated. Yes he killed Aeries, but he accomplishes nothing. There are so many under-rated villains better than him, like Kuja, Kuja not only had power to destory an entire planet (which he did and sephiroth failed to do) but he proved that he was also very cunning as he was powerful. Whose the smarter villain? The guy who gets his own hands dirty or the guy who manipulates others to do the biddings for him? Yet, Sephiroth is like the king of villains in the Final Fantasy series because of his sword and long white hair.
The characters weren't used very effectively. The story revolved around 3 characters. Cloud, Tifa, and Aeries (even after her death). The rest were ignored. There was no importance in the other characters. Cait Sith sacrificed himself, the sad music played, I was sad, then the game played with my feelings when another Cait Sith popped out of nowhere instantly. There were no bond or any type of relationship between the characters. When do you see a conversation or any sort of interactions between Cid and Vincent? Barret and Yuffie? Cid and Yuffie? Was there any sort of relationship between Cloud, who is supposed to be the main character, and any of the minor characters? The answer to all these questions is no. All these minor characters were used for nothing but battle purposes except Cid who provided the airship and Cait Sith who sacrificed himself. There was absolutely no character development.
Sephiroth was very over-rated. Yes he killed Aeries, but he accomplishes nothing. There are so many under-rated villains better than him, like Kuja, Kuja not only had power to destory an entire planet (which he did and sephiroth failed to do) but he proved that he was also very cunning as he was powerful. Whose the smarter villain? The guy who gets his own hands dirty or the guy who manipulates others to do the biddings for him? Yet, Sephiroth is like the king of villains in the Final Fantasy series because of his sword and long white hair.
That right there. That has been one of my arguements for a long time. I love Sephiroth, but there are so many other villians in Final Fantasy that get over looked.
if you look at Final Fantasy VII for what it is, it's a good game. It was great for its time. It even had a good story. The character development however was off. People just automatically want to say that its the best Final Fantasy because it's so popular, but I think it's overrated. I think most of the really popular Final Fantasy games are overrated. Just because they happen to have gotten more advertisement or a bigger fanbase than the others doesn't necessarily mean that they're superior. I haven't encountered a bad Final Fantasy game unless you count spin off titles. And for me, of all that I played, I liked VII the least.
Basically what I'm trying to say is that the way people treat the game, like its a piece of gold and everyone will love it, is what makes the game overrated.