Kain424's FINAL FANTASY VII Review 
Allow me to set this up...
I am old enough to have grown up playing the original Final Fantasy games released over in the United States (even being one of those that grabbed the fan-made translations of a couple of the unreleased ones for my PC).
There is a strange gap that exists between those that will forever stand by the "old school" games and those that prefer the newer, three dimensional games. For the "old schoolers", Final Fantasy VI is often named as the best of the series. I can understand this as I was also apprehensive at the thought of changing to a new format for the series. But I remember seeing the screenshots in magazines for a demo for a 3-D Final Fantasy VI. Fans were split.
When I played the demo version of Final Fantasy VII, I wanted to hate it so much that I picked apart everything from Cloud's hair to huge sword to the industrial setting. When the game was finally released, I tried not to bat an eye, but a need for completion as a fan overtook me. Here are my thoughts...
The Gameplay 4/5
At the time, I thought that this was as far as they could take the ATB system. I still feel that the materia-based battle system shares too many similarities with the Esper-based one of FF6. The specialized characters are also back, and I'm split as to whether I like that in these games or whether I'd like to develop every character as I see fit. But it's still Final Fantasy, with Cloud as a Warrior, Aerith as a White Mage, Tifa as a Monk and so on. The system is easy to figure out and there is enough to do with outfitting, leveling materia and characters that it's hard to get bored.
Additionally, there are plenty of minigames and extra tasks to be performed, such as raising chocobos (didn't expect them to fit into this new, sci-fi-ish world) and playing games at the Gold Saucer. It seems that the team at Square really pulled out all the stops when making this one. There are a great many times when the regular games stops and you enter into some sort of minigame just to pass that point. Notable among these are the mountain climbing sections where you have to button-mash to keep from going into hypothermia and the snowboarding section (which is now its own game on cell phones... oh, how technology has changed).
Switching the game up like this really adds to the game's charm and keeps it from feeling monotonous. Unfortunately, this constant assault of ideas can cause absolute halts in the gameplay. It can be easy to accidentally skip or misunderstand directions, leading to upsetting moments where you have to figure out how to complete the set task on your own. My own least favorite minigame was the one where I had to give CPR to Priscilla, and I've heard a good deal many complaints about the Chocobo Racing.
The Music 5/5
Nobuo Uematsu performs some of his best work here, each piece of music reflecting the environment, situation, or characters quite well. A lot of care is taken to give Sephiroth an ominous and foreboding score, especially for his famous One-Winged Angel entrance. Midgar's industrial sounds are given immense weight and Aerith's motif is soft enough to show that, like her flowers in the church, beauty can still grow and thrive in the darkest of man's mechanical hells.
The music is constant and almost never wrong for the scene or moment, only growing tiresome after hours of random battles. Still, the battle music is effective and catchy.
The Characters 5/5
For the most part, the characters are extremely well-written.
Cloud Strife is a man burdened by his own insecurities, unsure about his own very existence as a human being. He stands against a genetically built warrior who believes himself worthy of godhood, Sephiroth. Sephiroth himself represents a massive improvement over Kefka as a villain, being more mature and thought out in creation. Watching his story arc in Crisis Core is, perhaps, the best treat Square-Enix gave fans in the entire game.
In fact, if one goes on to play the games, watch the films, and read the literature in the expanded universe of FF7, then one can see just how deep these characters all are. FF6 set the bar for depth of characterization, and FF7 easily lept over it. Huge chunks of the gameplay often involve pieces of character arcs, which is exemplary in its storytelling. Which brings us to...
The Story 5/5
Themes of self-discovery and unnecessary sacrifice abound. The question of man's dominion over the natural world is explored as well as that of how the natural world may very well feel about man. Love, loss, betrayal, questions of morality and justifications for violence, greed, power, religion and science.
All of this may seem excessive for a video game, but it is there and stands with what it's got. And it is positively epic. When one weighs with it the expanded storylines for the sequels, prequels and spin-offs, the story is so deep and colossal that perhaps only the expanded universe of Star Wars compares to its ambition and depth.
Whole sections of the game take place in metaphysical realms, including the last battle. This is the last step for Square from the schlocky, cliche moments of the previous installments into something bigger, better, and more mature. It is unfortunate that the Final Fantasy games have not continued to delve deeper into their dark side with the later installments.
OVERALL 4.9/5
Final Fantasy VII stands as an incredible achievement in gaming. With movie cut-scenes rewarding your progress and a wonderful story to follow, it is no wonder that so many people list it as their favorite of the series. The game is not without its flaws, however.
The graphics are, indeed, dated. The game comes off as perhaps trying to be a little too ambitious, with too many kinds of games, inconsistent difficulty and a winding storyline that many people may find too complex for its format.
Fortunately, the overall product is actually very good. Perhaps now that because the graphics have become so dated, the "old schoolers" can enjoy it for what it is, without having to defend their own games' lack of new age visual wonder.
Allow me to set this up...
I am old enough to have grown up playing the original Final Fantasy games released over in the United States (even being one of those that grabbed the fan-made translations of a couple of the unreleased ones for my PC).
There is a strange gap that exists between those that will forever stand by the "old school" games and those that prefer the newer, three dimensional games. For the "old schoolers", Final Fantasy VI is often named as the best of the series. I can understand this as I was also apprehensive at the thought of changing to a new format for the series. But I remember seeing the screenshots in magazines for a demo for a 3-D Final Fantasy VI. Fans were split.
When I played the demo version of Final Fantasy VII, I wanted to hate it so much that I picked apart everything from Cloud's hair to huge sword to the industrial setting. When the game was finally released, I tried not to bat an eye, but a need for completion as a fan overtook me. Here are my thoughts...
The Gameplay 4/5
At the time, I thought that this was as far as they could take the ATB system. I still feel that the materia-based battle system shares too many similarities with the Esper-based one of FF6. The specialized characters are also back, and I'm split as to whether I like that in these games or whether I'd like to develop every character as I see fit. But it's still Final Fantasy, with Cloud as a Warrior, Aerith as a White Mage, Tifa as a Monk and so on. The system is easy to figure out and there is enough to do with outfitting, leveling materia and characters that it's hard to get bored.
Additionally, there are plenty of minigames and extra tasks to be performed, such as raising chocobos (didn't expect them to fit into this new, sci-fi-ish world) and playing games at the Gold Saucer. It seems that the team at Square really pulled out all the stops when making this one. There are a great many times when the regular games stops and you enter into some sort of minigame just to pass that point. Notable among these are the mountain climbing sections where you have to button-mash to keep from going into hypothermia and the snowboarding section (which is now its own game on cell phones... oh, how technology has changed).
Switching the game up like this really adds to the game's charm and keeps it from feeling monotonous. Unfortunately, this constant assault of ideas can cause absolute halts in the gameplay. It can be easy to accidentally skip or misunderstand directions, leading to upsetting moments where you have to figure out how to complete the set task on your own. My own least favorite minigame was the one where I had to give CPR to Priscilla, and I've heard a good deal many complaints about the Chocobo Racing.
The Music 5/5
Nobuo Uematsu performs some of his best work here, each piece of music reflecting the environment, situation, or characters quite well. A lot of care is taken to give Sephiroth an ominous and foreboding score, especially for his famous One-Winged Angel entrance. Midgar's industrial sounds are given immense weight and Aerith's motif is soft enough to show that, like her flowers in the church, beauty can still grow and thrive in the darkest of man's mechanical hells.
The music is constant and almost never wrong for the scene or moment, only growing tiresome after hours of random battles. Still, the battle music is effective and catchy.
The Characters 5/5
For the most part, the characters are extremely well-written.
Cloud Strife is a man burdened by his own insecurities, unsure about his own very existence as a human being. He stands against a genetically built warrior who believes himself worthy of godhood, Sephiroth. Sephiroth himself represents a massive improvement over Kefka as a villain, being more mature and thought out in creation. Watching his story arc in Crisis Core is, perhaps, the best treat Square-Enix gave fans in the entire game.
In fact, if one goes on to play the games, watch the films, and read the literature in the expanded universe of FF7, then one can see just how deep these characters all are. FF6 set the bar for depth of characterization, and FF7 easily lept over it. Huge chunks of the gameplay often involve pieces of character arcs, which is exemplary in its storytelling. Which brings us to...
The Story 5/5
Themes of self-discovery and unnecessary sacrifice abound. The question of man's dominion over the natural world is explored as well as that of how the natural world may very well feel about man. Love, loss, betrayal, questions of morality and justifications for violence, greed, power, religion and science.
All of this may seem excessive for a video game, but it is there and stands with what it's got. And it is positively epic. When one weighs with it the expanded storylines for the sequels, prequels and spin-offs, the story is so deep and colossal that perhaps only the expanded universe of Star Wars compares to its ambition and depth.
Whole sections of the game take place in metaphysical realms, including the last battle. This is the last step for Square from the schlocky, cliche moments of the previous installments into something bigger, better, and more mature. It is unfortunate that the Final Fantasy games have not continued to delve deeper into their dark side with the later installments.
OVERALL 4.9/5
Final Fantasy VII stands as an incredible achievement in gaming. With movie cut-scenes rewarding your progress and a wonderful story to follow, it is no wonder that so many people list it as their favorite of the series. The game is not without its flaws, however.
The graphics are, indeed, dated. The game comes off as perhaps trying to be a little too ambitious, with too many kinds of games, inconsistent difficulty and a winding storyline that many people may find too complex for its format.
Fortunately, the overall product is actually very good. Perhaps now that because the graphics have become so dated, the "old schoolers" can enjoy it for what it is, without having to defend their own games' lack of new age visual wonder.
) .I started playing when i was about 5-6 and im 17 now and STILL playing it lol 
(it wasn't my first time to, but I don't think I payed attention to most of the content until this playthrough)
Her death took me by surprise and it brought the pieces together. I didn't see any loopholes in the story. It all made sense to me while watching the flashback and the ending. This was a superb plot. This was the only Final Fantasy I wouldn't stop playing.
Yeah, he was a little obnoxious and a little know-it-all. But he knew how to be a leader. He looked out for his friends every time. He admitted to his mistakes and his weaknesses and he apologized to his team when he let them down, but he never left them if he had a choice. He knew he was failed project and not your typical 'all powerful warrior/hero'. He was close to being as human as us. I loved that he kept battling anyway, to the very end of the game.
I have to admit, catching and raising Chocobos isn't as bad as I thought. Thanks to the walkthrough, I know where to get the Good and Wonderful chocobos. Chocobo racing is actually fun and it makes me want to really work hard on Disc 3 to get Knights of the Round. 
