Is VII really the best???

[Bolivar]

nobody is gonna come on here and say they weren't genuinely upset by the biggest death scene in video game history!

That just made me laugh so hard. Galuf's death and General Leo's death were so much better.

i guess, if you like little blocks saying brief texts and flashing until they dissappear...or just turning sideways, then yeah, i guess they would be "so much better."

And how would you determine if someone's death was better than another's?

Galuf's death was to sacrifice himself to protect the others from X-Death. Leo's death was better because it was said that Gestahl betrayed him (along with Kefka) even though he had undying loyalty toward him. You are just trying to trivialize those things by saying that they are mere graphics and pixels. Why not reduce everything else in the game to that as well then?

And those are both better than Aeris sitting there like a defenseless idiot.

You suggested it's possible when you described how hard you were laughing at how someone liked Aeris' death. Which sounds like a pretty childish thing to do. No offense, but FFVII always seems to bring out the worst in what are traditionally good posters.

To say that Final Fantasy 7 was a insignificant step in Role-Playing Games would be like saying the discovery of DNA was an insignificant step in biology...well, maybe not that far, but you get what I mean. Before FF7 no one had seen this kind of RPG before in terms of artistic direction and setting (baring obscure, non-mainstream titles). FF7 was hugely successful partly because of it being part of the franchise (in Japan at least), but also because of how different it was. That FF7 sold as well as it did overseas despite the relatively unknown presence of the FF franchise in general in the consciousness of gamers must mean something, as does it's popularity. You don't become popular by sucking. However stupid the majority may sometimes be, most of the time they have a point, also taking into account that the average gamer is a lot pickier compared to a high-street music jockey.

In terms of it's merits and flaws it's obvious that it suffered from simplistic graphics (specifically character models), bad translation (PSX USA version) and a boatload of niggling bugs that really should have been stamped out (overflowing Vincent's Death Penalty, MDefense not counting towards your final total etc. etc.). In some ways its quite a sloppily made package. This can be attributed to a combination of not understanding the hardware and a speed to ship the game (but let's not forget Square have a history of lacking oversight in terms of their battle systems - FF6's infamous MBlock% bug anyone?). However what stands out for many is the storyline, which at the time of its release was the most unique selling point. Whilst previous RPG titles had delved into the idea of character development and arcing storylines, arguably FF7 contributed the most (in it's generation) towards pushing the medium along. It took cues primarily from the likes of film and television, two medium that have honed their visual narrative skills, and applied it to a complex and borderline metaphysical script (the nature of the self, cycle of life, dealing with rejection and depression - pretty heavy stuff).

As for what I think, FF7 to me is, along with all of the other FF's, a stand-out RPG no matter which way you look at it. To brush off its positive qualities outright due to its popularity is ridiculous. While I admit that the sheer popularity associated with the game can border on the insane (I see the compilation of FF7 to be grossly unnecessary creatively speaking), it doesn't put me off being subjective to it as its own product. As it happens it stands very well as its own product.


Originally Bespoken by PuPu
And those are both better than Aeris sitting there like a defenseless idiot.
I think you misinterpreted the scene, and indeed the character of Aeris. She is less a person and more a symbol, specifically a symbol of the arcane and mystical. There are several attributes she possesses that separate her from the other party members; she's an ancient, she can communicate with the planet/dead, she has no real fear of death due to her knowledge of how life works, and most importantly her eventual role is that of a magical conduit through which the salvation of the earth, namely Holy, may be brought about. That no one else alive can do this makes her very important indeed. Its a gradual transition, and one so underplayed that many players miss it, and the game cleverly misdirects you by focusing on the apparently romantic entanglement between Cloud and herself. Post-death of course she takes her place as this mystical force, and solidifies this role in the animated film Advent Children. As for the scene itself, as I said before she has no real fear of death. Most likely she is more than aware of her untimely demise. Note she doesn't react to Sephiroth falling from the ceiling. Not a wince, not a single movement until the blade is driven into her. With all due respect, the power of this scene couldn't be recreated as effectively in a sprite-based environment. Comparing it to previous death scenes in the franchise and attempting to justify their superiority in terms of artistic direction is madness. Scripting and character development aside, the strength of the death scene of Aeris comes partly from the way in which it's play out, from the camera angles that show the death to the slow fades that lead to the Holy materia dropping into the water. Frankly this is something the pre-FF7 Final Fantasies would not have been capable of doing.

Very well put, and I think it outlines how some of us who think FFVII is a contendor or a clear shot winner of the "Best FF Title" actually do accept this game for its faults as well as its strengths. 7 is an obviously incomplete game, due to how rushed it was, but as Uematsu says, that's the one thing all FF's have in common, they're all incomplete.

Also, I realize and fully support the notion that better technology does not necessarily make a better game. It's what you do with that which does, and with this game Square was able to go above and beyond its previous games. Like Maxx Power said, the simple fact that there were different shots allowed the team to convey ideas and emotions in ways unattainable with previous hardware. The first 60 seconds of the game alone is something that would have been impossible on the Super Famicom/Nintendo.

II and V are among my favorite entries in the series, but I find it very hard to find a single category in which the previous installments were better than this one. Thus why I believe VI is easily the most overrated game in the series.