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When "Final Fantasy VII" was released September of 1997, America really didn't play much RPGs. I'm sure they knew they existed, they just haven't played many, aside from the three Final Fantasies, plus Chrono Trigger. When this game was released, most of America had picked up "Final Fantasy VII" and walked away with huge grins. Most people, including myself, believe that this is because they haven't played many RPGs, so they don't really know what is cliche and what isn't in that world. Even then, "Final Fantasy VII" remains a controversial topic; greatest game ever made, or one of the worst?

The game begins with a blond, spiky haired mercenary invading a reactor with a rebel group known only as AVALANCHE, and with the help of the group, the reactor suffers a fiery fate. The first thing the gamer is treated to is a CG video that was impressive at the time, including a just as amazing peice from Nobuo Uematsu.

The battle system is your standard ATB with a few modifications. A 3-d battle system, along with a few bars that do some pretty cool stuff. Such as a Limit bar that fills up over time, allowing you to unleash stylish desperation attacks, which was made popular via Final Fantasy VI. (Final Fantasy III in America - Seriously, why did Square do that?) They are a pleasure to look at, and they can deal quite a bit of damage. Aside from Limit Breaks, there are also Summon spells, which are also fun to watch.

After the reactor explodes, you'll realize that it's much more than a simple game about rebellion and empires. It becomes a colossal manhunt, having the player explore the vast world of Gaia - The name of the planet "Final Fantasy VII" takes place on - to find the man that caused the mercenary so much grief.

However, one negative thing I found was the translation. It was so mediocre that I cringe at the numerous spelling mistakes, mistranslations, and the weirdness of the dialouge. Sometimes, you find yourself gaping at the unprofessional translation - it's empty descriptions for some weapons, spelling errors, and weird sounding words and phrases really makes a difference.

All in all, "Final Fantasy VII" is a great game. The translation is probably the worst in gaming history, but don't let that ruin the entire experience. At least it's in English, right?

SCORES
Plot: 5 / 5
Graphics: 4.5 / 5
Sound: 5 / 5
Game Mechanics: 3 / 5 (If it wasn't for that godforsaken translation...)
Replay Value: 4.5 / 5
FINAL SCORE: 8 / 10

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RaianScape - My RuneScape blog

Quote (Raian the Fallen @ 11th February 2009 04:19)

When "Final Fantasy VII" was released September of 1997, America really didn't play much RPGs. I'm sure they knew they existed, they just haven't played many, aside from the three Final Fantasies, plus Chrono Trigger.

Ur... the Ultima Series? The orginal Bard's Tales? Might & Magic? Eye of The Beholder? Elder Scrolls? Betrayal in Krondor? And those are only the ones I chuck at you without looking up more than the release date. America played more RPGs than you imagine.

As to the scores

Quote (Raian)

SCORES
Plot: 5 / 5
Graphics: 4.5 / 5
Sound: 5 / 5
Game Mechanics: 3 / 5 (If it wasn't for that godforsaken translation...)
Replay Value: 4.5 / 5
FINAL SCORE: 8 / 10

Perfect score for plot? Why? For the most part the game consists of "chase Sephiroth". And why? Because Cloud says so. The plot develops a fair bit later on, but it's still far from perfect.

The game could have been made so much better looking, but the FMVs were top notch for that time.

Why are game mechanics noted down for the translation? It doesn't make sense. Also judging a game on basis of how it's translated isn't a very good approach - it's not a mistake on the part of the designer.


In all, I call bollocks.

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I'd also say the plot isn't perfect, because there is no such thing, but it does deserve a 5 in my view. When you're using a gauge of 1-5 there isn't much room for manoeuvre.

The translation is very dodgy. The difference between a 'clone' and an 'experiment' is enough to confuse everyone - it's amazing that people weren't put off by the lack of cohesion in the story. Perhaps what makes it so enduring is that nobody quite understood what happened between Sephiroth and Cloud.

Anyway, what I wanted to say was that Raian has inspired me to write something similar, but critically focus on one aspect of the game. Is that possible? It would be good to share some interesting views of FFVII.

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Scepticism, that dry rot of the intellect, had not left one entire idea in his mind.

Me on the Starcraft.

Meh. Sorry for the crappy review. I don't write many. XD

About the RPG thing, I guess I should have done more research about it. And the plot is very nice, even though all they do is chase Sephiroth. Maybe a 4/5 would have been better, but eh. I dunno anymore.

Thanks for the C&C, guys. Much appreciated! ^^

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RaianScape - My RuneScape blog

I couldn't get past the second paragraph due to massive grammar potholes...

Ah sorry! Why am I so grammar crazy? I blame this on back-to-back english periods!

This post has been edited by Death Penalty on 12th February 2009 01:28

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Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

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Grammer potholes? Can you give a few examples? I re-read it again and again and found no errors. XD

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RaianScape - My RuneScape blog