Nearly a decade on since its PC release does FFVII need another review? Probably not, but in the years since and with FFXII to hit the UK in a month a mild retrospective is perhaps in order. Above i called it an all time classic, and clearly from the spin offs with which Square have flooded the market a lot of people agree. But what made it so good? Graphics: When it was released it's graphics were good, not spectacular by PC standards, though the cut scenes came close to that, but more than solid. With the eye candy of the summons being particularly fun. Now they look archaic, but when i had another look at it a earlier in the week (for the first time in several years) i was surprised to find that they still good enough to be enjoyed. Sound:

As with the graphics the sound is solid and at the time was pretty special. More so on the console version as the emulation on the pc came across rather tinny. Still the movement between battle, exploration, between calm, tense, romantic, fun and spooky was excellent and caught all the moods. Value:

I really do worry about how many hours i spent playing this when i first got it. I had a lot of time on my hands then anyway, but even so the absorption level not just first time through, but through three replays looking to discover more and more of the games hidden treasures, lifted it easily over 100 hours. I would be hard put to think of any other game of recent vintage about which i could say same.

Gameplay:

Excellent. Really, truly, Excellent. The combination of straight attacks; materia magic and summons gave a nice tactical edge to the combat. Combine this with a breathtaking amount of territory to explore and a succession of brilliant locations, the basic structure of the game play was endlessly fun. Reviewers Tilt: Several games with as good underlying basic structure have not been as gripping, what set FFVII apart and lifted it into pantheon of all time great games, is the story and the characters. FFVII made you care. You really cared about Cloud and Tifa and Areris. You came to hate Sephiroth (the best villain in an RPG?). The balance of comedy, spooky quirky horror, romance, and driving need to save the world was just right. It's hard to think of any other game which as been inhabited with as strong a cast. Even with the advances which voice acting has brought to new pitch the sense of immersive gaming, there's still nothing which beats the experience FFVII created. One last thought, would i buy a remake for the PS3 (which would mean buying the PS3 in the first place a thing i'm somewhat reluctant to do as things stand)? In a heart beat. It doesn't matter that i know it backwards and that i played it 4 times from beginning to end, like a favourite novel FFVII stands any number of revisits. It is simply one of the greastest games ever published.