Final Fantasy 7: REVIEW:
Introduction:
I myself have played video games for many years, as have many
of you. My experience in the role playing genre is still quite limited,
but this games review is not truly compared to others. I will tell you
how I saw and felt the game was by itself in my opinion.
Graphics: (9.5/10)
I have seen graphics that have made me wonder how far can games
go on. In every form, action, simulation, strategy, adventure, and
especially role playing - there is always one game that has graphics
that are way ahead of its time. Final Fantasy 7 is one of these games.
The graphics are lush, stunning, and wondrous to behold. When I first
inserted the game into my Playstation, I knew to expect a great game,
as many others told me. I just never knew how taken aback I would be
when the first, CG rendered, opening scene unfolded before my very eyes.
Suddenly, I was sucked into the game, and everything around me blurred
away. Once the introduction ended, the graphics continued their magic
on me. I wished I could never stop playing, but time, as always, crept
up on me, and I had to leave the world of Final Fantasy for another day.
The characters themselves are well rendered, as they have a very 'real'
look to them. The lighting was excellent as it gave a very authentic
feel to the areas. Truly amazing graphics. The CG rendered cut scenes
bring the game even more alive. They are detailed to the maximum, and
are carefully crafted to keep your eyes pasted on the screen. No words
I can say can truly tell you what they actually look like. Let's just
say I have a yearning to find a FMV type movie player out there. Final
Fantasy 7's graphics helped make it what it is today. They are the best
I have ever seen in an RPG so far. Simply put, one of the, if not, the
greatest RPG out there today.
Sound: (9/10)
This is what has made the Final Fantasy series one of the most
cherished RPG's in the market. Without the music, this game would not
be the same at all. Every piece that came out of the built in
synthesizer filled me with a different emotion. From Aeris's theme to
the ominous chorus for Sephiroth, the music was fantastic. The games
melodies have a way of evoking your most deepest emotions. For example,
the little incident at the end of disc one is amazingly done. The music
adds that 'invisible' element along to the beautifully rendered CG cut
scene that enhances the richness of the moment -and as they worked in
harmonious cooperation, the feelings provoked were very heartfelt.
The game does not take advantage of full CD quality sound
though, such as the use of Red Book Audio, because is runs the music
through the consoles built in synthesizer. Although this is
unfortunate, this was done to increase the games access speed.
However, the music is still top notch.
Story: (9.5/10)
Where do I begin? No I won't tell you what it was about, but
rather, how well done and executed it was. I have never played a game
with such a rich story line. The game mixes elements of soul searching,
love, hate, friendship, religion, and life into one. Although there are
some obvious translation errors, that is only a minor detail.
The story is very rich and involving. It still contains the
classic villain trying to rule the world, and is opposed by a slew of
heroes and heroines. However, only Square can make such a widely used
method into one that seems totally original. I became immersed within
the plot very soon after starting the game. As mentioned, the music
within the game was a key element that helped me get into the story very
quickly. The characters are very three dimensional, and you end up
caring about them very quickly. I found this very surprising, since you
get to juggle around with nine characters in total. Square's story
writers did an amazing job in bringing so much life to each individual
within the game. Honestly, you begin to know some of them as if you
have your whole life, and you actually miss them very much when they are
gone.
After finishing the game, I felt very empty, because now the
story has finished, and I can't 'continue' on with them anymore.
I know many of you would tell me, "It's just a game!" But, is it really
just a 'game'?
The story seemed a tad incomplete as Square did their best to
finish it up for the deadline. The death of one of the characters was
supposed to be reversed later on. However, it never happened. Square
did leave some traces of the resurrection process, and it's sad to see
the 'true' story may have never been revealed. This does not mean the
game is bad. It is far, far from that. Square made the missing
element work to create an even better story, where you are left stunned
-we don't leave with the usual lollipop feeling we see in other
RPG/Adventure games.
The ending? Hmmmm, what can I say? It was nice. I wish I knew
what happened to the characters. You sort of find out what happens to
only one. Did Aeris come back to life? Uh? I think Square did this
one to leave us pondering about it forever.
I cannot wait for Final Fantasy 8. I just wish that these
characters in FF7 continue on into the next fantasy -I think they are
perfect in so many ways, with so much more to explore within each of their
intricate personalities. That will never happen though, as it is a
'Final Fantasy'. (It will be hard to replace these characters!).
Fantasy Elements: (10/10)
The game is filled with wondrous, yet deadly monsters. The
magical powers are excellent. The game is filled with many armor and
attack weapons for those of you who crave brutality, and also contains
many different spells. Hmmm, let me see... open the right hand, and
CAST!!..(Darn!.ya, it only works in the game :)~.
Do you really want me to tell you about the controls?
Ok, here's the run down. They are very well done. The game moves
fluidly, and the battle engine is well organized and executed.
A camera angle type feature is used, and is excellent. Don't worry!
Do you really think that Square would create such an amazing game, only
to ruin it with poor controls!! Not in this life time, dimension, or
whatever. Controls (10/10)
Final Comments:
I have played games like Quake, and thought nothing better
existed than gibbing a camper or whatever running around. I used to
think that that was the future of gaming. Obviously, I was very
diluted in my thinking. Thanks to my friend, this web master, I have
been exposed to so much more. I will never look at Quake games, albeit,
any other game with the same measure. Now I truly know what makes a
great game. The story and music -and if graphics are available, than
even better so! The game is finished for this reviewer. Those of you
that have not played it, may the experience be as rich for you as it was
for me. Buy it! It's worth it! I miss the game already, and I just
finished it less than an hour ago. I wish it never ended. Maybe it
would have gone for a very long time if it was called Forever Fantasy
perhaps. Then again the game is well over 30 hours (it took me a total
of about 85 -I relished every detail of the game!) However, as I
learned a while ago, "All good things must come to an end!" (Which is
good for me, because if this game did not stop, where would homework
come into play?)
"May Final Fantasy 7 and all it embodies live on forever in each of us
who loved it."
The reviewer
This Review was written by ME!
Sasha Bakshi (bakshi@idirect.com)
aka: GrÜmP˙ SmÜrf
(
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