Introduction

Final Fantasy man, if I had a dollar for every time I've referenced this game in a video, but today is different, because today we'll be discussing Final Fantasy and more specifically Final Fantasy VII one of the most iconic and influential video games of all time. Final Fantasy VII is without a doubt a surreal experience, and the first time I played it many years ago, I as much as I loved it back then, I don't truly feel that I understood and clicked with just how incredible this game is until recently replaying it off the back of Final Fantasy XVI.

Square Enix have always strived to innovate and transform the Final Fantasy series into something more, and provide new ideas to completely reshape our approach to RPGs. Final Fantasy VII was a largely influential game for many different reasons. One of them being the change from a high-fantasy setting to a more ScFi-Fantasy type universe, a clever and easy to use system with materia, and an active time battle system. Not to mention blockbuster visuals for its time of release.

On top of this at the time, JRPG's weren't as accessible nor popular as they are in this day and age, so Final Fantasy VII for many was their first experience with a JRPG. I'd liken Final Fantasy VII's influence for the JRPG Genre to that of something like the influence that anime such as Akria, Dragon ball, and Cowboy Bebop had on bringing anime to western audiences.

But Final Fantasy VII isn't a subject to nostalgia it is through and through an incredible experience that enthralls you in its world and events even when knowing exactly all of the hard-hitting moments.

The Footprint of FF7

It is impossible to discuss Final Fantasy 7 without first diving into the legacy and impact that this game had on JRPGs, their perception in the west, publishers, and the broader landscape of video games. The footprint of Final Fantasy 7 is pivotal to the question of why it is the critically acclaimed title in the series, even if it isn't some people's first preference. Final Fantasy 7 encapsulates all the core staples of what we see in a modern video game the action set-piece moments, the cinematic focused story, and an open world that felt grand for its time. Final Fantasy 7 did in 1997 what a game like Baldur's Gate 3 would do in 2023, it would reshape and redefine what we think of when we talk about not only RPG's, but video games. Final Fantasy 7's cultural impact can still be felt to this day is it why I would say unpacking every part of the journey of Final Fantasy 7, from it's creation and legacy is important, so that's what I'm going to do before diving into the game elements.

Development

The development for Final Fantasy 7 marked an defining turning point for both Squaresoft and the series as both creatively and technologically. It was important that each iteration of the Final Fantasy series would push the series forward in some way, and this is where major issues for the development of Final Fantasy 7 would begin to take form, with many members of the team pondering how they can evolve on the series after success of Final Fantasy 6. There was a fork in the road for the studio as they begun pre-production for their 6th entry three months after the release of Final Fantasy 6. Square understood that they could make a safe game on the SNES or they could take advantage of the new and upcoming technology at the time and create a new experience entirely. When Square caught wind that the latest upcoming console from Nintendo titled Ultra 64 would be taking full advantage of 3D capabilities, it was clear to Square that if they wanted to continue forward the philosophy of this series and pushing it forward, it would be through taking advantage of this cutting edge technology.

A Tech demo would be showcased with characters from Final Fantasy 6, that would showcase how a 3D Final Fantasy could work and would fall in line with the cinematic vision that Yoshinori Kitase had for the game, being responsible for the story of Final Fantasy 7 and also being the games director. From the various inspirations from film it was important to capture the cinematic essence of Final Fantasy 7 through both it's cutting edge 3D visuals and new and improved cutscenes. The story for Final Fantasy 7 would go through many different mutations where it was originally envisioned as the tale of a noir detective investigating a terrorist group and would be focused around the city of New York. This concept whilst some aspects of the idea made their way into seven, would eventuate into Parasite Eve. But this isn't the only idea that would get repurposed, there was an idea of a story that is set within two different time periods that follows a father and son. The fathers actions would have a knock on effect in the world for the son later on. It can be believed that these early ideas were in some respect and influence on 1995's Chrono Trigger. Lastly there was one concept and idea that was originally intended for Final Fantasy 7 that would see to becoming its own game entirely and that game we now know today as Xenogears.

It is important to understand just how impactful and creative the team at Square were at the time. With Chrono Trigger released the team would shift their efforts to Final Fantasy 7 and ultimately when deciding on making a 3D game would realize that the new 3D Nintendo console would still be making use of cartridges instead of CD-ROM's.

This announcement would mean that Square's game that they were developing at the time would be too big to fit on a cartridge. But there was a new competitor who would be using CD-ROMs for their new upcoming console, and that was none other than Sony's new Playstation.

It's important to note that at this point in time Sony and Nintendo were in partners at a point on time, as in the early nineties both companies were working together to bring the next major console, which ultimately would lead to a conflict between the two companies which is still to this day muddy on the specifics but can be best described as a power war, where both sides were fighting over rights, and what type of format the games would be put playable on, referring to cartridges vs CD's.

Square took Final Fantasy 7 to Sony, and with that the game's development became more complex filled with more stories to uncover, mini-games, and a bigger world to explore and of course cutscenes carefully placed and selected to sell the cinematic narrative that the team wanted to convey. The move to 3D allowed and created a more cinematic approach to not only the story elements, but also the combat. Where different camera angles and perspectives could show the sheer scale of particular enemies, and provide a sense of grandeur to calling out a summon, which is a huge contrast compared to what the series had created prior.

Release

Final Fantasy 7 would release in Japan in January 1997 and sell over 2 million copies within three days of releasing. Close to 10 million copies would be sold worldwide and would enshrine the Playstation as the prominent force of a console that it is today in the world of video games, and more importantly would serve as a game that would innovate and inspire the genre and industry. The influences that Final Fantasy 7 had on the industry can still be felt to this day, and with the release of its remake trilogy the game will be one that is never forgotten. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, and let's now dive into what it was that made Final Fantasy 7 the quintessential RPG it's known as today.

Story

Narrative Synopsis

The story for Final Fantasy 7 kicks off in the city of Midgar, you're playing as Cloud Strife an Ex-Soilder who has taken up the role as a mercenary. Cloud has taken on a job assisting a terrorist group known as Avalanche who are playing to blow up a reactor of the evil corporation Shinra. Avalanche's leader Barret believes that Mako the energy of the planet is being sucked dry by Shinra, and is fighting back to save the planet. The story as with any Final Fantasy evolves and definitely expands to tell a much expansive story that is focused on the planet, identity, loss, and the cycle of life. But for this segment of giving you a synopsis and overview I'm going to remain light on the spoilers encase you are yet to play the game. But Final Fantasy 7's world takes a much different turn in comparison to Square's prior entries and would tell as I've mentioned prior a much more cinematic story that takes advantage of the hardware at the time. It's story was one that would easily enthrall you, and pulls influences from many different areas of fantasy where there is still some echoes of its old high fantasy roots, but a more stronger focus on ScFi elements too. Final Fantasy 7 places a heavy focus on the themes of the planet and how it is a living thing, and the relationship that these living things all share with one another. It depicts a future where the world is run and bought by an evil corporation wanting to suck the planet dry of all of it's resources, it's life in terms of selfish human gain.

There is so much that Final Fantasy 7 touches on and so much of its world and environments that reinforce these themes. Whether it is the towering disk shaped city of Midgar where the wealthy live on the upper plates, and the poor reside in on the ground underneath, the wavey beach life of Costa Del Sol, or tower of pleasure that is The Gold Saucer. The world of Final Fantasy 7, known as Gaia is rich with story and detail that expands upon the broader themes of preserving the planet and this environmental angle remember the entry for. But it is also a much more deeper theme at play here that this relationship of the planet the relationship that all living things share with the planet, and that relationship is the lifestream and this cycle of life that permeates through Final Fantasy 7.

It's hard to really talk about how fantastic of an experience this game is without diving into the spoilers for the game and discussing its many themes. So that's what I'm going to do now. Here's a time stamp if you don't want to be spoiled.

Themes

The Duality of Gods

Another running theme that can be found throughout Final Fantasy 7 is many of its biblical references and imagery that can be found throughout. The most evident is the relationship that is shared between Aerith and Sephiroth. Besides facial resemblances and similar hairstyles shared between the two, it is widely known that throughout the development of seven that the team wanted Aerith and Sephiroth to have some form of connection, with the initial ideas having them as ex-lovers, then it later changed to them being brother and sister, and now with the final version of the game no direct connection between the characters. But whilst their is no active history or relationship between the characters in terms of interaction. Sephiroth and Aerith share a deep and pivotal theme to the story, and that is the duality of gods and the Christ-like counterparts that they represent.

Aerith is an Ancient, a long lost race of people who were one with the planet and the lifestream. The lifestream in of itself serves as this ethereal plane, this is what is referred to by the Ancients or the Cetra refer to this place with the lifestream as the promise land. Aerith's role in the story is to serve as a protector and an advocate for life and more importantly, the lifestream. Arerith's character is an angelic force whose sacrifice ultimately comes at the cost of saving the planet. One could say Aerith's actions are one of a heavenly sacrifice that is very christ-like in its depiction.

Sephiroth on the other hand is the antithesis of this, believing himself to be a god, and what's fascinating in of itself is the wording of the word bringing about the metor of Jenova, which if you break the word down is a cross between the Hebrew word for god, hovah, and the Latin word nova meaning god, meaning new god. However Sephiroth isn't the god of this story he is in fact the anti-christ, the false prophet and the end of the world. He is death, the end of all themes, a term used in theology to best represent Sepiroth's role in the story is eschatology, which is the exploration of death, the end of humankind, and of all things, the ultimate antithesis to life, and that brings me to the central theme of Final Fantasy 7, the cycle of life.

Cycle of Life

If there is one major theme that is the lifeblood of Final Fantasy 7 is the running theme of life, death, and the connection that living things share with both the planet and the universe. There is nothing that can serve as a stronger metaphor of the cycle of life and the memories and guidance of those who have come and gone than the lifestream. The lifestream is this ever flowing presence much like the sands of time, the flow of what has come and as Aerith says "has returned to the planet". The lifestream encapsulates those how have lived the legacy that they've left behind and their collective guidance through the lifestream. Whilst many sub-threads of this theme can be found throughout the story, none ring as prominent as the death of Aerith.

Aerith's death holds a strong significance to the story and is one that can be heavily felt once it occurs and throughout the remainder of your playthrough with the game. It's as I've mentioned earlier in this video Aerith's sacrifice that she is able to cast holy through the lifestream save the planet.

It was also one aspect of the game that the team had established early on in the game and kept, as it was pivotal to the overarching theme of life, death, and the connection between the person and the planet that Sakaguchi initially experienced with the passing of his mother around the early stages of development with the game. But Sakaguchi found this concept of returning to the earth and the cycle of life to be one that is pivotal to the overall theme and concept of life and the planet that permeates throughout the game.

Aerith's death also meant to be something that conveys loss, a greater sense of meaning. Because up until this point the concept of characters being killed off in a Final Fantasy game wasn't unheard of, but when these moments would occur the reasoning would be to signify sacrifice and bravery, rather than a sense of loss. It is for that reason I feel that to this day the death of Aerith hits as hard as it does for many of us.

Identity and Acceptance

It isn't only Aerith that Sephiroth shares a significant relationship with throughout the story of Final Fantasy 7, but also Cloud our main protagonist. The correlation and contract shared between Cloud and Sephiroth stems from the themes of identity and acceptance of understanding who they are.

To me what I feel makes many of the characters in Final Fantasy 7 so memorable to me is how relatable and understandable their struggles are, and there is no character that exemplifies this better than Cloud Strife. I feel like the character arc that Cloud undergoes is one of actualization and growth. But where a lot of Cloud's problems stem from is something real that many of us can understand and feel. Isolation, being weird, weak and most of all helpless. Cloud's true self believes himself to be weak and unworthy of love, and it is the basis for why he has to hide his true self behind the identity of another.

Cloud's revelation of the truth, is a glass shattering moment of the character that you've been believed to be playing this whole time. The badass with swordsman who was an ex-first class solider was all a fake memory, an illusion of the person Cloud wanted to be. But although he wasn't the first class hero he believed himself to be, he carried on the legacy of his friend Zack the character he based is façade off and through acceptance of who he is and realizing he is worthy of love, Cloud is able to overcome his inner demons, and do what Sephiroth could not, accept his reality, and move forward, and it is ultimately this acceptance, and letting in the people around him that leads to him and the party being able to save the planet.

I could make a whole video diving into and discussing just how incredible the cast of characters of Final Fantasy 7 are, but I seriously feel like Sephiroth is such an exceptional villain he is a creation raised by scientists as an experiment more than as a human, and embodies the evil that comes with man's hubris. I've always thought that when we truly think about the villain the catalyst for 7, it well and truly is Shinra, but more importantly Hojo. Sephiroth is just the aftermath of mans conquest and ambition for power.

It's important to mention that Tetsuya Nomura who designed many of the characters in Final Fantasy 7, providing personalities for these characters too, such as Cloud being an ex-solider member in pursuit of Sephiroth, and also provided the idea of someone searching for their identity. This theme and idea of acceptance, identity and accepting of the calling in some capacity are explored through many of the different characters and their arcs. We see many of our party reconcile with the regrets, truth, and unfulfilled dreams. Barrett is able to reconcile the mistakes of his past with Corel and his friend Dyne, Cid is able to go into space, and Red XIII understanding the true intentions of his father. Throughout the journey of FF7 there are many character arcs and moments that really do bring to life these characters journey of acceptance, identity, and their goal and dream moving forward.

There is so much here with Final Fantasy 7 that I could talk about for hours, but for me these are some of the themes that I felt really stood out to me and stuck with me throughout playing the game the second time around and even watching others playthrough and experience the game. I've become completely absorbed in this world, it's stories and themes.

Gameplay

Combat

The combat for Final Fantasy 7 served as an evolution to many of the different features and functions that were found in Final Fantasy 6, whether you're talking about the active time battle system of the precursor to Limit Breaks in the form of desperation attacks, but more on Limit Breaks later. It is interesting to see the evolution here in Final Fantasy 7 and just how much they have built on and evolved from previous games. The active time system felt like it was a great hybrid for the time for the turn-based model because rather than making combat feel static, it added a level of real-time action and reaction to what was otherwise a fairly static turn by turn system, that is turn-based combat.

The combat still preserves many of the staples that you would be familiar with if you've ever played a turn based RPG before, there's elemental damage and different elements can be effective against particular enemies who are weak to that type of element. There are also

Thankfully it isn't just through the active time battle system that could keep Final Fantasy 7's combat refreshing but also through its robust Materia gameplay system which would allow players to customize their party with whatever spells and abilities they'd like and freely change and mix and match as they progressed. The Materia system by far is one of the most freeing aspect of Final Fantasy 7's combat and especially for newcomers to the series of genre I feel that this is a great entry point to turn-based combat. Final Fantasy 7 does still stick to archetypes of characters Cloud being a warrior swordsman, Aerith being a White Mage, Barrett being a ranged attacker and Cid as a Dragoon to name a few. But didn't restrict the player to operate within this predefined character type entirely.

One area where you would see the different types of character class come to life is through the Limit Breaks acquired by each character, as many of the different limit breaks reflecting the different type of background and character type each of the main cast are. That's why most of Cloud's limit breaks are all ones that show off his swordsman skills, and Aerith's are all white magic based. These Limit Breaks are not only a window into the characters character class from an RPG lens, but also the personality of the character from a narrative lens. Final Fantasy 7 effortlessly brings to life each of its characters personalities in a plethora of ways that extend beyond its writing. From the pose that they do once they've completed a battle, to the types of limit breaks that they execute.

Final Fantasy 7's combat is something that even to this day can be a hit or miss depending on your enjoyment of turn-based combat, but overall within the confines of the series and it's contemporizes I feel that Final Fantasy 7's combat is super engaging and flexible, whilst not feeling like it punishes you for experimenting.

Exploration

Final Fantasy 7 is set in the world of Gaia and kicks off in one of the worlds major cities Midgar. The exploration that can be found in Final Fantasy 7 is absolutely insane for its time. The game pulls you in with Midgar and then after it has given you all the essentials it sends you out into the big vast world to get lost in. The world is full of activities and secrets to uncover, and many that can go unnoticed. There are optional party members that you can miss, locations that you may never visit and as you progress further into the games story you acquire more modes of transport that further enable you to explore the vast world of Gaia and many meaningful side stories/

The first time I played through Final Fantasy 7, I blitzed through the story and whilst I really enjoyed my time with the game, I did feel that I was missing something, the x factor, and having replayed the game in the past year I feel that was getting lost in this world and simply exploring. The main story for Final Fantasy 7 as enthralling as it is, is only bolstered by all the side stories and different activities that you participate in. These can see the crew having more interactions with many different side characters, and also expanding upon many of the different side characters story arcs.

The amount of different and meaningful progression that these arcs are tied to is also something that makes this aspect of exploration so rewarding, you have level 4 limit breaks, ultima weapons, the different summons, choccobo breeding and a plethora of other activities that make the exploration feel like you're always being rewarded and makes the world feel like there is always things worth doing.

But wait there's more just when you feel like there is enough out there to set out and discover there is more, a hub full of ways to spend every last gil you have and that is The Gold Saucer. Man this place can take up hours of time if you let it, from racing Choccobo's, reliving that epic motorcycle moment in the earlier segment of the game, or even farming points at the Battle Coliseum. There are so many activities here, and I feel like this was the game to really step up in terms of offering these different side activities and mini-games that you could always return to.

But wait I'm still not done, just when you think that you have experienced and uncovered all that there is in Final Fantasy 7, they will continue to throw new challenges and rewards at you threw these big monolithic creatures that serve as like the og's for what Pokémon legendries would come to be, and that my friends is the weapons. There are three of these optional weapons that you can encounter. They are a nice challenge for those who want to see their Materia builds, team compositions and strategies be put to the test. I still find it hard to comprehend how much game exists within Final Fantasy 7, this world is full of so much different people, places and items that are missible.

Sound and Visual Presentation

What would Final Fantasy 7 be without it's brilliantly crafted soundtrack, seriously Nobuo Uematsu created one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. A soundtrack that is so simple yet distinctive with each of its pieces playing in harmony to ring out and make triumphant, reflective, and ominous music that is prominent throughout the whole game. The music themes that are crafted for each character that are so rich with emotion and acutely portray the mannerisms of the respective character. Whether it is the soft and angelic theme for Aerith, the warm and caring theme for Tifa or the infamous foreboding theme for Sephiroth. Final Fantasy 7's music is able to paint a vivid picture and capture the sense of place and atmosphere in a way that I feel very few games can.

The visual presentation for Final Fantasy 7 whilst may feel dated in 2024 for some, to me still holds up pretty well and was cutting edge for its time. The choice to not overuse cutscenes makes the cinematic feeling that Kitase was going for when directing and storyboarding Final Fantasy 7. The intentional shifts between perspectives and models for characters in and out of combat is something that provides various flare and design to the look and feel of the characters and speaking of character designs, Testsuya Nomura's work on designing many of these characters to this day are still some of the most articulate and well thoughtout designs to a character, with there outfits, presentation, to their personality much to the same level of depth that was put into their themes. Everything from visual presentation to the themes that play during a scene for these characters do everything to create a sense of personality for these characters that perfectly accompanies the writing and character development that the cast undergoes on this 30+ hour adventure and it is the masterstroke to Final Fantasy 7 that to me enshrines it as a masterpiece.

Final Fantasy 7's Legacy

To say that Final Fantasy 7 left behind a legacy would be an understatement, Final Fantasy 7 is a game that holds a monumental weight of influence in how it shaped the industry and the way we view video games. The cinematic experience, the cutting edge technology, the innovative take on turn-based combat or even the influence and presence of Japanese video games in the west are all something that can have a varying degree of attribution to Final Fantasy 7. Whilst we may argue or disagree on which Final Fantasy is our favorite or the best in the series, it is hard to argue that any other entry has had as longstanding of an influence on the world of video games as Final Fantasy 7 and even to this day booting up and replaying Final Fantasy 7 or even living vicariously through watching friends go through their first playthrough is as exciting and entertaining as it was the first time around. Final Fantasy as a franchise is an immortal series and Final Fantasy 7 is a peak experience that shines all of the brilliance, that the series and genre and series offers and will forever be remembered and celebrated for that.

Conclusion

To bring this video to a close, Final Fantasy 7 is a video game that meant something to me when I played it many years ago, I mean I enjoyed my experience and all the additional media that came along with it. However, it wasn't until revisiting the game in the past year and understanding the work, and deeper meaning that exists within this universe that I truly sat back and fully appreciated everything that Final Fantasy 7 is and what it was for its time and the legacy that it carries on and holds to this day. Final Fantasy 7 is an experience that absolutely should be experienced and is a story that encapsulates everything that the genre can be character rich stories, a unique and fascinating world. To say that I enjoyed or loved Final Fantasy 7 would be an understatement. I feel that through re-experiencing Final Fantasy 7 I can truly understand its weight and influence, the moving parts that make this lighting in a bottle of a video game such a masterpiece, and to put it simply. That's what Final Fantasy 7 is a masterpiece.

Resources & Notes

Resources

• https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VII_development
• https://engoo.com/app/daily-news/article/making-a-masterpiece-the-story-of-final-fantasy-vii/ndMDnPpaEe2kgs_GmoaJjw
• https://www.polygon.com/a/final-fantasy-7
• https://shmuplations.com/ff7/
• FF6 Tech Demo: https://youtu.be/TPO7c_XmesU