Simply incredible.
User Rating: 10 | Final Fantasy VII PS
Final Fantasy VII is the first Final Fantasy game to be released for the PlayStation, and the results are amazing. Previous FF games were all hailed for their inovative gameplay, excellent plots, and revolutionary graphics, and this latest installment keeps true to those standards. The plot is engrossing and will keep you entranced until the end, to say the least. You play as Cloud Strife, a mercenary that was just hired by an underground terrorist organization called AVALANCHE. AVALANCHE is trying to destroy the conglomerate Shinra, Inc., which is sucking up the planet's life energy through reactors and using it as energy. If this continues, the planet will decay and die. From there, the plot twists and turns and will leave you speechless. The graphics are revolutionary. Featuring CG cinemas that will have you wondering if you're watching a movie or playing a game and in-game, pre-rendered graphics that will amaze. The only fault with the graphics are the character models you see when you're walking around the environments. They look pretty much like deformed Lego people. From seeing the rest of the game, you couldn't help but feel disappointed and think that Square could've done a better job. The audio is also top-notch. Even though there is no spoken dialogue, the game lets you use your imagination, and the results are pretty decent. The soundtrack is also very well done and features many orchestral tunes by famed composer Nobuo Uematsu. All of you FF fans from the SNES days will fondly remember his previous work with big smiles on your faces. The gameplay is typical RPG fair, but with a few changes for the better. The battles are still turn-based and feature the ATB system. However, during your journey, you will encounter crystals known as Materia that can be attached to your weapons and armor and allow you to cast magic and summon mystical beasts. The special effects during the use of such Materia is phenomenal, ranging from enormous dragons letting all hell loose from the sky to a giant smashing the enemies with giant blocks of stone, the animations will leave you breathless. Another twist is the inclusion of Limit Breaks. Every time your character takes damage, his/her Limit Break bar charges. Once full, it allows you to perform attacks that deal major damage, and look great. The game will take you roughly 50+ hours without conquering the many side-quests and mastering your characters. Overall, this is definitely a revolutionary title that will be a benchmark for upcoming RPGs, and games in general.
