Retro Rocket: Final Fantasy VII

So many things have been said over this game that it is hard to find a new spin to put on it, that being said I am just going to talk from the heart on this one.  I found Final Fantasy VII by accident. I had always been a fan of the U.S. releases of Final Fantasy back when it was always on Nintendo. I loved both Final Fantasy 4 and 6 with all my heart. Between Resident Evil 2 and Final Fantasy VII I was finally convinced to save up my money to get a PlayStation, to this day it remains one of the best purcahses I ever made.

I am not going to bother to bore you with a review of FF 7. The internets are littered with them and they have been done by far better then me. What I will do is tell you why, no matter how many times the game is called overrated, I will always love it. Final Fantasy VII had a mood to it. From the characters, the settings, and especially the music everything coalesced to make you just feel what it was like to be in the world of Cloud, Barret, and Tifa. By today’s standards the graphics are terrible but at the time they were mind-blowing. The places I went in the game felt real no matter how fantastic they were.

Speaking of music, I don’t think a FF game has ever had a better soundtrack. At every single turn in the story the music sets the tone. From joy to heartache and from mystery to romance the music is center stage. It is no small tribute to the soundtrack that FF7 is one of the most remixed soundtracks ever.

Say what you will about melodrama, the characters of FF7 have stuck with me. I still feel the plight of Cloud when he returns home to his small town only to not find his mother, or of Aerith and her quest to find her place in the scheme of things. Final Fantasy 7 is close behind 6 in terms of remember-able characters that stick with you.

With the game being on the PSN store, I highly encourage you to try it out for yourself. Forgive the now outdated graphics and just play it for what it is, you will enjoy it.

Written by: Van Redd Writer