Final Fantasy VII

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Final Fantasy VII is and RPG from Squaresoft.

Status

I own this game for Windows and played through most of the first disc before becoming bored with it.

Review

Overall: 3/10

Good

  • The pre-rendered background graphics are very nice, and help alleviate the problem of tiled backgrounds.
  • The full-motion video merges seamlessly between the static game play.
  • The materia magic system is original and fun. I like the idea of being able to customize the character's abilities.
  • The panning camera during combat is very nice, better than a static camera.
  • Limit breaks were a cool idea.
  • Having the character's eyes fade last when performing a summon is a nice touch.

Bad

  • The designers didn't do a very good job of handling perspective changes when the player moves in the 3D environment. As you walk to the end of a hall, the perspective will shift and alter the direction of the D-pad, this will often cause you to walk in the wrong direction, and sometimes even back the way you came. This happens enough to be annoying.
  • The character art is pretty bad. Everyone's legs account for about 2/3 of their body, and most of them are dressed in utterly ridiculous costumes. Tifa is probably the worst, wearing a miniskirt held up by suspenders and a halter top.
  • The vast majority of the monsters are so avant-garde I have no idea what they are, which takes away from the emotional attachment.
  • Though a fan of Nobuo Uematsu's work, I'm not very impressed by the game's music. I find most of the themes to be rather repetitive and bland.
  • Only the female characters are sexualized, Tifa especially.
  • I don't like having to hold down a button to run. I would prefer to hold down a button to walk, which I do far less.
  • During combat, the camera sometimes focuses away from the action or moves in close behind a large monster so you can't see anything.
  • It's often difficult to tell who you're targeting during combat.
  • I don't like how limit breaks are automatically put to the top of the combat stack. It makes it harder to plan ahead.

Ugly

  • I'm unable to suspend my disbelief enough to appreciate the game world. It's always difficult to successfully merge fantasy and sci-fi. I think Final Fantasy VI pulled it off because technology was something new to the world brought about by exploiting espers, but in 7, the entire world is filled with futuristic technology, it's even available to the general public. There are guns, lasers, giant robots, and yet, for some unexplained reason, a few people still wield swords. It's stupid.
  • So many of the special combat abilities take way too long. Combat feels more like watching a movie than playing a game.
  • I have little appreciation for most of the characters. Their back-stories are dull and uninspired, and I don't care if they die.

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