IronSerif
11-15-2005, 07:26 PM
Alright crew, a buddy of mine did a little write-up for another site about his thoughts on Final Fantasy 7. Although this article primarily focuses on FF7, this is also a fun read for video gamers in general...and since I've seen that a majority of the community here is pretty much into video games and well informed, so I figured you guys might enjoy this
So grab some leftover Halloween candy, pop open a nice cold powerade, and sit back and enjoy
"Why I Think Final Fantasy 7 Is Mediocre At Best"
Written by: Anonymous Source
I'd like to start off by saying that I am a die-hard video game fanatic. I prefer RPGs above all other genres, though I still love good games of various other genres. After all, A good game is a good game, am I right? Let me give you a little background of my gaming history, for those who may be interested. If you're not interested, just skip to the next portion of this article.
I started playing games back when Dragon Warrior was released in the US before Final Fantasy even existed. Ah, those were the days. Everything was a new concept. Back in those days it was incredibly easy to impress gamers accross the globe, a concept unheard of modern times. Skipping past those days and onwards into the SNES days, the release of "Final Fantasy 2," which we've now come to know as "Final Fantasy 4" in it's origional form. When my mother purchased this game for me as a little kid, I remember skipping school for a few days to continue playing until I completed it. I remember it clear as day, barely even stopping to use the bathroom when I had to do so. This was the greatest era of gaming. Those who didn't partake in the era of Super Nintendo have missed out on the best era for RPGs ever to grace this world. I wont even begin to cover any of the classics for the SNES because frankly, no one cares and those who do, well, you already KNOW which games I'm referring to.
Skipping through the era, even beyond the release of FF6 (Which I also stayed home to play like crazy), to the era of the PS1. Finally, we're getting somewhere. That Christmas, my Mother presented me with a PS1, "Jumping Flash" and "Ridge Racer." At the time those games were absolutely incredible! I remember drooling in awe of the amazing 3D graphics as the tracks of Ridge Racer blasted through my new stereo television. I hadn't even needed any new games for a long time, thanks to the good ol' collection of SNES games I had at the time and the anticipation of games like Resident Evil for PS1. Then came the release of the first "next-generation" RPG; "Beyond The Beyond." I loved it. Not many did, from what I gather, but I absolutely loved it. It had Sega Genesis graphics with the new wave music and sound affects presented by the Sony Playstation. Sure, it wasn't too graphically presentable by the 3D standards at the time, but it was incredibly immersing. The story was great, the characters were lovable and the combat was nothing short of classic. Mmm, how I miss those days...
So, are ya' still with me? Good. After that brief excerpt of random gaming history, it's time we move onto the game on trial: "Final Fantasy 7." I bet you fanboys/fangirls are already ripping your hair out, screaming at your monitor and calling your "hacker friends" up to find out my address and ream me with a metal pole after simply reading the title of this article. Good. I'm not saying I hate anyone because they share a strong interest in a video game. I AM, however, saying that these people need to rip open each other's eyes and take a look around. Final Fantasy 7 is not special. It does not have awesome characters, an awesome story and materia was not the best thing ever seen in an RPG. Are you ready for my reasoning? Let's move on...
First, let me cover the issues I have with the game itself. The next paragraph is just for you, the FF7 fanatics. We'll get there! Anyhow, the gameplay, if you can call it that. Okay, so I admit at the launch of this game I was impressed by the graphics. I was excited, just as everyone else out there, to get my hands on this beautiful next-generation Final Fantasy game. The first portion was great. In fact, the entire game was alright then because there weren't many RPGs out/coming out for the PS1, at least that were scheduled at that specific time. By the time I was finished with the game I had felt completely ripped off. Paying $50 for an average game (at best) is hardly something to be happy about. I immediately went back to playing classic games on the SNES, such as Lufia 2 and good ol' Chrono Trigger. So, why exactly did I think so low of this game?
1) The story was very average. A variation of "Guy goes crazy. Guy tries to blow up world. People try to stop said guy. They succeed." Sure, it had filler, like the whole Jenova thing and Cloud, Sephiroth and a few others being clones. WHOO BOY! THAT'S SO EXCITING! Yeah, right. I liked it better the first time. (See Final Fantasy 4.)
2) The character developement, other then Cloud and the main NPCs, was very minimal. Even Cloud's character developement could've been MUCH deeper. It felt as though a character had no part in the story once they'd joined you and you'd finished the "side story," I guess you could call it, prior to getting them as a permanent party members. Like the whole Golden Saucer thing with Cait Sith. What the hell is that?
3) The character models. Sure, the graphics were great, but the characters were very average and way too cliche to do any good. Sephiroth is not that cool. He's just a guy with platinum hair and a long katana. You can see plenty of this in any cliche anime and half the RPGs out there. Tifa looked like utter crap. A girl in shorts, a white shirt and a pair of gloves. Normally this would be okay, but this is FINAL FANTASY! This is supposed to be unique, amazing, the BEST! NOT cliche! I could go on, but I really don't need to say more.
4) Aeris. Yes, I went there. For those of you who don't already know, she was your cliche "healer type" character in the form of a female who supposedly had the power to stop the giant meteor heading towards the planet. Sephiroth kills her mercilessly and a scene ensues showing her body drifting out into a moonlit sea. This is not the only time a death scene has happened in an RPG. She died. It made sense. If she hadn't died, the story would not make any sense with the way it had ended. Get over it. SE is not bringing her back because it does not make any sense to do so. Oh, if you cried when Aeris died i pity you because you obviously have not read any book, or seen any play or movie ever.
5) Materia. For those of you who think Materia was the best system ever created, you have no taste. No one in this game was underpowered, but the only real difference was the limit breaks. Without limit breaks, you may as well say everyone was the same exact character, just with a different model. Materia allowed for way too many overpowered combinations. I don't really need to say anything more here.
6) The ending. Sure, it made sense, but it was the stupidest ending of all time. The cutscene was horrible, not many things were said and there was more or less no text describing what happened. Sure, you knew what was going on if you have half a brain and were paying attention to the story the entire game, but the ending was just crap. You may as well turn the game off right after you beat Sephiroth. There's no point in watching the ending. All you find out is "Omgs the lifestream destroys the meteor and you killed Sephiroth!" ...Wow.
7) Some of the littler things didn't make sense. Things like chocobos. Okay, so that's not really a "little" thing, but it's not important to the story, either. How is it that a "gold" chocobo can walk anywhere, including walking on water and walking over mountains, but a normal chocobo can not? They look identical. I guess this point could be argued by simply saying "It doesn't have to make sense. It's just magic. They're chocobos. This is Final Fantasy." However, for a game that tries to make sense out of EVERYTHING, there's no real explanation for the chocobos. I guess this is a personal annoyance, nothing more. Other "littler things" include your occasional saved game corruption, even with Sony brand memory cards.
8) The fact that Squaresoft/Square Enix started producing very sub-par games for the most part and continue to do so to this date, ever since Final Fantasy 7. Spinoffs are NOT the answer, SE! Make newer, better games!
And there we have it! Some call it blasphemy, some call it bullcrap and others are applauding. Chances are, if you're a fanboy/fangirl, you're trying to justify your own reasons as to why I'm wrong, crying quietly to yourself alone in your room, hugging your Cloud/Aeris/Sephiroth plush dolls tightly, whispering "It's gonna be okay, sweetie." I've got news for you people: Times are changing and much better games have been and are being created. Get over it. Get over Final Fantasy 7. Seek professional help!
Thank you for reading this ever-so-harsh "review" of Final Fantasy 7. Next time: "Why I Think Final Fantasy 10 Is A Mediocre Game At best." Sound familiar? Peace out.
----
Thanks for popping in and joining us guys, thoughts and feedback are always welcome
So grab some leftover Halloween candy, pop open a nice cold powerade, and sit back and enjoy
"Why I Think Final Fantasy 7 Is Mediocre At Best"
Written by: Anonymous Source
I'd like to start off by saying that I am a die-hard video game fanatic. I prefer RPGs above all other genres, though I still love good games of various other genres. After all, A good game is a good game, am I right? Let me give you a little background of my gaming history, for those who may be interested. If you're not interested, just skip to the next portion of this article.
I started playing games back when Dragon Warrior was released in the US before Final Fantasy even existed. Ah, those were the days. Everything was a new concept. Back in those days it was incredibly easy to impress gamers accross the globe, a concept unheard of modern times. Skipping past those days and onwards into the SNES days, the release of "Final Fantasy 2," which we've now come to know as "Final Fantasy 4" in it's origional form. When my mother purchased this game for me as a little kid, I remember skipping school for a few days to continue playing until I completed it. I remember it clear as day, barely even stopping to use the bathroom when I had to do so. This was the greatest era of gaming. Those who didn't partake in the era of Super Nintendo have missed out on the best era for RPGs ever to grace this world. I wont even begin to cover any of the classics for the SNES because frankly, no one cares and those who do, well, you already KNOW which games I'm referring to.
Skipping through the era, even beyond the release of FF6 (Which I also stayed home to play like crazy), to the era of the PS1. Finally, we're getting somewhere. That Christmas, my Mother presented me with a PS1, "Jumping Flash" and "Ridge Racer." At the time those games were absolutely incredible! I remember drooling in awe of the amazing 3D graphics as the tracks of Ridge Racer blasted through my new stereo television. I hadn't even needed any new games for a long time, thanks to the good ol' collection of SNES games I had at the time and the anticipation of games like Resident Evil for PS1. Then came the release of the first "next-generation" RPG; "Beyond The Beyond." I loved it. Not many did, from what I gather, but I absolutely loved it. It had Sega Genesis graphics with the new wave music and sound affects presented by the Sony Playstation. Sure, it wasn't too graphically presentable by the 3D standards at the time, but it was incredibly immersing. The story was great, the characters were lovable and the combat was nothing short of classic. Mmm, how I miss those days...
So, are ya' still with me? Good. After that brief excerpt of random gaming history, it's time we move onto the game on trial: "Final Fantasy 7." I bet you fanboys/fangirls are already ripping your hair out, screaming at your monitor and calling your "hacker friends" up to find out my address and ream me with a metal pole after simply reading the title of this article. Good. I'm not saying I hate anyone because they share a strong interest in a video game. I AM, however, saying that these people need to rip open each other's eyes and take a look around. Final Fantasy 7 is not special. It does not have awesome characters, an awesome story and materia was not the best thing ever seen in an RPG. Are you ready for my reasoning? Let's move on...
First, let me cover the issues I have with the game itself. The next paragraph is just for you, the FF7 fanatics. We'll get there! Anyhow, the gameplay, if you can call it that. Okay, so I admit at the launch of this game I was impressed by the graphics. I was excited, just as everyone else out there, to get my hands on this beautiful next-generation Final Fantasy game. The first portion was great. In fact, the entire game was alright then because there weren't many RPGs out/coming out for the PS1, at least that were scheduled at that specific time. By the time I was finished with the game I had felt completely ripped off. Paying $50 for an average game (at best) is hardly something to be happy about. I immediately went back to playing classic games on the SNES, such as Lufia 2 and good ol' Chrono Trigger. So, why exactly did I think so low of this game?
1) The story was very average. A variation of "Guy goes crazy. Guy tries to blow up world. People try to stop said guy. They succeed." Sure, it had filler, like the whole Jenova thing and Cloud, Sephiroth and a few others being clones. WHOO BOY! THAT'S SO EXCITING! Yeah, right. I liked it better the first time. (See Final Fantasy 4.)
2) The character developement, other then Cloud and the main NPCs, was very minimal. Even Cloud's character developement could've been MUCH deeper. It felt as though a character had no part in the story once they'd joined you and you'd finished the "side story," I guess you could call it, prior to getting them as a permanent party members. Like the whole Golden Saucer thing with Cait Sith. What the hell is that?
3) The character models. Sure, the graphics were great, but the characters were very average and way too cliche to do any good. Sephiroth is not that cool. He's just a guy with platinum hair and a long katana. You can see plenty of this in any cliche anime and half the RPGs out there. Tifa looked like utter crap. A girl in shorts, a white shirt and a pair of gloves. Normally this would be okay, but this is FINAL FANTASY! This is supposed to be unique, amazing, the BEST! NOT cliche! I could go on, but I really don't need to say more.
4) Aeris. Yes, I went there. For those of you who don't already know, she was your cliche "healer type" character in the form of a female who supposedly had the power to stop the giant meteor heading towards the planet. Sephiroth kills her mercilessly and a scene ensues showing her body drifting out into a moonlit sea. This is not the only time a death scene has happened in an RPG. She died. It made sense. If she hadn't died, the story would not make any sense with the way it had ended. Get over it. SE is not bringing her back because it does not make any sense to do so. Oh, if you cried when Aeris died i pity you because you obviously have not read any book, or seen any play or movie ever.
5) Materia. For those of you who think Materia was the best system ever created, you have no taste. No one in this game was underpowered, but the only real difference was the limit breaks. Without limit breaks, you may as well say everyone was the same exact character, just with a different model. Materia allowed for way too many overpowered combinations. I don't really need to say anything more here.
6) The ending. Sure, it made sense, but it was the stupidest ending of all time. The cutscene was horrible, not many things were said and there was more or less no text describing what happened. Sure, you knew what was going on if you have half a brain and were paying attention to the story the entire game, but the ending was just crap. You may as well turn the game off right after you beat Sephiroth. There's no point in watching the ending. All you find out is "Omgs the lifestream destroys the meteor and you killed Sephiroth!" ...Wow.
7) Some of the littler things didn't make sense. Things like chocobos. Okay, so that's not really a "little" thing, but it's not important to the story, either. How is it that a "gold" chocobo can walk anywhere, including walking on water and walking over mountains, but a normal chocobo can not? They look identical. I guess this point could be argued by simply saying "It doesn't have to make sense. It's just magic. They're chocobos. This is Final Fantasy." However, for a game that tries to make sense out of EVERYTHING, there's no real explanation for the chocobos. I guess this is a personal annoyance, nothing more. Other "littler things" include your occasional saved game corruption, even with Sony brand memory cards.
8) The fact that Squaresoft/Square Enix started producing very sub-par games for the most part and continue to do so to this date, ever since Final Fantasy 7. Spinoffs are NOT the answer, SE! Make newer, better games!
And there we have it! Some call it blasphemy, some call it bullcrap and others are applauding. Chances are, if you're a fanboy/fangirl, you're trying to justify your own reasons as to why I'm wrong, crying quietly to yourself alone in your room, hugging your Cloud/Aeris/Sephiroth plush dolls tightly, whispering "It's gonna be okay, sweetie." I've got news for you people: Times are changing and much better games have been and are being created. Get over it. Get over Final Fantasy 7. Seek professional help!
Thank you for reading this ever-so-harsh "review" of Final Fantasy 7. Next time: "Why I Think Final Fantasy 10 Is A Mediocre Game At best." Sound familiar? Peace out.
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Thanks for popping in and joining us guys, thoughts and feedback are always welcome