Overated?

[Starboard Regulator FlareNUKE]

Why do people love FFVII so much, the graphics aren't exactly as good as they could have been, (the battle pics look nice) the battle system isn't really anything new at all, and while Materia was a nice system, later you get weapons that allow up to seven or so slots... Meaning there is lots of space... and a lot of spells aren't useful at all, The characters are mostly the exact same, the only exception is base stats, but those don't matter so much... Mostly, choosing a party has less to do with balance and more with favorites... The story is intresting, and is probably the only reason people play FFVII... or play FF in general...

[redxiiii]

If your asking if the game was overated then....yes it was, but it was still a very cool game mostly for me because it had a great story an was the first FF to be done in 3-D, so yes it was overated but is still for me the best FF.

[Levian]

The graphics are bad because it was made in 1997, but they were /xxx.gif/xxx.gif/xxx.gif/xxx.gifing amazing back then. I got a frickin' date with a girl because of those graphics. Then she moved to South Africa. :/

[Starboard Regulator FlareNUKE]

I'm not saying it's bad... but still... It's just made to seem LIKE THE BEST GAME EVER...

[Death Penalty]

It is the best game.
It made me cry when aeris died.
It had a great story and the graphics kicked ass back then. I said something about it being on the EGM top twohundred games list.
It made it on the list because at the time it had amazing graphics.It also has the best story ever. FF8 didnt make it because there better games when it came out.

[Fonzie]

FF7 was a good game in RPG history because it really helped make all the other RPG's in the year to come. It shaped how games are suposed to be like. It's plot line was near flawless. Also, the game play was really different then the other games at it's time. The detail was crazy.

[Rengori]

What Isenhert said.

[Starboard Regulator FlareNUKE]

I learned that Aeris died before I left Midgar...

[Rengori]

I did too and I still cryed.

[charles55021]

its not overrated, i have a nice little story, i asked for the game as a confirmation present,then proceeded to pay $10 every weekend to rent the playstation so i could play the game,

basically its the game that i bought a system for, and aslong as we are on systems. i like the materia system alot better then the other systems in ff

[~SapphireStar~]

Why do people love FFVII so much, the graphics aren't exactly as good as they could have been, (the battle pics look nice) the battle system isn't really anything new at all, and while Materia was a nice system, later you get weapons that allow up to seven or so slots... Meaning there is lots of space... and a lot of spells aren't useful at all, The characters are mostly the exact same, the only exception is base stats, but those don't matter so much... Mostly, choosing a party has less to do with balance and more with favorites... The story is intresting, and is probably the only reason people play FFVII... or play FF in general...
Totally agree.

[Starboard Regulator FlareNUKE]

The FMV's still look quite nice, despite Aeris looking like a ragdoll... but the regular graphics...ick...

[Crossblades]

It's a good game, but I wouldn't go as far as saying it's the best FF ever

[DarkLord]

Overated... Overated!? What do you mean. For a nine year old game it's freaking awesome. The storyline is truly brilliant, the graphics were awesome and the characters... Well, it has Vincent, enough said...

[Dreddz]

Best Game Ever IMO
I love the game, maybe a little too much. My vision isnt blurred on the game, when I hear people claiming the game is the best thing ever, I dont judge, as I know what they feel about this game.

[Fonzie]

It's more of an example then the "best game ever".

[daniel kid]

like a book ,dont judge a game by it's graphics!

[fluer]

[!]Man i hate you people always complaining its over rated just because its better than whatever game u prefer. Point being, its got a great story, extremely addictive, great mini games, unique characters...need i go on?

Stop being pathetic and incredibly biased towards your game. Why dont you actually play FF7 instead of bumming sumthin else whilst you move the d-pad.[/!]

We do not speak to people like this. Don't do it again.

~Void

[daniel kid]

7's story is awesome,you get over the graphics once the stroy kicks in :O

[Wuggly Blight]

By most peoples diffinations I could argue X is just as overated noob trite, Why do these people constantly have to attack this 9 year old game? Its a classic loved by millions. Get over it.

[Rengori]

Man i hate you people always complaining its over rated just because its better than whatever game u prefer. Point being, its got a great story, extremely addictive, great mini games, unique characters...need i go on?

Stop being pathetic and incredibly biased towards your game. Why dont you actually play FF7 instead of bumming sumthin else whilst you move the d-pad.
It's arguments like this that compel them to think FFVII is overrated. Maybe they really don't like FFVII. Maybe they think FF___ is underrated. Or maybe they just don't like fanboys/girls.

[AdVincent]

I think Final Fantasy 7 is pure nostalgia now. I still cherish the moments I had with it 5 years ago, but whenever I even attempt to play it now, it just seems so dated.

But yeah, like many said, it set the bar for RPG's at it's time which was what led to other great RPG's. People dissing FF7 have just becomed too spoiled with FFX's graphical and technology advancements.

[Neco Arc]

I like FFVII however I do think it is overrated and I don't think that it is the best game ever. I think Pacman or Mario would fall into the category. Who can compete with classicness.

[Euan_hmfc]

I don't get people like this.

If you don't like FFVII, then my advice to you is not to play it. My personal opinion of the game? I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! That's me though and if you don't, HEY, go and play the Xbox 360, that's supposed to have decent graphics.

[cloud_doll]

I don't get people like this.

If you don't like FFVII, then my advice to you is not to play it. My personal opinion of the game? I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! That's me though and if you don't, HEY, go and play the Xbox 360, that's supposed to have decent graphics.

totally agree! if you don't like it, then why are you posting in a FFVII forum? if you wanna rag about it go into your favorite FF game and do it there

[Setzer Gabianni]

Seriously, it's not the best game ever. It's just a popular game. There is no best game.

Because of it being one of the most successful selling titles, that's why some see it as overrated - it gets too much coverage.

Sorry, but deal with the facts.

It's one of the better games, due to what people saw in it, which made it stand out from other games.

It's personally my favourite game.

~Setzer Gabianni

[Meat Puppet]

Aeris... dies? YOU BASTARDS.

[Crossblades]

totally agree! if you don't like it, then why are you posting in a FFVII forum?

Because it's a FORUM and people have the right to post their opinions, whether it's good or bad

[Gilthanes]

I personally got a kick out of someone saying that a game, 9 years old, had "ok graphics". Thats like me saying Final Fantasy 1 had horrible graphics. Get over it, FFVII was in the very beginning of Playstation1 Era. And we're almost on Playstation 3, yes its graphics arent that great anymore. But a truly great game is one that gets played 10+ years after its release, which is what FF7 is still doing. Just like how people still boot up FFIV, VI, VIII, etc, Cuz they are all classics, despite how much better the 'Games of Today' look graphic-wise

IMO? It was NOT overrated at the time, because at the time it was arguably the greatest FF released at that time. (FFVI could contend, but the graphics of FFVII helped it out in that respect). Is it the best game of all time, today? No. But read above as to why its still a great game

[The Devourer Of Worlds]

I personally got a kick out of someone saying that a game, 9 years old, had "ok graphics". Thats like me saying Final Fantasy 1 had horrible graphics. Get over it, FFVII was in the very beginning of Playstation1 Era.
I say that a lot, but I generally bring it up when someone accuses someone who likes FFVII of being a graphics whore.

[roxy]

who cares?

[Starboard Regulator FlareNUKE]

I personally got a kick out of someone saying that a game, 9 years old, had "ok graphics". Thats like me saying Final Fantasy 1 had horrible graphics. Get over it, FFVII was in the very beginning of Playstation1 Era. And we're almost on Playstation 3, yes its graphics arent that great anymore. But a truly great game is one that gets played 10+ years after its release, which is what FF7 is still doing. Just like how people still boot up FFIV, VI, VIII, etc, Cuz they are all classics, despite how much better the 'Games of Today' look graphic-wise

IMO? It was NOT overrated at the time, because at the time it was arguably the greatest FF released at that time. (FFVI could contend, but the graphics of FFVII helped it out in that respect). Is it the best game of all time, today? No. But read above as to why its still a great game

Erm... FF1 had...decent graphics for it's time... It was hardly impressive at 1990... or 1987... ehh... mebbe a little....

[kikimm]

It's all just an opinion. You think it's overrated? Great. That guy over there thinks it's the best thing that ever happened to him? Cool.

And yes, people can post wherever the hell they want in this forum. A forum that allows just people who like FFVII to post in it is dumb. I don't want to see any other posts that say otherwise.

[Jess]

The graphics were awesome, for back then. I remember when my Dad bought it, he called me in and showed me the graphics and I was totally woo'd. He played it once, after that me and my brother were constantly playing it because it looked good.

What is so good about the game? The storyline! It totally gets you hooked, and it makes the game totally worth playing several times through. The game is overated, as it's not the best game ever, in my opinion. But I think that it was the best of its time.

[Shiny]

So the graphics were horrible. It was 1997 and it was on the playstation. Playstation is not known for great graphics. Besides, don't you rpgers like the storyline and characters the most?

[ffxfreak93]

sephiroth!

[Obsidian]

For future reference, don't harp on the graphics when you are making this sort of argument... Beacuse it's all people will respond to, 90% of the time. :rolleyes2

In my personal experience, it is pretty overrated. I had much worse of a backlash when certain characters in IV and VI died than when Aeris did... and I didn't care too much for Cloud at all. These opinions are due to my own taste... But I thought that the character of Sephiroth is overhyped by ANY standard. >.>

[Carl the Llama]

January 1997

?SCEE announces the launch of the PlayStation Platinum software range ?

?Square?s, Final Fantasy VII sells over 3.5 million units in Japan

February 1997

?PlayStation game consoles cumulative production and shipment as at 14th February 1997 reached 12 million units worldwide.

Japan 5.6 million units


so that means well over half of the Japan Playstation population have FFVII


November 1997

?SCEE wins the "Golden Joystick Award" for the Best Software House, Most Original Game (ParappaTheRapper) and Best Ad (Tekken 2)

?Final Fantasy VII released in PAL territories on November 17th

December 1997

?SCEE announce that sales of FFVII have already reached over half a million units so in less then a month FFVII sold over half a million copy's and as to the graphics.. well look at this:

http://pspupdates.qj.net/breath_2Dof_2Dfire_2Diii_2D20050624070107621.jpg Breath of Fire III (1997) http://xenon.stanford.edu/~geksiong/papers/sts145/Final%20Fantasy%20VII_files/image020.jpgFinal Fantasy VII in game http://www.rolemaker.dk/documents/Requirements/BA_GameReference/screenshots/finalfantasy7/pic2.jpg Final Fantasy VII (in battle) http://www.cincinnati.com/freetime/games/reviews/img/medievil2.jpg Medievil (1997 in game)

I dont know about you but IMO the graphics were amazeing coupled with the fact that when you equip a new weapon you can actully tell its a different weapon where as in Legend of the Dragoon (2000) all you ever see is Darts original weapon take for instance when Loyd is defeted you get the Dragon Buster remember when it is in Loyds hand it looks like its made from fire but when Rose equips it all you get is her boring weapon.

the story... come on, honestly when Aeris dies and Cloud says that speech:

Cloud: ...Aerith. This can't be real!

Sephiroth: Do not worry. Soon the girl will become part of the Planet's energy.
All that is left is to go North. The 'Promised Land' waits for me over the
snowy fields. There I will become a new being by uniting with the planet. As
will this girl......

Cloud: ...Shut up. The cycle of nature and your stupid plan don't mean a thing.
Aerith is gone. Aerith will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry...... or get
angry...... What about us...... what are WE supposed to do? What about my pain?
My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!

Sephiroth: What are you saying? Are you trying to tell me you have feelings too?

Cloud: Of course! Who do you think I am!?

Sephiroth: Ha, ha, ha...... Stop acting as if you were sad. There's no need to
act as though you're angry either. Because, Cloud. You are...

can you honestly say that you werent moved by this sceen? when in any other RPG did this happen to you? when in FFVI were you near (or in) tears, Aeris gave her life to protect the planet and unlike LotD there is no replacement for her so yes the story was also amazeing aswell.

The music of Final Fantasy VII belongs to the most profoundly beautiful video game musical scores ever. The Aeris theme, the Nibelheim theme, and many other melodies reveal not only the depth of Japanese melancholy, but also the great talent of Nobuo Uematsu, who once again proved he could handle masterfully virtually every musical style, while maintaining his own distinct personality as a composer. Following the setting of the game, the music became even more personal and intimate in Final Fantasy VII, fitting the tragic story and the macabre futuristic society as perfectly as the cheerful epic music of earlier Final Fantasies fitted their medieval setting.

For the first time in Final Fantasy series, the sensual side of a game - its atmosphere - enjoyed an equal opportunity, being previously overshadowed by storyline, character cast, and gameplay. Final Fantasy VII oozes an intense atmosphere, that was possible to achieve only with the help of brand new visual techniques. The pre-rendered backgrounds of Final Fantasy VII give every town and every dungeon a distinct look and feel - something that was impossible to have with the simple generic towns of SNES Final Fantasies. Each location is envelopped in atmosphere: the dark, futuristic sections of Midgar, the careless, sunny beaches of Costa del Sol, the bizarre outlines of Cosmo Canyon, the "Chinese" houses and pagodas of Wutai. A mysterious power emanates from all the locations of Final Fantasy VII. The battles experienced the most notable graphical change: no longer were they the static, flat pictures of two opposite parties performing clumsy, almost comical movements, but dynamic, thrilling events, with wonderfully animated 3D characters, flashy spells effects, and even more flashy monster summon animations. Final Fantasy VII exploited the abilities of Playstation to the full, occupying 3 CD ROMs, each one full of breathtaking CG graphic movies. Many important events of the game are presented through CG sequences.

Final Fantasy VII is an amazing gaming experience, almost shocking in its infinite grandeur, with its atmosphere, its monumental story, its profound characters, its godlike music, its rich and versatile gameplay, and its new stunning visuals. By taking a turn in the direction of a futuristic setting, Final Fantasy VII decidedly changed the whole feeling of Final Fantasy, while maintaining its original spirit by presenting an epic story and a huge, fantanstic world, populated by mythological creatures. Final Fantasy VII is the most universal, world-embracing game of the series, considered by many fans the best of all Final Fantasies. In short, this game deserves all the hype it gets in my opinion.

On a side note just because I have wrote all this it shouldnt make me out to be a Fanboy as a fanboys reply to a thread such as this should be "FF7 ROXORZ!!!!11!1!!"

[Starboard Regulator FlareNUKE]

I wasn't because it was revealed to me that Aeris died before I got to it, making it boring and expected...

[Rengori]

I knew she died too, but I had no idea when or how and when Sephy did kill her, I actually cried.

[McLovin']

I don't have FF7 in color.

[Carl the Llama]

Just because you know she died doesnt mean that it still doesnt have an impact on you, say for instance you could see into the futer and you could see a loved one dieing doesnt make it any easyer when the time comes. I would be surprised if most people who played the game didnt know Aeris dies the first time they play it.

[cloud_doll]

i knew that aeris died before i played it and it still was sad to me.

[Mimiru]

I first saw FFVII when I was watching my brother and my cousin play. They kept kicking me out because I kept asking questions. I was watching when they first fought Jenova and I asked again and again why "the lady didn't have a head". Then later when I said I liked "the pretty lady with the pink dress" my brother told me she dies and I started crying. I didn't even see it and I cried, so I think that makes it a pretty powerful game. And I do like it that there was a big Aeris-shaped hole in the story, and that they didn't even bother trying to put in another.
That's why it's my favorite.

Plus, as stated by DarkLord, it has Vincent.

[RobobTheGreat]

If anything, FF7 is UNDERrated...it's even better than the fanboys say! :)

...But seriously, while FF7 is one of my favorite games, it is not without its flaws. The graphics, while good for their time, are not impressive by today's standards (or even by the standards of the later portion of the PS1 era!). More importantly, the game's storyline is not one of its strong points, either. Don't get me wrong--the ideas behind the plot were okay, and I really loved the surprises they threw in. I never played FF7 until the summer of 2004, and I consider myself very lucky in that no one EVER spoiled any of the surprises for me! I was caught TOTALLY off-guard by what happened to Aeris, and the idea of having Cloud turn out to be one of the anonymous Shinra troopers at Nibelheim five years prior was a STROKE OF GENIUS. Even so, the plot was too muddled to be any more than "good"...although it holds together, barely, you don't know everything that's going on unless you pay VERY close attention...for some people, I think, the storyline just degenerated into a hopeless mess of mako, materia, Ancients, SOLDIER, Shinra, Meteor, Jenova, Sephiroth, clones, WEAPONs, etc. I think the FF7 team tried to make the plot of FF7 too many different things, and it doesn't wind up successfully being anything. Is it a cyberpunk-type tale? Is it a swords-and-sorcery adventure? Is it a love story? A mystery? A psycho-drama? A messianic story with religious overtones? A horror story (to the tune of Frankenstein)? A Buddhist allegory? To be sure, it is all of these things to some extent, but like I said, I think the FF7 team simply tried to do too much, which wouldn't have been a bad thing, except that they didn't always do a good job of explaining things.

I point out the problems I have with FF7 because some of the game's fans talk about it as though it were perfect, and I take issue with that point of view. That kind of fanboyism pushes discussion of the game to an extreme, and people with moderate opinions of the game find themselves having to bash it in order to counterbalance the fanboy rhetoric and pull the discussion back to a middle ground (however, let's not forget that there will always be a significant minority who considers itself "rebellious" and "individualistic" by hating on something that's popular--the "lol FF7 sux am i cool yet?" crowd). Rampant fanboyism is a major reason why so many people say that FF7 is overrated!

With that said, I want to make clear that I consider FF7 nothing short of a work of art. The attention to detail in the game is commendable. You ever notice that the reason why Aeris' church is trashed is because one of Shinra's experimental rockets came through its roof? Or that Aeris is examining a leaky mako pipe in the opening sequence? The game's music is gorgeous, and there is plenty of gameplay with variety with all of the minigames. Most importantly to me, Cloud Strife is quite possibly the most complex videogame character there is. I take an orthodox Freudian view in explaining why Cloud is the way he is (follow the link in my sig. if reading about this interests you). When I was discussing my interpretation with some friends, one of them asked, "do you really think that Square intended to put such Freudian themes into the game?" My answer is no, I don't, but FF7 is open to interpretation like a work of literature, and the fact that we are having discussions like this, eight years after the game came out, is a testament to what Square accomplished--a work of art, indeed!