TEH. BEST. GAMES. EVAR.
By Andr'e Swartley

Issue #4
Final Fantasy VII
Developer: Squaresoft
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Platform: Playstation 1, Playstation Network (PS3 & PSP)
Rating: T for Teen

Hironobu Sakaguchi and his team of developers at SquareSoft released Final Fantasy for the Famicom (Japanese counterpart to the Nintendo Entertainment System) in 1987.

The game dried up Square's dwindling financial resources and would either bankrupt the company or, if successful, keep it afloat a little longer. The gamble paid off. SquareSoft (now Square Enix) is currently one of the largest and most prestigious developers in the world.

Final Fantasy has spawned eleven sequels, countless spinoffs, a handful of film adaptations, and a merchandising machine that would make George Lucas blush. Final Fantasy XIII, the first Final Fantasy on the current generation of game consoles, is due out in Japan in one month, though we won't see a release in the US until March or April of next year.

So, in honor of this truly monumental occasion-at least, as monumental as a video game's release can be-I will review one of the 3D Final Fantasies (except X-2 and XI-I'll explain later) each month until the North American release of Final Fantasy XIII, beginning with Final Fantay VII. Settle in, folks. This will be a long one.

Final Fantasy is the archetype of Japanese Role Playing Games. JRPGs are concerned with telling long, meandering stories that take themselves way too seriously. This is part of their charm.

For a long time most RPGs, whether Japanese or Western, dealt with wizards, trolls, and dragons-the fantasy trappings established by JRR Tolkien, in other words. However, Final Fantasy VII shatters the convention by setting its story in a futuristic, steam-punk world. Rather than fighting some dark Necromancer or warlord, Final Fantasy VII's heroes go up against a corrupt corporation. More on that later.

Final Fantasy games are always flashy and cinematic, but gameplay boils down to sifting through menus, choosing commands like "Fight," "Magic," and "Summon," and waiting your turn. Yes, all numbered Final Fantasy games are turn-based, meaning that after you choose one action, your character will perform it and then sit back while the enemies take a swing at him. Combat is strategic, nuanced, and difficult.

But it's also tremendously rewarding if you stick with it. And don't think that if you master one Final Fantasy game, the rest will be a walk in the park. Each game features unique characters, story, and gameplay systems.

But, you ask, if they're all different, why do they all have the same name? Numerous commonalities hold the games together. Here are a few Final Fantasy staples:

1. Summons-enormously powerful characters that can be called to aid your party in battle. Summons typically come from different world mythologies and are related to specific "elements." A few mainstays are Ifrit (fire), Shiva (Ice), and Odin (lightning).

2. A major character named Cid (from the Spanish story of El Cid Campeador); and two minor characters named Biggs and Wedge (of Star Wars fame)

3. Chocobos-giant chickens you can ride and/or race like horses

4. Full Motion Video (FMV)-the most important plot points of Final Fantasy games from VII onward are told in gorgeous computer-generated movies similar to Toy Story or Shreck

5. A love story among the main characters

6. Sidequests-optional missions or story arcs that don't relate specifically to the main events in the game, but which offer powerful rewards when completed

7. Superbosses-enemies that are vastly more powerful than any others you face in the normal course of the game; you typically have to finish many sidequests even to meet these fearsome creatures

The main hero of Final Fantasy VII is the spiky-haired mercenary, Cloud Strife. He will always have two other members in his "party," which is the group you use in battles. Right away you meet Cloud's closest friends, Barrett and Tifa, the latter of which provides a potential love interest for Cloud. There is also a gentle flower saleswoman named Aerith (or Aeris in the original translation); Red XIII, a talking dog/fox; Cid, a foul mouthed and misogynistic rocket pilot; Cait Sith, a robot cat riding a fat marshmallow thing; Yuffie, a thieving child ninja; and Vincent, a dark gunman with a darker past.

This moody bunch is out to save the planet from the evil Shinra Company, genetically engineered bad guy Sephiroth, and his monstrous mother Jenova, who crashed into the planet eons ago on a cursed meteor.

Confused yet? Just wait. The story becomes very convoluted at times, especially because you can spend several hours leveling up between plot points (to "level up" is to participate in a very large number of battles to make your characters stronger) and forget important details when you actually come back to the story. But in light of that, let me say that I have never been as satisfied to beat a game as when I struck the final blow to Sephiroth for the first time.

Compared to later Final Fantasies, I have to say Square did this one right. Leveling up is fun, the sidequests worthwhile, and the most powerful summon in the game, Knights of the Round, is a genuine reward for the hours spent earning it.

Final Fantasy VII was my introduction to the series, and for that reason alone it holds a special place in my hierarchy life-wasting activities. This is not just a "great game for its time." FFVII still has exactly the right blend of story, challenge, strategy, and scope to be one of the best games ever made.

Final Grade: A+