Never before have technology, playability, and narrative combined as well as in Final Fantasy VII. The culmination of Square Soft's monumental effort is a game that will enrich just as it will entertain. Yet, for all the boundless praise it so rightfully deserves, Final Fantasy VII is not without its shortcomings and occasional design problems. These are enough to make some gamers (who are unfamiliar with RPGs, to be sure) wonder just why anyone would bother playing through it in the first place.

This is the most dazzling visual experience to date on any console. Film-quality computer-generated cinematics blend seamlessly with pre-rendered background artwork to create the strikingly realistic world of Final Fantasy VII, both beautiful in its grandeur and terrifying in its detail. The overworld and battle sequences are presented in full polygonal splendor with just a touch of texture mapping for good measure. But you haven't seen anything until you witness some of the more powerful magic spells in the game. Massive dragons heed your bidding, dwarfing your gigantic enemies tenfold; an earth titan tears the ground up from beneath your enemies' feet, flinging them aside like toy blocks. Some of these summoning spells cut to over half a dozen different camera angles as the catastrophe unfolds. Meanwhile, a masterfully orchestrated soundtrack - courtesy of veteran composer Nobuo Uematsu - is a major force behind the intense emotion of Final Fantasy VII. The synthesized musical score hearkens Final Fantasy's golden age on the Super Nintendo, consciously staying true to its roots.

Yet for all its top-notch graphics and sound, truly the best aspect of Final Fantasy VII is the plot that these peerless aesthetics help weave. Join the enigmatic mercenary Cloud Strife in a journey that will take him to the very source of his being in an incredible quest where the fate of the world hangs by a precious thread, threatening at any instant to be torn by the charismatic, tormented villain of the story. Final Fantasy VII's moving plot is influenced by some of the greatest works of science fiction film and literature, including Frank Herbert's Dune, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and even Godzilla. If you were to strip away the story, scenery, and musical score, Final Fantasy VII would otherwise be very much like any other Japanese RPG you've ever played. You still must face countless random monster encounters while keeping a close eye on your hit points and magic points, and you will witness your characters grow stronger with every experience level they attain. Battles are fought in typical Japanese RPG fashion (albeit with fully polygonal graphics), with your team on one side and any number of opponents on the other. You exchange blows until you or the enemy is defeated. Fights are made interesting with the introduction of Limit Breaks (devastating desperation attacks) and Materia, the curious colored crystals that let your party use magic and other special abilities. Materia can be found or purchased and mixed and matched to create all sorts of interesting effects. Best of all, there are more than enough hidden Materia, weapons, and optional plot sequences in the game to merit playing it through at least twice.

I played Final Fantasy VII when it first came out as an avid follower of the entire FF series, and it's been hailed as "quite possibly the greatest game ever made" by GameFan magazine. It's been entertaining FF fans for about ten years and the enthusiasm does not seem to have abated. Highly anticipated at the time as the first 3D FF game, it did not, and does not, disappoint. This is a must-have for any RPG gamer, and should be enjoyed even though technically is has since been surpassed by later installments in the series. For long-time RPG fans, this magnificent epic will bring a wave of nostalgia for the days when this was considered the height of technical advancement. For first-time players, the gameplay may seem outdated and the graphics blocky and awkward looking, but it sounds as though the superior aspects of the game still shine through when you read reviews from those playing for the first time.

PROS
- Hailed by many gamers to have the most compelling, in-depth, and emotional storyline of all the FF installments. Story is augmented by unique and original dialogue, dreams, memories, visions, and other enrichments that allow the player to delve deeper into the characters identities, personalities, and roles. Gamers will enjoy a memorable saga of friendship, love, politics, honor, bravery, sacrifice, corruption, surprising plot twists, superior villians, and much, much more.

- First FF game to offer 3D polygonal characters, an innovation at the time and still enjoyable.

- Multiple side quests and mini-games, including secret FMV's special moves, and hidden characters.

- Choose from nine playable characters recruited throughout the story.

- Contains over an hour of enjoyable full-motion video scenes throughout the game that draws the player deeper into the story, creating a movie-like environment.

- Players enjoy never-before character enhancements such as the auto status abilities such as auto haste, auto resurrection, and the ability to absorb magic from opponents.

- Expansive character and weapon customization, summons, and magic.

- Large, detailed, and delightful world that you can travel on foot, by chocoba or airship, or buggy.

- Memorable and fabulous musical score, one of the best I can remember in any FF or RPG game.

- One of the most memorable bad guys in RPG gaming history, Sephiroth!

CONS
- Overabundance of gil and ability to steal weapons takes the edge off the battles and "struggle" of characters during gameplay that has always been a hallmark of FF games.

- Not as challenging as past games.

Final Fantasy VII

The Best RPG of all time. This is the square role playing game ever. FFVII is the game that gotten so many non roling players to play.

Final Fantasy is a turn base RPG and the battle do not take place in real time as some of the newer RPG's today. FFVII is hands down best in the series. Cloud Strife along with sweet Aries and Tifa and friend must collect materia which are small orbs objects that contain great power to face of against Jenova and Sephiroth in a battle to save Migar.

By today standards this game is still consider superior to many other game despised dated polygon graphics. However, the superior story telling and character development seem to win over all against other RPGs to this date While the graphics are date, this is this one of the first and the best RPG games released for Play Station. Some of the best feature and graphics isn't Tifa breast alone. The render of the world of Miger back ground and landscapes are amazing The summoning are simply amazing along with the orchestra music. The sound track was compose by Nobuo Uematsu and is some of the best music ever created for a game. What is great about the Final Fantasy Saga is that each one is completely different and takes place sever hundred years part. Many of the fans are still stuck on seven and are in love with the characters. That is how special the game is.
It is so much to do in the game along with the mini games and side quest, you can basically go any were if you have the right vehicle and experience points. Final Fantasy takes you to another world literally where you will meet new friends and foes along the way.
One of the most impress thing in the story is the mystical land that you are in and it is not full of magical fairies. Politics, action, emotion, this games seem to have it all along with relations ships and love interest along with touches of humor.

The recent release of the Final Fantasy VII Advent Children seem to shine new light on to the game along with a few spin off games. Final Fantasy is full of feeling and heart. A game that should not be missed. This game is a complete five stars.

Forget any of the reviews that say this game is bad or if they have not completed it for they have no idea what they are talking about. Best game ever. FFVII is still one of the best games today. To play it is to live it.

GAME: Final Fantasy VII
CREATORS: Square Enix (www.square-enix.com)
RELEASED: JAPAN: January 31, 1997 / USA: September 7, 1997 / EURO: November 17, 1997


INFO:

Final Fantasy VII is the highest selling Final Fantasy game considering that their are over 11 Final Fantasy games out that is an awesome achievement. More Final Fantasy games are being made, however it would be hard for them to beat Final Fantasy VIIs record.

Final Fantasy VII has won tons of awards and dispite being over 12 years old now the game is still regarded by many to be the best game ever released.

Since its release their has been many sequels to the game such as, Crisis Core for the PSP, Advent Children a movie for DVD and UMD and Dirge Of Cerberus a game for the Playstation Two.

The music that has been composed by mainly Japanese master Nobou Uematsu is incredible and there has been many shows featuring his music talents and most shows have been sold out ones. His music to many stands as the best music in the world and Nobou is highly respected because of his songs.

As well as featuring incredible music the game has great graphics the attention to detail is phenomanal and whilst the Playstation One was still in its prime the games graphics where classed as one of the best.

The game spans out on a total of 3 discs giving you hours upon hours of gaming pleasure.


STORYLINE:

The story makes you control a guy named Cloud Strife who joins team AVALANCHE to help them complete what he hoped to be a one off job, however soon enough they all realize they have to save the planet from certain death, could they do it?

The storyline is fantastic its really hard to tell you how fantastic without giving away spoilers, but its regarded by many to have the best storyline ever.


MY OPINION:

Well the game does feature my favourite video game character of all time, Sephiroth.
I do love the music, the storylines great but overall I think the games way over rated, sorry fans of the game.
This game is more like my third favourite game of all time.
I would highly recommened getting this game though you can usually find it available to buy on Ebay and Amazon.

MY OVERALL RATINGS:
MUSIC: 8/10
STORYLINE: 7/10
GRAPHICS: 8/10

TOTAL: 23/30

Final Fantasy VII is a game that no RPG fan should miss. It's probably one of the most overrated games ever made... but that doesn't mean it's not wonderful anyway. The part of the game that has aged the worst is its graphics; it's probably the ONLY Final Fantasy game to look genuinely BAD by today's standards (even the 2-d ones look good today, 'cause it was GOOD 2-d). The character models look like they're made of LEGOs, and the CG is inconsistent. The backgrounds, however, are fantastic and moody. The music, similar to the graphics, is of very low quality, technically speaking, but is wonderfully composed. The game's Main Theme in particular (playing on the overworld on Disc 1), is beautiful. Sometimes the music isn't very melodic, instead opting for environmental ambiance, but these tracks also sound good and are only used in the proper places. Overall, the graphics and sound, though primitive, establish a sense of setting and mood that I haven't experience in any other game since. It's completely enthralling.

The battle system stick to the tried-and-true Final Fantasy formula (with a few obligatory twists, of course), and is very polished. The materia system (how you customize your characters' abilities) is very well thought-out and allows for much variety and strategy; however, the high customizability also means that the different characters are nearly interchangeable apart from their "Limit Breaks" (special super-attacks). Whether this is good or bad is simply a matter of opinion.

The most ambitious aspect of the game is its storyline. I don't want to go into hardly any detail, but in short... it's a beautiful mess. The pacing is just... bad. The first disc, as I've always said, is the Best Game Ever Made. Unfortunately, the game doesn't stop there, and after that point the story is still good but the pacing is really erratic. If you've played Final Fantasy VI, you may recall that the game's first half was very linear and story-focused, while the REQUIRED portion of the second half was very simple (kill the bad guy!). In that game, the second half's content was mainly made of sidequests, at least one for each character, that helped to flesh out the cast and setting. Final Fantasy VII does this, too, except that the "sidequests" are obligatory. One can tell that they were merely added to pad out the game's length (though these mini-stories are not without merit, particularly that of Cid). The overall story is somewhat cliche, but the details, setting, sub-plots, and characters are all wonderful. Particularly impressive is the game's handling of the main character, who deals with faulty memories, identity crises, and a perfectly-executed growth arc from cynical, selfish mercenary to compassionate, somewhat-lighthearted hero. As I said earlier, the setting and atmosphere is the game's biggest strength. Although the story suffers from a sloppy translation, occasionally-vague plot points, and bad pacing, it still shines through all the dirt and grime.

So yeah, in conclusion... much like this review, Final Fantasy VII is unorganized, inconsistent, and occasionally immature. However, despite its many flaws the game is a masterpiece of the highest order, and the only reason one should not play it is if you absolutely can't STAND turn-based combat. But if you're even moderately fond of RPGs, this game is a must-have. I guarantee you will never forget it.

To many a fan around the world, Final Fantasy VII is a true testament to the greatness of Square Enix as well as role playing games. It begins the story of a young man growing up in a world of oppression, even worse than the world we live in today and the world of grand theft auto. Events unfold that are outside of the key role model's control, but they begin to take a turn for the better, once the war torn battlefield is finally through.

During the course of this journey that young man, Cloud Strife undergoes some of the worst trials that anyone can go through. He is even nearly beaten to death by Shinra guards. Shinra corporation wants to make him suffer, and suck the planet's energy life force right out of it much how modern day oil/gas companies suck the lifeblood right out of the economy. Its a similar analogy, though not meant to be entirely the same and has the same conflicts.

Cloud is distrustful of the system, and sees in it a giant ever growing abuse of power that he and his followers will not be a part of. He therefore rebels, and leads a revolution group which spurns an uprising against Shinra from all corners of the world. At the time when Shinra is at the height of its power, Cloud unleashes all his fury, and destroys one of the principal leaders, which eventually takes the plot into the fact that Sephiroth wants to eradicate the entire human race. Rather than allowing another Shinra to rise from the ashes, Sephiroth's only intention is to completely destroy everything. This is where Cloud for the first time in his young life, realizes Sephiroth is ultimately his eternal enemy, and not his ally, which he previously believed.

Thus begins an epic struggle of immense proportion, to stop the unfolding events from getting too far out of control as Cloud strikes down the remains of Shinra Corporation and destroys what he believes to be Sephiroth. Only and I won't spoil it, Sephiroth is not truly destroyed. But watching his female friend and love interest fall at the hands of this madman, Cloud at the last moment doubts everything he was ever told about Sephiroth and regards him as a true traitor. Within the context of the story, Cloud has an engaging bout with revenge as he declares his absolute promise to destroy him. Yet in the larger scheme of things, Cloud realizes personal vendettas will never win him friends nor will win the revolution. This is when he comes to those terms in himself, and displays an immense amount of humility, to help the planet rid the world of Sephiroth once and for all before he completely sucks out its life force.

The best game to come out on playstation and possibly for any console. Long recognized as role-playing games par excellence, the Final Fantasy series gets a technological makeover in this installment (and series debut on the PlayStation). Shedding the two-dimensional graphics and limited sound capabilities of its predecessors, Final Fantasy VII features lush 3-D graphics, beautifully animated "movie" sequences, and soundtrack-quality music. Coupled with the game's intricate storyline, endearing characters, and immense yet highly imaginative world, these new advancements make for a quite an engrossing experience.
The story of Final Fantasy VII centers around a solider named Cloud Strife, who joins forces with Avalanche, a group of resistance fighters, to take down an evil mega-corporation known as Shinra. (The fate of the world hangs in the balance, of course.) Truly epic in scope, this four-disc game requires a considerable amount of time to complete and every minute that goes by is worth it. It's a must have for anyone that likes video games.

This game is a classic hit. It was called the best video game in history by many big wig video game magazines. Final fantasy VII is the best Final Fantasy up to date. Released in 1997, it paved the way of many epic games. This game actually made the RPG genre considered a true genre. Even though I haven't played the game in 6 years, I still remember playing this epic video game. Even after 10 years, this game can still be called 'The Greatest RPG ever made'.

This game features characters from different walks of life. They each share different goals and have different outlooks on themselves. But they have one mission to complete: save the Planet.

What started out as a rebellion against a mega-corporation was soon turned into an all out struggle to save the world from the clutches of those who would want to take the Planet's life away. Plus, finally an RPG with an awesome battle and magic system.

This game blew me away the first time I played it. And I can't wait to take another swing at this RPG marvel. This is a game that all Final Fantasy fanatics would enjoy. I sure did!

Also, one more thing. Can someone with a heart, not a money pocket, let me buy Final Fantasy 7 for only 18.99 for my little brother's birthday! My brother wants this game so badly but I don't one anymore! I'm so depressed and frustrated! *Yells in anger!*

Although this game is frequently criticized for featuring "angst characters" and a large number of anime and video game clichés, critics of this game's plot should consider that fan perception of the originality of this game has been lessened considerably by the future inclusion of similar character and plot dynamics in the final fantasy series, particularly in FFVIII and FFX. This video game features truly incredible storytelling, and this game should be called cinematic not just because of the inclusion of FMV, but because of the large number of visual metaphors expressed in the game's visual direction. The low-polygon-count 3-D presentation of this game gives it a visual style which emphasizes the geometric nature of objects, and the producers of the game have changed a technical limitation into a stylistic enhancement. The game's usage of light and dark, squalor and cleanliness, gloom and beauty, give it a literary theme of naturalism, by representing the products of human technology as ugly. The game's various themes communicate the producers' vision of which environments represent hell, and which represent heaven. The game spends a lot of time exploring the identities of the characters of Cloud, Aerith, Tifa and Sephiroth through dreams, memories, and hallucinations, and rather than including definitive, conclusive scenes in which the whole truth of the characters are revealed, the game challenges you to discover the reality of various events by logically reconciling the various perspectives from which they are viewed. This is "angst storytelling" at its most beautiful, as it challenges the players to make an effort to understand the characters. Some minor design flaws in this game include the three-character limit in battle, which reduces the player's ability to diversify the roles of the heroes. Also, the over availability of gil makes purchasing weapons and items too easy and minimalizes the usefulness of alternate methods for party growth, such as stealing weapons and items. If the battles as a whole seem too easy in this game, it is because the game was designed with the intention of challenging the player to experience it, rather than challenging the player to get through it. The game is filled with a variety of fun methods for winning battles, from high-powered summons to enemy skills, and some otherwise difficult boss battles become defeated after equipping a specific accessory. Part of the coolness of this game is the fact that it was the first major RPG to allow the players to develop extremely powerful heroes, by combining abilities such as auto-resurrection, auto-haste, multiple counter attacks, mp absorption, and much more. In other words, the lack of challenge is largely deliberate, and designed to give the players freedom to choose which resources to throw at a particular battle, rather than forcing the players to throw everything they have at most battles in order to have a chance for victory. FF VII must also be commended for the distinctively unique visual design of every dungeon and section of the map. Experimenting with different characters and weapons is fun in this game, and this is complimented by visual touches which were unique to this game at the time of its release. I came to realize that in terms of characterization and presentation, FFVII is the quintessential Final Fantasy game.

I have been a fan of the Final Fantasy Series for YEARS... Literally! I can remember coming home after school, turning on my PlayStation (and later, my PS2), plopping down in front of the T.V. and gearing up for a multiple-hour gaming session. There was something freeing in being able to detach from the "real world" and all the drama it entails. Whether I was wielding swords, brandishing staffs, shooting with a gun-arm, or pummeling enemies into submission with my fists, I was in "Seventh Heaven"! Yep, there's nothing like having to save the planet to get school off your mind...

Now, I'm older and have other dramas to endure (like bills..ugh), but I still always fall back on one of my faves to stave off boredom- Final Fantasy VII. As RPG's go, it's a classic! There's so much depth to the game, even when you think you got it all figured out, you find another secret entrance, hidden character or mind-bending sidequest to pursue. At the same time as having a wealth of possibilities, it is also pretty cut-and-dry. I know I'm contradicting myself technically, but those who have experienced the game should understand what I mean. The storyline is fairly linear, but it allows you to deviate from the mission to explore at your whim. Although you are limited by terrain while in certain vehicles or on foot in the beginning, once you get the "Highwind" you are at a part of the game where the world is quite literally yours. I always find that by that time, I don't want the game to end yet! So I dawdle around and level up characters and breed chocobos and such.

By the by, if you found yourself scratching your head (chocobo...? How in Midgar do you pronounce that...) or if you are otherwise unfamiliar with some of the lingo I've been tossing around, chances are you haven't ever played this game, or perhaps even any of the series in Squaresoft's franchise! In which case, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy. There's something in this game for everyone! I'm a female gamer (yes, those two DO belong in the same sentence :p), and so I feel I have some authority on the subject of multi-level audience reaching. This game combines so many elements- Strength, Love, Mystery, Friendship, Action and Adventure in a way that pulls you in...and keeps you there! There's a "heroic" and mysterious storyline you follow, along with a heartfelt sub-story complete with a scene (maybe two..?) that has left some with a tear in their eye (yes, even guys!) Some of the characters are even Eco-Friendly! (They "Rage Against the Machine", if you will :p ) Right up to its EXPLOSIVE end, you will follow it closely with materia-baited breath. Who knows? Maybe you'll even begin to look forward to coming home from work or school or your own little drama-ridden piece of Earth and plopping down in front of the T.V. and playing as Cloud with Tifa and Barrett for hours on end...

If you want to know where the rpg genre started, or took off you need not need to look further than Final Fantasy VII. This game started it all as the first 3D Final Fantasy on the Playstation console and revolutionized the genre.

Pros:
-> Visually one of the best games of its time
-> A story that will immerse you in a fantastical world
-> 30+ hours of story oriented gameplay, and hours more with side missions
-> Diverse cast of characters
-> Gameplay mechanics such as materia and the time bar to attack are refreshing additions

Cons:
-> Graphics are now outdated
-> No voice acting and very few FMV sequences

Overall:

This is a great game for those that are fans of turn based rpg titles. It's a refreshing game and if you want to know what all the hype is about, give it a try. If you find turn based style games boring then stay away from this title because it is a turn based rpg and not an action rpg, so chances are you will find it too repetitive.

I think out of all the final fantasy games that I have ever played before such as: Final Fantasy 1, 2, 3, all of which I played on the Gameboy Pocket (trademark), these were amazing titles for the gameboy in a sense that there was nothing like them on the market and i would time and time again go to gamestop and find that these final fantasy games prices never wavered from the expensive, for a GB pocket, price of $20. As technology developed an even more phenominal title came out for the playstation 1, Final Fantasy 4, which followed some of the same guidelines for the series except the fact that they added characters with backgrounds... a real storyline if you will. That game was very interesting and i think the thing that grabbed almost everybody was the unlimited amount of characters to be used in battle. This Final Fantasy title awed me for quite some time until i was knocked from my feet by another title that was also made by squaresoft, Chrono Cross, this title i played time and time again with more than 40 playable characters all with their own background that links with the mai character, Serge, who gets sucked out of his home world and force to find his way through an alternate world where everybody thinks he died when he was twelve, anyway the game ends after you beat the living daylights out of the fate of the world, yes a real monster. I really enjoyed that game for the multiple choices in which to beat the game, and the various new game+s, that allowed me to live in every character's lives. I toyed with Chrono Cross for about a year before i finally gathered every secret character and every ending. Then, having beat Chrono Cross I browsed the shelves of gamestop for another game that would knock me of my feet, when my eyes stumbled upon the game, Final Fantasy 7, that had fallen off of the shelf and onto the floor. I had faith in that game so I bought it and gave it a home in my Playstation. The graphics almost repelled me, but i stayed faithful to continue playing it until I had beaten it. By the time i had reached Aeris, a character in the game, I Had gotten hooked on it. The storyline, the backgrounds, the areas of secrets, and the battle system, all enchanted me to beat the game, I played the game all the way through disk one, through the unbelievable turns of events that shocked even me as one of the most hardcore gamers. Anyway a quick compression of what i'm really trying to say: Buy the game, I loved it, It has cool battle graphics, it has a good storyline, and it has good backgrounds for characters.

Dndbeaty

Final Fantasy VII has a world that spans 3 discs and follows the progress of Ex-Soldier Cloud & Avalanch a small group of people fighting to stop the misuse of mako energy.(the lifestream of the planet)

the Magic & battle system in this game is the foundation for every Final Fantasy game that has followed it on the Playstation (aside from Tactics) in FFVII you use materia to gain the ability to cast spells and are junctioned through slots on your weapons & armor.

this game also includes secret Characters & the most interesting way to obtain them, it also contains the best RPG villan of all time Sepheroth.

Final Fantasy VII has a good storyline & some major twists. The Graphics are good also i like the fact that everyone has popeye arms even skinny 16 year old yuffie.

this game is a classic and should be owned by every RPG fan, it is one of the best games to have been made and would give it lobo's seal of aproval 1,000 times over


GrimLobo / Lobo

Final Fantasy VII is widely regarded as one the best and most influential games of all time. GameFAQS voted it as the "Best Game Ever" in 2004 and 2005, and placed it second in 2009. It revolutionized the rpg genre with it's 3D graphics and complex story line.

The game's story, gameplay, battle system, and soundtrack are all top-notch. I remember playing the game as a child and being pulled into the story like a good book every time I played.

The first of only two downsides to the game, having played Final Fantasy X, is the restriction to only being able to use 3 party members in one battle. But Square made up for this fact by allowing complete customization of characters through materia. The second is Japanese to English translation. The game is riddled with typos, however, none of which hinder your understanding of the story.

Overall, a must have game for every gamer.

Final Fantasy VII is an awesome game. The story behind the game is very strong and easy to thoroughly enjoy. Also, the control system in the game is easy to understand, the musical score is wonderful, the cut-scene graphics are very good considering the time of its creation, and the art used in the backgrounds of the game is amazing. Admittedly, the in-game character models are very simplistic, meaning basic polygons, but this does not detract from the quality of the game at all. Finally, it is one of the first Role Playing Games to incorporate 3-D graphics, making it a historical landmark in the video game industry. Without a doubt, Final Fantasy VII is one of the best games I've ever played, because of the storyline, musical score, and variety of optional side-quests that players can undertake to strengthen their characters.

Or rather arguably one of the best games, ever. At the time, it was a spectacular achievement, and in it's own right it holds itself up to todays standards. The story is grand, inspirational, twisted, and touches into the emotions of the player. The gameplay is meticulous, and nearly flawless. A cast of unique characters, each with their own storyline to follow, coupled with the materia system and Active Time Battle, a groundbreaking way of playing a CRPG (Console Role-Playing Game) it's only fitting that the title is what it is. If there was a list of the 5 Must-Play, Must-Have games in the history of the industry, then Final Fantasy VII would be near the very top, I have no doubt about it.

I loved Final Fantasy VII when it first was released in 1997 and still replay it and love it just the same. This game, in my opinion, changed the gaming world forever and decided the fates of all the gaming systems. This is a must play for all gamers. The gameplay is fantastic, unique, and creative, and the story is definitely "beyond imagination" as the case states.

Plot: An incredible, long, intriguing, mysterious story is present in Final Fantasy VII.

Graphics: This is the first 3D FF Game, which breaks free from all its predecessors. Character designs are polygon-like on the field (which still looks cool), but you can see the details of Cloud, Aeris, Tifa, etc. during the amazing cinema cut-scenes.

Gameplay: The Materia system is like none other and is key to making this game amazing. The fact that you can do so much with materia is what makes this game very non-linear. You can combine materia, master materia- which gives birth to a new crystal, command materia which is unique for allowing diversity in how battles are fought, independent materia to enhance your characters abilities, the summons are amazing, the graphics of magic is amazing. Pure genius.

Final Fantasy VII, in my opinion, is one of the best FF games, and one of the best games to ever be released... A+

It's difficult not to have high expectations of a game that carries the title of one of the most popular and beloved video games ever made, so right from the start the odds are stacked against Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII. It also doesn't help that the game eschews its role-playing roots in favor of a generic third-person shooter design. If you're looking for another character-driven epic that lives up to the Final Fantasy VII name, you'll be disappointed with Dirge of Cerberus. If you could care less about all that and are just looking for a mindless action game to blast through in a weekend or two, you can find some moderate enjoyment in Dirge of Cerberus. But in a market that is filled to bursting with great action games, it takes more than some mediocre gunplay and Final Fantasy window dressing to make a game worth your time and money.

In Dirge of Cerberus you play as Vincent Valentine, an immortal gunslinger with a dark past. Three years after Cloud, Vincent, and friends saved the world from total annihilation, people have started to put the pieces of their lives back together. But there's more trouble in store: A group of elite soldiers known as Deepground have plans to revive the Omega weapon and destroy the world. However, they need Vincent in order to do so. It's your job as Vincent to save the world once again while uncovering the secrets of your past to discover why you play such an important role in Deepground's scheme. The story gets convoluted at times, especially when new characters are introduced; nevertheless, it's an interesting look at the origins of one of the more endearing supporting characters from Final Fantasy VII. Some familiar faces do show up in a couple of cutscenes, but for the most part Dirge of Cerberus tells a self-contained story that is separate from that of Final Fantasy VII.

The game plays out in the standard mission-based format. You usually have to watch a lengthy cutscene to set up each stage, then you enter the stage and start blasting your way down a very linear path from the start of the level to the end, where you usually encounter a boss of some sort. The general goal is to kill everything that moves, but sometimes you'll trigger mission events, which present you with a more immediate goal, such as to protect all the civilians in the vicinity, or to disarm the hidden mines in a room. These missions are optional, but by completing them you'll earn extra points that can be used to level up Vincent between stages, or to purchase weapon upgrades and items. The missions do make the levels a bit more interesting by giving you something to do beyond just running down what feels like a long hallway and shooting the same enemies over and over again. Unfortunately, the missions are few, so you're left to simply run and shoot your way through about a dozen bland, repetitive levels.

FINAL FANTASY VII for the PlayStation is considered by many the best game on the original playstation,and after nearly ten years it is still thought of as one of the top ten games of all time.
and even in this age of flashy graphics and supercharged systems final fantasy vii still stands up and in most cases surpasses the current generation of Role Playing games for home console systems.
the best reason to play this game is the story in most games the story seams to be an afterthought but in this game the story is rich and easily pulls the player in there are great battle scenes and emotional highs and lows.
this is one of those few games that you feel like your really part of the story,it is hard to play this game and not learn to care about the characters,i last played this game at least five years ago and whenever i think of the game i am reminded of a really great experance.
if you are trying to decide if you should buy this game,i would say if you want a experance that will draw you in and let you play through a deep meaningful story you should consider this game a must buy.

Final Fantasy VII. This game is what other RPG's should be modeled after. This is my favorite RPG, and game, for many reasons. The story being one of them.
The main character, Cloud, joins a group called avalanche, which are the people that go against the government and destroy things that destroy the planet, which are the reactors. You meet interesting people along the way, some join your group. Eventually, they have to fight there way to Sephiroth, which was one of Clouds idols as a kid. But then you find out that clouds memories arent his, but of someone elses. He was just a nobody. I didnt ruin really anything about the storyline, and I wont. Youll just have to play to find out.

Another thing I love is the ability to customize magic and weapons. You can do hundreds of combinations with materia, which is magic. Theres special materia hidden around the planet that you have to work for, but when you get them, you can make awesome combinations.

Then enemies are leveled perfectly, its rarely to hard to beat, but when that happens, leveling doesnt take too much time, unless you are trying to get to 99, which takes along time. They have creatures, called weapons, which are created by the planet for defence purposes, and you have to fight a couple of them, but there are a couple that are really hard to beat. But the rewards for beating them are awesome. The whole game was done perfectly.

Another thing that adds to the fun is the Gold Saucer. Basically its an amusement park that has videogames, fighting arena, and chocobo races. You unlock certain games by going through the game, like the snowboarding game is broken until you get past that point in the story. Theres alot to be done there, definately doesn't get old fast.

I bought this game about 6 months after it came out, only because it was when I first started getting into games. My friend actually showed me it, then I purchased it. I would recommend this game to anyone who likes a deep story, and who doesnt mind random battles that are turned based. Its definately a great game, the best I have ever played.

-GRAPHICS- 6/10
With the technology we now have, it is outdated but for that time, the graphics were great and innovative. Even for now, these graphics may be old school but it is still possible to enjoy the game play. I would put a 6/10 for the graphics.

-Storyline- 9/10
One of the best out there in the video game industry. The story isn't in a straight line where you know at the very start of the game what your objective is. You will discover you new things about the life of the characters, unexpected things. You need to do the game 2-3-4 times to really understand everything and realize you thought wrong about a fact. Surely it's worth a 9/10!

-Game Play- 8/10
The downside of that game is that you can't use the analog stick on your controller in that game, I guess it's because the game was created before this feature was created. But in term of fooling around, this game is great. You have multiple mini-games and side-story. You are a little tired to follow the story for a little bit? You can wander around anywhere you want, capture Chocobos or play mini-game in the Gold Saucer.

-Innovation- 9/10
I could list a lot of things but to shorten things, here's a little description. This game started a trend in adding mini-games. Future games of the franchise added mini-games too, like card games.
It's also the first game to be on multiple discs (3).
A more complex story than previous games. You love learning things about the characters or you are the type of person to like these characters and imagine them? Then you will surely be served!
Lots and lots of possible combination with the materias and weapons.

-Overall-
You want to play a good game, an epic game? Go and buy it right now and you will never regret that! They wouldn't have made a PSP and PS2 games, movies and multiple objects around it if it was a game that wasn't worth it and I tend to agree with them!

Final Fantasy VII was released in America in 1997. More than ten years have passed since this game first saw the light of day, and it STILL sells like hotcakes! Why, you ask? I answer, "This game was a trend-setter. It brought this franchise into the mainstream." If you were to go out on the street and ask anyone if they had heard of Cecil Harvey, Bartz Klauser, or Terra Branford, you will be lucky to get a blank stare in reply. But, if you bring up Cloud Strife, their eyes will light up and go, "Yeah! I know who he is!"

The story revolves around Cloud Strife, a 21-year-old mercenary, and his travels around the world of Midgard in the company of the ninja Yuffie, the machine gun-equipped Barret, the enigmatic Red XIII, the tough-talking pilot Cid, and several other characters. Together, they surmount impossible odds, and ultimately change the fate of Midgard through their actions.

Overall, this game is worth any amount of money. Get it if you can. If you are a fan of RPGs, this is one game you can't really afford to miss.

As Cloud Strife, an ex-SOLDIER of Shinra's special mercenary force, the gamer is joined with rebel group AVALANCHE in an attempt to detonate a reactor that sucks the life from the planet to create electricity and make the lives of people comfortable. Eventually, the President of the Shinra Company is assassinated by Sephiroth, a former first-class SOLDIER, whom is bent on the destruction of the planet.

Once a fan of Final Fantasy VII, forever a fan of Final Fantasy VII (commonly abbreviated "FF7" or "FFVII").
FF7 is a revolutionary game that seems to become increasingly popular with every year. The game is a classic that I am positive will stick around for a long time to come.
It's OST composed by Nobuo Uematsu along with it's storyline makes this game a must have for all RPGers, for the young and old as well as the "classical" gamers and the later age gamers. FF7 is one of the most immense games of it's time, and is still as immense today as it was when it was first released in Japan of 1997.

Final Fantasy VII deserved all the praise it has received. The gameplay is exceptional. The magic system is in-depth and fun. Summons kick ass. The weapons kick ass. The story is absolutely incredible! The characters have personality and each have very, very cool and unique limit attacks. The only possible knock against this game is the dated graphics but if you like video games, this should not be an issue at all. If you have a chance to play this game, do it. It truly is one of the greatest of all time.