Finally. It’s been a very, very long time, but I think I can speak on this rather special game now in a modern context. I’ve recently started playing the Switch port of Final Fantasy VII, 22 years after I last conquered the game as a teen – I vanquished the notorious Ruby and Emerald Weapon bosses and all – and so far Final Fantasy VII has aged wonderfully, in my opinion.
I love the distinguished cyberpunk-esque dystopian design of Midgar, full of distinctive imagery and memorable citizens. I adore the minimalist goofy, charming aesthetics of the human character art, with their weird, extremely endearing body proportions. I’m really enjoying the lucid and flexible Materia system and exciting combat in general.
Delightedly, the writing and scenarios in the game have been as engaging, entertaining and eventful as I remember so far (I’m at the fateful Shinra building infiltration part). The dialogue and chemistry between Cloud, Barret, Tifa, and Aeris is superbly realised, and I can’t wait to reacquaint myself with the rest of the members of the motley crew.
The story’s themes of rapacious, malignant corporations slowing destroying the world, eco-warriors trying to make the world a safer place, fascinating existential ecosystems, journeys of self-discovery and extraordinary latent potential, calamitous alien invasion, and impending apocalypse, so far, have been potently conveyed.
I’ve also been very impressed with how playful and capricious the game has been with the odd mini-game challenge and highly amusing leftfield moments that still feel fresh and fun today. And the dynamic camera work in the battles and seamless transitions from the gameplay to the FMV (such an antiquated term now!) cut scenes are still, retrospectively, pretty impressive and highly evocative of the game’s cutting-edge cinematic design choices in 1997.
Final Fantasy VII was my first proper Japanese role-playing game, after the more action-oriented (and amazing) Secret Of Mana, and it was a testament to how much of a seismic impact it had on my gaming youth from an artistic, mechanical, emotional, and cultural perspective, that I remembered so much of it so vividly and affectionately. So playing it now it’s easy to empathise with why so many gamers have it as their favourite Final Fantasy, Japanese role-playing game, and game.
My beliefs that the game is one of, if not the greatest Japanese role-playing games, are slowly but surely being reaffirmed. I’m truly having an incredible, rather emotion time with Final Fantasy VII. This is why I’ll always be an avid retro gamer!
I simply cannot conclude this rhapsody without mentioning the welcome liberty of speeding up the action and disabling random battle encounters at a click of a stick in the remaster. Hope we get a Skies Of Arcadia remaster with these same benefits someday!
Galvanized Gamer
