Final Fantasy VII

 PlayStation
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 2606 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,325 out of 2606
  2. Mixed: 105 out of 2606
  3. Negative: 176 out of 2606
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  1. NameOfAccount
    Sep 9, 2018
    7
    'Final Fantasy''s first entry into 3D is a valiant effort, but current technical limitations make it feel like a few giant steps backward. A dark and enthralling story and intriguing characters are marred by over-bright Lego-like models with bowling pin arms and frequently disappearing facial expressions that pop scathingly out of dingy pre-rendered backgrounds; it all cheapens the'Final Fantasy''s first entry into 3D is a valiant effort, but current technical limitations make it feel like a few giant steps backward. A dark and enthralling story and intriguing characters are marred by over-bright Lego-like models with bowling pin arms and frequently disappearing facial expressions that pop scathingly out of dingy pre-rendered backgrounds; it all cheapens the presentation into farcical puppet theater. Sluggish performance and gargantuan load times reduce the battles to frustratingly unresponsive slideshows; even the menus exhibited noticeable delays. Weird graphical issues such as the landscape wobbling and warping as the camera moves, characters shimmering as they animate, and textures and triangles randomly popping in and out shatter the immersion; FMV sequences reminded us of mid-80's ray-tracing demo reels in their primitiveness. The whole colour range seems limited to dismal greys, browns, and the occasional blue or yellow. To top it all off, the entire screen is covered by an ugly, noticeable, dithered mesh that had us wiping our televisions until we realized what it was.

    All this leads us back to the sinking sensation we've had for a while now: that for all the "wow" factor, this new 3D generation of home video game consoles isn't quite ready for prime time yet. Even last year's Super Mario 64 on Nintendo's 64-bit powerhouse, for all its technical impressiveness, felt like an unfinished product in many respects with its blurry, repetitive textures, seams, and sharp pointy edges; as much as we wanted to like it we kept pining for a bigger and better sprite-based Mario.

    And that's why we feel so disappointed with VII; there are so many good ideas in here that are wasted on technology that's not quite there yet. Square know how to make an enthralling epic fantasy RPG; the narrative techniques and core gameplay of 'Fantasy' keep on evolving and improving. The new cyberpunk-style near-future setting and the new hero Cloud's devil-may-care attitude are all welcome departures for the series; Square somehow manage to blaze new territory while still masterfully merging the familiar fantasy elements. The musical score is, as always, outstanding. And yet the whole experience is ruined by a mushy, clunky, glitchy presentation that just feels unprofessional.

    So in short, we feel that VI - even with the narrative glue falling apart a tad in its second half - is still the superior Final Fantasy experience with its polish and smooth responsiveness, but this one will certainly leave its mark in gaming history. And not all hope is lost. Technology has always evolved in fits and starts; no doubt in a decade or so 3D hardware and software developers alike will have worked out the kinks and VII will get the epic cinematic sequel - or remake perhaps? - that it deserves. Until then, here's hoping the current crop of consoles is just a phase.    … Expand
  2. Yukyon
    Aug 3, 2018
    7
    There's no doubt that FF7 Is a good game but is not That good, the gameplay and soundtrack are good but the plot is just meh.
  3. YorkMan
    Jan 2, 2016
    5
    FFVII is one of those games that has an almost Sanctified reputation. Released in 1997 it was to JRPGs what Enter The Dragon was to kung fu films, taking what was a very niche interest beloved by the knowledgeable few, and turning it into THE must play gaming genre for the next few years.

    The problem is, like Enter The Dragon (within its own genre), FFVII isn't really that good... It    FFVII is one of those games that has an almost Sanctified reputation. Released in 1997 it was to JRPGs what Enter The Dragon was to kung fu films, taking what was a very niche interest beloved by the knowledgeable few, and turning it into THE must play gaming genre for the next few years.

    The problem is, like Enter The Dragon (within its own genre), FFVII isn't really that good... It just came along at the right time and struck a chord with the 'masses', and became this legend within its own time.

    It's not an inherently bad game, it's just not as good as previous games in the FF franchise and other JRPGs released subsequently also highlighted its many flaws. But because it was the first game to achieve real market penetration, it gets all the plaudits.

    What's good about the game.... Well, it's certainly cinematic, using the CD-ROM format to its best advantage with decent Full Motion Video (FMV) to set up (and then pay off) the more rousing, and of course the more saddening, moments as the narrative progresses. I also like the inclusion of mini-games and the potential to effectively 'unlock' bonus weapons/armour/materia etc. (although the same things were done a hell of a lot better in FFIX!!)

    Things which aren't so brilliant.... It might be down to a poor translation, but the story makes no real sense, especially towards the end when the twists are revealed and the loose ends are (supposedly) tied up. The graphics, whilst certainly impressive and diverse, haven't aged well at all. The subsequent FF games on the PS1 look so much better. And in terms of the music, it's a very mixed bag. Some music in the game is considered to be very iconic, whilst other pieces are unbelievably boring.

    And what's bad......? Well, a top drawer RPG (of any kind, let alone a JRPG) is defined by its characters, the narrative, and (ultimately) by how the characters develop and grow as the story progresses. FFVII has some of the blandest and least interesting characters ever which, coupled with the nonsensical story, never draw you in. Add to that the 'Materia' system (which allows any character to equip every type of magic/skill/summon, regardless) and there's no real individuality. You tend to choose a specific group and, beyond the parts of the game which demand someone else is in the team, stick with them.
    Different characters don't open up the narrative, in fact it's unbelievably linear, you never feel like there is a World out there that is existing beyond the small area of the game you're currently in.
    Go back to a village at the end of the game, one you visited near the beginning, and everyone just says the same thing and are seemingly oblivious to the goings on.
    It's just lazy, and disappointingly so!

    Overall, this is a game that 'modern' gamers would probably look back on and wonder what all the fuss was about. For someone like me who was 21 when the game was released, I look back on it and remember being impressed by the 'leap' into the 32-bit gaming world.... But having finished the game twice, by the middle of 1998, I didn't play the game again until 2014... And having finished it a third time, suspect I won't be dusting off the CD's again for perhaps another 16 years!    … Expand
  4. DoctorZack
    Sep 10, 2017
    7
    Dated and overrated. Final Fantasy VII gets a 7/10. It's not a bad game and it's not a bad story, but there are obvious flaws about this game. If you just look at a lot of the positive scores, they're without any sort of merit. I cannot in a modern era of gaming, recommend the original game or any of its ports.

    Points against: Lack of engaging challenges, aside from two optional bosses    Dated and overrated. Final Fantasy VII gets a 7/10. It's not a bad game and it's not a bad story, but there are obvious flaws about this game. If you just look at a lot of the positive scores, they're without any sort of merit. I cannot in a modern era of gaming, recommend the original game or any of its ports.

    Points against:
    Lack of engaging challenges, aside from two optional bosses and the Arena.
    Long boring stretches where nothing occurs in the game.
    Several characters are given little to do or provide to the overall story. If Barret, Red XIII or Cait Sith were cut from the game, would the overall narrative be affected?
    Aside from limit breaks, characters are mostly interchangeable for combat.
    Loss of major character is severely overplayed by the fan community. The narrative buildup and expectation of this event is not shocking or surprising.
    Most minigames and sidequests are not interesting. Chocobo breeding is a slow painful process.
    Weak villain: Never from a gameplay standpoint did Sephiroth ever feel like a legitimate threat. While the narrative does provide some moments to display of the villain's threat, he never feels like a threat when the time comes to finally defeat him.

    Upsides:
    Entire Midgar section has steady challenge growth, utilizes all characters effectively in the narrative, and gives each character a role in terms of combat capabilities.
    There is a lot of variety and options as far as distractions go. The Arena is by far the best inclusion in the game, as it tests a players capability while also providing handicaps. Completing the Arena challenge offers useful rewards.
    Some visuals are still haunting and some story elements are absolutely perfect. The Midgarsormr on the pike is a perfect way to elevate Sephiroth and is an awesome display of visual terror. Flashbacks and critical moments, even for characters that aren't that great (Red XIII) are handled beautifully.
    Reno and Rude are by far the best NPC duo included in a game series. From the dialogue between the two and the engagements that they find themselves in opposite of the main party, the Turks definitely deserve praise for standing out from the other side characters.    … Expand
  5. FelleBanan_ygsr
    Mar 4, 2018
    7
    Overrated. Not bad, just overrated.
    The entire first disc is a boring crawl and the AWFUL graphics are seriously distractive. I’ve never before experienced a big budget title where the graphics almost destroy the experience. The overworld character models lack detail and the colours are at times a pain for your eyes.
    That said, I did enjoy the second half of the game and certain elements    Overrated. Not bad, just overrated.
    The entire first disc is a boring crawl and the AWFUL graphics are seriously distractive. I’ve never before experienced a big budget title where the graphics almost destroy the experience. The overworld character models lack detail and the colours are at times a pain for your eyes.
    That said, I did enjoy the second half of the game and certain elements of the gameplay and customization. It’s definitely a good game if you like RPGs, but it feels outdated and clunky in more than one area.    … Expand
  6. iddqd4
    Jan 23, 2018
    6
    Пытался играть совсем совсем далеко после выхода, в итоге забросил. Возможно окунусь в сюжет уже с выходом ремейка.
  7. Malakia
    Apr 21, 2018
    7
    A revolutionary game that sadly aged really poorly and not just because of its blocky graphics (which were absolutely mindblowing at the time and still hold a special place in my heart), but mostly because of the poor level design, bad English adaptation and glitches scattered here and there including Materias not working as intended.
    Remains a solid title to this day and one every RPG    A revolutionary game that sadly aged really poorly and not just because of its blocky graphics (which were absolutely mindblowing at the time and still hold a special place in my heart), but mostly because of the poor level design, bad English adaptation and glitches scattered here and there including Materias not working as intended.
    Remains a solid title to this day and one every RPG fan should play at least once in their life.    … Expand
  8. sebastianali
    Jan 6, 2020
    6
    Este tiene que ser uno de los juegos mas sobrevalorados de la historia. Lo siento, pero a pesar de que este juego innova y tiene muy buena historia, la historia no lo es todo en un videojuego e innovación no quiere decir calidad. El sistema de materia si bien me pareció interesante y permite tener mucha personalización en parte no me gusto, ya que se van perdiendo estadísticas alEste tiene que ser uno de los juegos mas sobrevalorados de la historia. Lo siento, pero a pesar de que este juego innova y tiene muy buena historia, la historia no lo es todo en un videojuego e innovación no quiere decir calidad. El sistema de materia si bien me pareció interesante y permite tener mucha personalización en parte no me gusto, ya que se van perdiendo estadísticas al equiparlas... Que ha pasado con el sistema de magia de los anteriores Final Fantasy? No es justo que tener magia te perjudique. Lo que mas me agrado del juego es la historia, la música y la cantidad de escenarios que recorres (y se siente muy bien el progreso). En este apartado es sobresaliente. Sin embargo, la jugabilidad que es muy lenta y la dificultad poco balanceada hacen de esto un juego algo mediocre.
    Pd: También Sephirot esta muy sobrevalorado como villano. Si bien tiene sus momentos, el no habla en la ultima parte del juego, no están claras sus intenciones y solo obtuvo la fama que obtuvo por matar a Aeris.    … Expand
  9. PSGaming
    May 24, 2020
    7
    Its difficult to rate such an old game like this in 2020.But the experience i've got with Final Fantasy VII is mixed.Lets talk the good things.The story is very interesting, characters are interesting, enemies are interesting,environment are interesting and combat is interesting.Sound effects and music are good for its time.Graphics also are great for the time of the firstIts difficult to rate such an old game like this in 2020.But the experience i've got with Final Fantasy VII is mixed.Lets talk the good things.The story is very interesting, characters are interesting, enemies are interesting,environment are interesting and combat is interesting.Sound effects and music are good for its time.Graphics also are great for the time of the first PlayStation.Now...with the good things come the bad.I have deleted the game half way,because there was no waypoint,where to go.I tried to find the way to progress,but avery 5 steps i make, enemies attacked me.And that made me very angry.Forcing me to delete the game.I tried to play till the end ,but this things with the monsters appearing every 5 steps i make,made me to do this.I know most of the people are very happy with this game,but for me it is very annoying.Maybe if i have played it on the original PlayStation back in the days i maybe have love it,like many other people.Maybe one day i'll give it another try,bit for now,i am gonna play other games.… Expand
  10. PasseGaming
    Mar 28, 2020
    7
    Word of warning; this is coming from a fan of the series since day one, waaaay back on the NES. An while the truth may hurt, it is none the less the truth. Final Fantasy VII was a technical achievement in the gaming industry. It was only of the first times I really took.notice of gaming ads, as they had been all over. The game look impressive for the time (now a days it doesn't quite goldWord of warning; this is coming from a fan of the series since day one, waaaay back on the NES. An while the truth may hurt, it is none the less the truth. Final Fantasy VII was a technical achievement in the gaming industry. It was only of the first times I really took.notice of gaming ads, as they had been all over. The game look impressive for the time (now a days it doesn't quite gold up in that respect.) Before I drop the bomb I should say that it is a solid game all around. Fun to play.. but the plot was a dumpster fire. It was confusing and frustrating with many holes. Not to mention that many of the characters were wooden and uninteresting. I replayed this game when it was released on the PS4 after not having played it in over a decade. Boy those rose colored glasses had been stained white real quick as I seen the truth of the games state. It's kind of ulgy and I found the story even more baffling. I am really hoping with this remake they do some special with it and maybe add some sense to it all.white real… Expand
  11. Devilofgaming
    Sep 29, 2013
    7
    the graphics are EXTREMELY dated but the battle system is handled really well plus the story is decent so i guess its worth a buy on the PSN or an actual copy.
  12. Ozard
    Jun 8, 2015
    5
    I really cannot understand all of the praise which this game gets, in my opinion it is average at best.

    A poor storyline, sub par graphics (even for when it was released nearly 15 years ago), terrible voice acting, painful inventory system. There are some redeeming features, such as the hard battle encounters, numerous side quests and the large number of characters, but they just cant    I really cannot understand all of the praise which this game gets, in my opinion it is average at best.

    A poor storyline, sub par graphics (even for when it was released nearly 15 years ago), terrible voice acting, painful inventory system. There are some redeeming features, such as the hard battle encounters, numerous side quests and the large number of characters, but they just cant make up for all of the other disappointing aspects. I have finished the game twice now, with a gap of over 10 years in between, and it hasn't aged well    … Expand
  13. MissFelixia
    Mar 13, 2013
    5
    this is the first one i ever played and i loved it however i was young back then so things never affected me much. after playing it these days i just cant go past disk 1 unless i get a save after it. its fun playing but lost its replay value for me. i would recomend final fantasy 6 over this
  14. dluo
    Dec 26, 2011
    7
    Maybe it's the fact that I played this game too late. First time I beat it beginning to finish was freshman year in my college career back in 2009 so the impact on me was not so great vs those fans who played it as a kid back in 1997. But nonetheless the story is alright along with game play and the character. The biggest thing I didn't like was the music and the moody atmosphere. MaybeMaybe it's the fact that I played this game too late. First time I beat it beginning to finish was freshman year in my college career back in 2009 so the impact on me was not so great vs those fans who played it as a kid back in 1997. But nonetheless the story is alright along with game play and the character. The biggest thing I didn't like was the music and the moody atmosphere. Maybe its because I already had standard for video games and this was far from the first video game I ever played so impression I got from this game was not as good as some other RPGs. But I pay my respect to what is consider one of the greatest video game ever made.… Expand
  15. MusicCream
    Jul 29, 2013
    6
    Great game, but certainly overrated. This game is beautiful in your own right. Materia system is so cool. But this game have its flaws, the history is weaker comparated with FF VI. Great game but is far from the best RPG in PsONE.
  16. Super_Cloud
    Jan 1, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I finally finished this game for the first time and it was pretty good but i feel like the game is kinda overrated though, the story was good but really not the best, i liked FF6 alot more, i really liked the part when they are in the Lifestream, the game was really easy for a ff, Sephiroth was surprisingly easy to beat. I feel like the game aged really badly, i'm really curious out the remake will be. Good game but i played better ff.… Expand
  17. samuraigaiden
    Jan 11, 2015
    5
    As someone who was into gaming and JRPGs back when FF7, I can easily understand why people went nuts for it back then. Playing it for the first time in 2014, all I can say is that the game doesn't live up to the hype and has aged poorly.

    Combat is predictable and incredibly easy, with very little need strategy or the need to understand the enemies and their skills. Materia system is    As someone who was into gaming and JRPGs back when FF7, I can easily understand why people went nuts for it back then. Playing it for the first time in 2014, all I can say is that the game doesn't live up to the hype and has aged poorly.

    Combat is predictable and incredibly easy, with very little need strategy or the need to understand the enemies and their skills. Materia system is cool, but poorly implemented. They level up too slowly and make the characters feel indistinct in battle.

    The story has good moments, but really just stops in the end of Part 1 and never recovers. The necessity for one "Deus Ex Machina" solution after another in later game could be an indication that the plot changed a lot during development to appease executives and this resulted in the tonal disparity that is omnipresent in FF7's story telling.

    The thing that bothers me the most about FF7, even more than the Chocobo Farming, is the fact that it feels like an incredibly small step forward from FF6. The systems and the game flow feel so similar that it's kind of disappointing.

    All the new things introduced by FF7 are related to cut-scenes and graphics. The core game behind all the bells and whistles is 16-bit through and through.

    For me, Final Fantasy 7 has been an underwhelming experience.    … Expand
  18. Runa
    Apr 25, 2013
    5
    The people think, "The Best FF". Sorry but i disagree. This game is overrated because just have a big change in graphics and the mode of play of previous FF's. Just that.
  19. Wrathsputin
    Jul 5, 2011
    6
    A decent game with various flaws including two-dimensional characters, lackluster gameplay and a story that suffers from being too complex and pretentious for it's own good.

    It is a good game and very enjoyable and I do recommend it, however various elements of the story are not quite what the game's die-hard fans will want you to believe.
  20. ihatecheez
    Oct 18, 2013
    7
    final fantasy vii is a great game no doubt about it, and some people consider it as one of the best games ever made. which i can understand. but this is a game that you had to play back in the day. i just finished it and there are a lot of aspects to the game that make the game feel very old. im not talking about the graphics they are amazing! but the menus, combat, story, are eitherfinal fantasy vii is a great game no doubt about it, and some people consider it as one of the best games ever made. which i can understand. but this is a game that you had to play back in the day. i just finished it and there are a lot of aspects to the game that make the game feel very old. im not talking about the graphics they are amazing! but the menus, combat, story, are either horrible or missing key elements. the story goes everywhere but you can forgive it a bit since the characters are some of the best in video game history. (ps: what the hell was that ending?)… Expand
  21. Tripe4Life
    Mar 17, 2012
    5
    I really do not want to give this game a poor rating, because I truly believe that this game succeeded in living up to the hype... but only the first time I played it. After that, the more glaring holes in the story began popping up. Other than that, the characters are lifeless tropes upon tropes. Only a few characters did I actually like, those being Red XIII, Cid, Cloud before he becameI really do not want to give this game a poor rating, because I truly believe that this game succeeded in living up to the hype... but only the first time I played it. After that, the more glaring holes in the story began popping up. Other than that, the characters are lifeless tropes upon tropes. Only a few characters did I actually like, those being Red XIII, Cid, Cloud before he became all emo and whiny in Advent Children, and Cait Sith. Yes, I actually like Cait Sith. Please don't kill me. But other than those three, the other characters are lifeless, emotionless, and are pretty much there to fill their cliche. And despite the lame main characters, I also think that the main villain, Sephiroth, is also one of the weakest in the franchise. His motivations are honestly very stupid, and his final form was very lame. The music is... okay, I guess. Only Crazy Motorcycle really stood out to me in the game's massive soundtrack, but other than that, I either dismissed the rest of them or just did not like them (ONE WINGED ANGEL IS OVERRATED). And the story is a pretty flawed one, which I'm sad to say, because this is STILL one of the better storylines in the Final Fantasy series!

    So, as a final say, this game really suffers from cliched characters, really gaping plot holes, a dismissible soundtrack, and    … Expand
  22. reepnorp
    Apr 26, 2012
    6
    Decent game, not as strong as the other titles in the series. Interesting character development but the plot seemed forced at times. Audio is about what you can expect for an early PS1 game, nothing too impressive. Same goes for graphics, unfortunately these graphics do not age well at all. Notable exception to that is the cut scenes, which do look good even today. Gameplay itself isDecent game, not as strong as the other titles in the series. Interesting character development but the plot seemed forced at times. Audio is about what you can expect for an early PS1 game, nothing too impressive. Same goes for graphics, unfortunately these graphics do not age well at all. Notable exception to that is the cut scenes, which do look good even today. Gameplay itself is alright, the materia system is very well done, but other than that not much stands out to me about the battle system.

    Now, I fully admit I didn't play this game until a few years after it had been released. As such many people may disagree with my comments about the graphics since I was indeed comparing them to other, later titles on the PS1.    … Expand
  23. setuis
    Sep 5, 2016
    7
    Played 9 first back in the old days. its just preference and pure predujice as people under apprechiate 9. Seven also gltiched on disc 2 and i was never able to finish it.
  24. RaxsahW
    Jan 20, 2010
    5
    Incredibly overrated. Don't get me wrong, it is a good game but I think that this 'cult' following that it has going on is way over the top. For one, there is really no attatchment between gamer and character. I mean, come on Cloud, where is your sense of personality? I know why he's like that, I know the background so you cannot tel me I do not know what I'm Incredibly overrated. Don't get me wrong, it is a good game but I think that this 'cult' following that it has going on is way over the top. For one, there is really no attatchment between gamer and character. I mean, come on Cloud, where is your sense of personality? I know why he's like that, I know the background so you cannot tel me I do not know what I'm talking about and it's perfectly understandable, it just doesn't make for good gameplay. The storyline is average at best. You have an evil scientist experiment with human and alien DNA, off the rail Soldier who goe mad after learning about the experiments he underwent and a giant meteor about to hit the planet. Which part of that storyline is terribly imaginative I ask you? The only thing that particularly strikes me as interesting is the story of Jenova. Graphics. Need I go on? Even the graphics on the earlier N64 games are better than that. I will admit that graphics aren't everything in a good game, but they do help and if they are too poor then the overall enjoyment of the game is lowered. The only game I lthroroughly enjoyed in the FF7 series would have to be Crisis Core, but I won't go into that because that shoudl be saved for a different thread =] Overall, I do not believe that people should hold this game on a pedestal as they currently do as it is simply not worth the effort. However, I would recommend at least playing part of it; borrow it off a friend maybe? It's a bit like marmite this game, you either love it or you hate it so it's best to try it out before you make an opinion on it.… Expand
  25. banda89
    Dec 31, 2014
    6
    Most overrated game of all time? Possibly, it's definitely in my top 5, now don't get me wrong I'm not saying it's a bad game, not at all, and I'm aware that it did a lot for the genre. But that doesn't make it the best final fantasy game, most influential? maybe. It was the last of the PS final fantasies that I played, and after hearing and reading all of the wonderful things this gameMost overrated game of all time? Possibly, it's definitely in my top 5, now don't get me wrong I'm not saying it's a bad game, not at all, and I'm aware that it did a lot for the genre. But that doesn't make it the best final fantasy game, most influential? maybe. It was the last of the PS final fantasies that I played, and after hearing and reading all of the wonderful things this game had to offered I couldn't wait to play it.
    A bit overhyped? I'm sure I was, but then I played it and while I enjoyed it, I couldn't understand why it had such a dedicated group of fans. I won't say anything about the graphics because for it's time they were amazing, but they haven't aged well. Soundtrack, OMG this I gotta say has to be on par with FF IX.
    Battle System it's Ok, certainly wasn't a big fan of Materia and grinding magic and limit breaks, but hey that's just me.
    Cut Scenes, while it has some of the most memorable ones (sepiroth walking through the fire anyone?) some of them took Ages, seriously i grew a beard watching some of them.
    you have to give credit when they deserve it, Sepiroth may just be the most memorable character in FF history, and possibly in Video Game history, dude's just BA.

    While I enjoyed it, it was slow and tedious, has some moments where i could just fall asleep, and it most definitely is not the best FF out there, VI and IX are far more enjoyable.    … Expand
  26. ConcaC.
    Feb 20, 2008
    7
    This title has inexcusable graphics, I can't stand the characters (e.g. Cloud, Aeris, Tifa, Barret) at all except for Yuffie since she is the most mischievous ally in Final Fantasy game ever and Cait Sith because he's actually a traitor of some sorts, something unseen before. The story and its turns do carry the game, as well as the challenging bosses and mini-games which I This title has inexcusable graphics, I can't stand the characters (e.g. Cloud, Aeris, Tifa, Barret) at all except for Yuffie since she is the most mischievous ally in Final Fantasy game ever and Cait Sith because he's actually a traitor of some sorts, something unseen before. The story and its turns do carry the game, as well as the challenging bosses and mini-games which I enjoyed a lot, for example the defending of the Fort Condor. It's a decent game but I enjoyed other games by far more.… Expand
  27. TinMan
    Oct 6, 2007
    6
    This is a great game, and a very succesful game, but the storyline is medicore, and the character development could have been better. The materia system does not provide any unique battle expierience eithier. This game is really succesful without a doubt, but it is also a little overrated. Graphics don't matter to me but I just felt that the storyline wasn't that great and the This is a great game, and a very succesful game, but the storyline is medicore, and the character development could have been better. The materia system does not provide any unique battle expierience eithier. This game is really succesful without a doubt, but it is also a little overrated. Graphics don't matter to me but I just felt that the storyline wasn't that great and the character development was only there for Cloud, Vincent, Barret, and Tifa. Caith Sith, RedXIII, Cid, Yuffie had crappy development and I mean CRAPPY development. Overall, not bad just overrated.… Expand
  28. ZemZ.
    Sep 1, 2007
    5
    This game is not in fact all that, it's mediocer at best & dated but you can see that it still wasn't that great in it's day, but don't get me wrong it's still a good game but there are beter games for your buck.
  29. Dr.Bem
    Jul 31, 2009
    7
    Final Fantasy VII is not a bad game, but it's certainly not a great one either. There are a good number of memorable moments and the story is decent, but the spotty pacing, strict adherence to linearity, terrible dialogue and boring battles that take up far too much of the game bring down what is otherwise a masterpiece. People tend to remember the good parts of the game and fail to Final Fantasy VII is not a bad game, but it's certainly not a great one either. There are a good number of memorable moments and the story is decent, but the spotty pacing, strict adherence to linearity, terrible dialogue and boring battles that take up far too much of the game bring down what is otherwise a masterpiece. People tend to remember the good parts of the game and fail to understand that more or less everything has aged atrociously.… Expand
  30. LorenzoL.
    May 6, 2006
    6
    Frankly, this game is seriously overrated. Even for its time, the in-game graphics were not that surprising, and FMV were very inconsistent in their quality. While the audio quality was very good, some of the sounds got very repetitive. The characters are the high-point, most noticeably, Cid, Vincent, Cait-Sith, Yuffie...even as these characters are supposed to play second fiddle to Frankly, this game is seriously overrated. Even for its time, the in-game graphics were not that surprising, and FMV were very inconsistent in their quality. While the audio quality was very good, some of the sounds got very repetitive. The characters are the high-point, most noticeably, Cid, Vincent, Cait-Sith, Yuffie...even as these characters are supposed to play second fiddle to Aeris, Tifa and Cloud, they undeniably stand out for their charm, mystery and involvment in the storyline, as well as their own personal one. As for the story, it was very good, but the twists and turns were not carefully implemented or intelligent, i.e. for some time you were believing something that was simply not true...for no reason!!! As for character implementation in the stoy, kudos to Squaresoft...… Expand
  31. MikeS
    Jul 1, 2008
    5
    How is anyone supposed to care about these characters? For being so storyline-driven, it's a very un-intriguing story.
  32. AndrewM.
    Nov 8, 2005
    6
    Nothing compared to Final fantasy VI(6).
  33. AJCk19
    Apr 30, 2023
    6
    It is one of those games, that you can only appreciate if you played it when it first came out.
  34. Sephiroth_X
    Jun 21, 2021
    6
    16bit rpgs age like wine, ps1 (3d) rpgs age like fish... and this is the perfect example.
    Back in the day I enjoyed it, specially for its amazing soundtrack which i think is its best feature.
    Story is not bad, characters stinks, after ff6 I felt the brains of the developers somehow got fried. Nowadays is even a worse experience to play it, the loading screen, the ugly visuals, specially    16bit rpgs age like wine, ps1 (3d) rpgs age like fish... and this is the perfect example.
    Back in the day I enjoyed it, specially for its amazing soundtrack which i think is its best feature.
    Story is not bad, characters stinks, after ff6 I felt the brains of the developers somehow got fried.
    Nowadays is even a worse experience to play it, the loading screen, the ugly visuals, specially in 3D form, sometimes they remind me of popeye. I give it a 6. soundtrack earns a 10.

    This has to be the most overrated RPG ever, and it has many reasons for it, back in the day rpgs where not that famous among the masses, and this game, appeared on the new sony machine, giving amazing graphics for its day, convinced many people to switch to sony instead of nintendo too. This is the first RPG several thousands of players played for the first time, and well it was good! But for those many of us who knew square magic since the days of the nes it was ok at best. Now i compare and see i love way more the visuals on the snes, those little characters with big expressive eyes, somehow managed to provoque a better emotional reaction from me, than the blocky shaped ones from the 3D games.

    If you haven´t played you dont miss much, but if you're a rpg fan play it, is not bad, but is not even among the best final fantasies. Which in my opinion are ff4, 5, 6 and 9.    … Expand
  35. greenndreams
    Mar 2, 2018
    6
    JRPG도 파이어 엠블렘이나 페르소나, 하다못해 포켓몬처럼 다양한 게임플레이 요소로 즐거운 상호작용을 제공할 수 있다. 파판7의 경우 수집 요소들과 다양한 미니게임, 퍼즐 등이 있는데, 안타깝게도 랜덤 전투와 같은 원시적인 시스템이 플레이어의 인내심을 한계가지 몰아붙인다. 나름 독특한 디젤펑크 세계관에 집들이 하나하나 들어가볼 수 있게 디테일해서 이 세계를 탐험하는 즐거움이 크다. 그러나 열 걸음 뗄 때마다 무분별하게 랜덤 전투가 걸리니 바로 옆 동네 구경 가는 것조차도 전투에 전투를 거듭하는 단순노동을 거친다. 심지어 전투라도 흥미진진하다면 모를까, 캐릭터들 템이나 스킬 눌러주고 폴리곤 덩어리들이 몸부림치는 CG 지켜보기만 반복하는 과정이다. 탐험하고 스토리를 진행하고 싶을 뿐인데, 어디를JRPG도 파이어 엠블렘이나 페르소나, 하다못해 포켓몬처럼 다양한 게임플레이 요소로 즐거운 상호작용을 제공할 수 있다. 파판7의 경우 수집 요소들과 다양한 미니게임, 퍼즐 등이 있는데, 안타깝게도 랜덤 전투와 같은 원시적인 시스템이 플레이어의 인내심을 한계가지 몰아붙인다. 나름 독특한 디젤펑크 세계관에 집들이 하나하나 들어가볼 수 있게 디테일해서 이 세계를 탐험하는 즐거움이 크다. 그러나 열 걸음 뗄 때마다 무분별하게 랜덤 전투가 걸리니 바로 옆 동네 구경 가는 것조차도 전투에 전투를 거듭하는 단순노동을 거친다. 심지어 전투라도 흥미진진하다면 모를까, 캐릭터들 템이나 스킬 눌러주고 폴리곤 덩어리들이 몸부림치는 CG 지켜보기만 반복하는 과정이다. 탐험하고 스토리를 진행하고 싶을 뿐인데, 어디를 가나 랜덤 전투 노가다를 뛰느라 이 게임의 최대 강점인 스토리가 지연되는 모순이 발생한다.

    그렇다면 파판7의 그 대단하다는 스토리는 어떤가? 딱 90년대 일본 만화에서 볼 법한 스토리다. 유치한 부분은 참 유치하고 복잡한 부분은 골 때리게 복잡하다. 한 번 쭉 보고 나면 이해가 안 되는 게 많은데 너무 길고 복잡해서 다시 찾아볼 자신이 없다. 십수명의 캐릭터들이 각자 전부 사연이 있고 게임의 후반으로 갈 수록 다들 뒤엉켜 스토리의 스케일이 너무 커져서 거의 허무맹랑해진다. (처음엔 기업의 횡포에 맞서 싸운다는 전개였다가, 나중엔 지금까지 만난 모든 친구들과 힘을 합쳐 거의 신적인 존재를 무찌른다는 식의 스토리.) 게임이 마무리되는 시점까지도 끊임없이 처음 듣는 새로운 설정이 소개되고 헛웃음 나는 초자연적 현상이 발생한다. 이쯤 되면 이거 하나하나 전부 설명돼 있는 건데 내가 이해를 못 한 건지, 아니면 그냥 밑도 끝도 없는 판타지물인데 내가 개연성을 기대하는 게 잘못된 건지 회의감이 든다. 팬들은 십년에 걸쳐 발매된 파판7의 여러 후속작들이 그 스토리를 보충하고 설명해준다는데, 이게 파판7의 스토리텔링이 얼마나 불완전한지 반증하지 않나 싶다.

    그런데 워낙 복잡하고 장황한 스토리라 단순히 일부 면모만으로 중2병 판타지물이라 치부하기엔 아쉬운 면이 있다. 수 많은 캐릭터들과 세부적인 스토리라인이 있는데 전부 효과적이진 않다. 특히 이 게임의 핵심적인 여자 캐릭터는 너무 클리셰하고 고리타분해서 별 관심이 안 간다. 그래서 수 많은 파판 팬들이 울고 불고 했다는 "그 장면"은 봐도 그저 무덤덤했다. 물론 캐릭터를 수십시간 동안 데리고 다니고 키우면 애착이 생겨서라도 부족한 캐릭터성이 보완된다. 몇몇 캐릭터는 제법 괜찮은 스토리 곡선을 갖는다. 특히 주인공의 스토리 곡선이 후반에 반전이 있는데, 이게 상당히 신선해서 이거 하나만으로 몇몇 인물들이 훨씬 흥미로워진다. 순전히 이 반전 하나를 바탕으로 파판7의 후속작 하나가 만들어졌을 정도. 그 외에도 시간 때우기용 캐릭터 하나 없이 전부 나름 공감 가는 사연과 배경을 갖는다. 이 게임은 음악이 가장 인상적인데, 이런 캐릭터들과 음악이 어우러져 전체적으로 애틋하고 서정적인 분위기를 연출한다. 중2병스러운 대사들과 이따금 너무 만화적인 연출이 아쉬울 따름이다.

    파판7은 게임 역사상 가장 야심찬 작품들 중 하나다. 스퀘어는 당대의 기술적인 한계를 초월하려고 했고, 결과적으로 자사 역대 최고의 성공작을 내놓은 동시에 게임계 전체에 충격을 줬다. "그 시대엔" 이런 그래픽과 연출은 보지 못 한 것이었고, "그 시대엔" 이런 긴 스토리는 흔치 않은 것이었고, "그 시대엔" 이런 다양한 미니게임들도 전례 없는 바였다. 아마 1930년대 사람들이 영화관에서 엠파이어 스테이트 빌딩을 오르는 킹콩을 처음 봤을 때와 비슷한 충격이 아니었을까 싶다. 그러나 파판7의 그러한 성과들은 이후의 급속한 기술력 발전과 함께 순식간에 뒤쳐졌고, 남겨진 건 낙후된 게임 디자인에 갇혀있는 한때 찬란했던 불씨 뿐이다. 여전히 그 야심의 온기가 느껴진다. 음악은 호화롭고, 캐릭터는 다채롭고, 스토리는 방대하다. 제작자들이 심혈을 기울였음이 느껴져서 이렇게 냉혹하게 비판하기가 마음이 아프다. 당시의 기술적인 한계는 초월했으나 게임 디자인의 한계는 초월하지 못 한 것이 안타깝다.    … Expand
  36. lidwang
    Mar 1, 2019
    7
    Loved this one. Since it was my introduction to jrpgs it has a special place in my heart, and the part with the plot twist about cloud will always feel like a **** to me. Sadly thid game has the problem that is too easy to break. When i was around level 50 i could kill every enemy and boss with ease, whuch made the rest of the game kinda boring since i am a complrtionist guy. Still, evenLoved this one. Since it was my introduction to jrpgs it has a special place in my heart, and the part with the plot twist about cloud will always feel like a **** to me. Sadly thid game has the problem that is too easy to break. When i was around level 50 i could kill every enemy and boss with ease, whuch made the rest of the game kinda boring since i am a complrtionist guy. Still, even if that and the materia system is a but unreliable and the wolrd isn't that well structured, the game still has an amazing story that is worth experiencing.… Expand
  37. Xelbart
    Apr 25, 2019
    7
    A great game, not the best final fantasy, not the best RPG, but great for its year and fun. The graphics and the narrative are not as good as the gameplay but if you love RPG you should play this one.
  38. QilBoy
    Jun 5, 2022
    7
    It's really hard to explain why the seventh chapter of the Final Fantasy series changed forever not only the RPG genre, but the japanese videogame industry as a whole, setting a new standard both in terms of graphical quality, storytelling and scale. The graphical prowess of the game might not shock as it did back in 1997, but almost every other aspect of the game still surprises evenIt's really hard to explain why the seventh chapter of the Final Fantasy series changed forever not only the RPG genre, but the japanese videogame industry as a whole, setting a new standard both in terms of graphical quality, storytelling and scale. The graphical prowess of the game might not shock as it did back in 1997, but almost every other aspect of the game still surprises even today.
    The vibrant world of Gaia, brimming with life and personality thanks to the insanely detailed prerendered backgrounds, the charming and creative locations, the multitude of wacky minigames (that are apparently superficial but actually give personality and character to each location, help make more memorable each story segment and offer an endearing change of pace between battles) and lastly the amazing soundtrack, which spans from lo-fi, to classical and rock, but always mantaining a strong sense of musical identity throughout.
    The grandiose sense of adventure conveyed by the story, exploring the world continent after continent unlocking different means of traversal as the journey progresses, with the world map slowly opening up to the player, offering new optional areas, rewarding the more curious and attentive players with a staggering amount of hidden treasures, side-quests and secrets, both in terms of gameplay and narrative. Final Fantasy VII offers one of the richest, deepest and most creative fictional worlds that were ever conceived, including books and movies. The world of Gaia is extremely rich with lore, both told explicitly, implied or left to the players' imagination, slowly piecing it together as the group of heroes travels through it. The real protagonists of FFVII isn't Cloud Strife or his companions, but the world itself. Its people, its stories and the fate it is heading towards, a fate that our protagonist are trying to change. But alas, as much as the world, characters and lore of the game are exceptional, the same can't be said for the plot itself, which is basically a very long chase.
    Where the game REALLY shines, is the Combat System. Firstly, as always the ATB is not a gamechanger, but definitely adds a pleasant layer of adrenaline and tension where turn-based games usually don't have it.
    Secondly, and most importantly: the Materia System. A mechanic that is incredibly easy to pick up, but just as incredibly deep and rich of potential. The sheer amount of different Materias, which vary immensely in purpose and utility depending on the situation, and the insane amount of secret sinergies that can be found by experimenting with their disposition, leads to what can simply be called the greatest equipment system in any turn-based videogame ever, and this is not an overstatement. As someone who has played pretty much all the major turn-base RPGs, no other equipment system ever offered the same amount of creative liberty and power to the players who are proactive and curious enough to test it and be smart with it. It just hasn't been topped yet.
    And yet, as much as so far it would seem that this is almost the perfect videogame, it is far from it, due to some small issues and two major ones.
    Narratively speaking, as we said the plot itself is maybe a little too linear, and a couple of plotholes and inconsistencies that the story inevitably creates in order to lead characters to certain situations.
    Gameplay speaking, the Materia system allows every character to use every type of spell and ability, which as I said leads to an insane amount of strategic freedom, but the absence of true meaningful unique characteristics to differentiate each party member like older titles makes all party members virtually the same (Limit breaks aren't nearly enough). Secondly, the sometimes (pretty often really) awkward controls of the minigames. The major problems hit really hard, and are inevitably tied together: the enemy encounter rate and the difficulty. Enemy encounters happen waaay to often, especially in the overworld, which not only makes the experience a slog to get through at times but eventually leads to the second problem, the difficulty. With an equipment system as interesting and genious as the Materia system, it is a real shame that the game isn't capable of providing an experience that is challenging enough to test the player's skills with it. Placing your Materia quite randomly gets you to the end of the game without any real problem, and ONLY the post-game bosses offer a real satisfying and meaningful challenge, sadly.
    Or, in other words: Final Fantasy VII it's so theoretically perfect, both in story and gameplay, that its one true main flaw is being so stupidly easy that it fails at showcasing just how brilliant its combat mechanics are, instead offering "just" a phenomenal story, characters and world to explore, with tons of wasted potential in Combat and an annoyingly high enemy encounter rate.    … Expand
  39. Jerg4n
    Apr 30, 2023
    7
    Good story, good combat, great music, certainly a classic worth playing, but it has aged pretty poorly in a lot of aspects
  40. Lightsun
    Jul 25, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My review will be honest based on my life epxerience. The first time i saw the FF7 game was in 90's gaming magazines such as gamepro and playstation magazine here in greece.I found it weird you were controlling the character with that cursor and i said to my 11 years old self back then ''this game must be boring why you dont control your character directly? What are these battle choises?'' i had no idea what an rpg was. I was begging my parents for 2 years since 1995, till 1997 to get me a ps1. 1st grade of highschool started in 1997 for me.I was 12 back then.My grades were 20/20. And i said to parents i deserve to get a ps1. December 1997 i got the ps1. So happy. I had my eyes and thought in that game FF7. It was intriguing to me.I was reading good reviews in magazines.I was sceptical. Summer 1998 my father got me 3 games.Air Combat(so happy!), Tekken 2 (yess!) and..FF7.When i saw FF7 i was ''meh''. I put it ps1 last.And when i put it i saw the intro, heard the theme and i realised this game has nice pace,rythim,graphics,music,art style.And i was...MESMERISED! What i was seeing in begining of FF7 got instantly imprinted in my brain. My friends were excited.But deep down i knew i could not beat this game.I knew of its grinding, hard issues, time demands. I ought pstips.It had a guide of FF7 bad written. I got stuck in that snake after midgar.That giant snake. I didnt know what to do.How to get chocobos and being attacked 24/7 by enemies was pain in the ass.Game was making me feel CLUELESS.I had no idea about the gusashi green to get the chokobo.Among all of my friends only 1 friend managed to beat the game.And he was using game shark with infinite health and gills.Years passed by...in my soul i was loving and hating ff7.When i sw it got re-released in ps4 with cheats faster,infinite limit break,deactivating being attacked by enemies randomly.Those 3 cheats made the game better.I said to my self after 25 years ill beat the game even if i have to use cheats.Took me 25 hours.These are the problems i found.
    -chocobos ruin the game.how to get them.reward doesnt exist there.too much grinding.waste of time
    -walking is so slow.
    -you have to find that item in that forest and you have to excavate.I saw the solution on youtube and still took me MANY tries.
    -you had to fly over that white mountain in order to progress in game.again i checked the solution online.Game leaves you CLUELESS
    -i didnt know i had to kill that giant enemy in order to progress.They are 5-6 of them forgot their names.
    -i had to check youtube to find the key item UNDERWATER using the sub.
    -how to solve the unsolvable puzzle of ipening the safe in nibelheim? it has 1 summon,reds ability and vincent character
    -how to solve without CLUES the code in space with that bahamut? i solved those by watching again..YOUTUBE.
    -that giant snake which kills you no matter how good you are. i took my revenge killing it in ps4 using games cheats

    And these are the problems of ff7.Everything else is nice.Epic tthemes of nobuo ,nice gameplay in battle.Nice story.Memorable art style and characters,I realised ff7 had open world elements.I realised hojo was the real villain and not sephiroth.For ps1 it was what was gta games of ps2 and call of duty games of xbox360. I realised the game sold well due to its quality,open world first games,and all the good above mentioned elements.But a lot of people never managed to beat it.I bet vast majority of gamers were like me.At some point they got stuck and they abandoned the game despite feeling DESIRE to finish it.But we cannot guess what to do when the game doesnt give you even a CLUE.

    And im sceptical about what score to give.In ps4 its a 10/10 game.But in ps1...you lack those 3 cheat abilities which make the game better. so ..ps1 is 7/10.

    And since this review is about ps1 the score is 7/10.But know this. In ps4 its a 10/10 so i highly suggest you to play the game in ps4 using those cheats.Released by square by themselves.They also realised the issues of ff7 and released it with those cheats.

    7/10 ps1
    10/10 ps4.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PS1 Game of 1997
1
#1 Most Discussed PS1 Game of 1997
2
#2 Most Shared PS1 Game of 1997

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. GMR Magazine
    90
    Brought RPGs into the Western spotlight and contained the most debated plot twist of an era. [Feb 2003, p.97]
  2. Gamestyle
    90
    You can play the game time and time again. Always finding something new, from a new piece of materia to a new place, to defeating the ultimate weapons. The story twists and turns all the time always keeping you guessing as to what will happen next.
    Read full review
  3. Thunderbolt
    90
    Without a doubt, FF7 is one of the top Final Fantasy games out there. It is also one of the best RPG adventures of all time.
    Read full review
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