The Graphics

[Elskidor]

I've read a lot of reviews bashing the graphics, and even going as far as to say it was terrible in terms of graphics for PS1. Maybe I'm remembering it wrong, but I thought VII offered the best graphics available at the time, and gave us something the world has rarely seen before. Is my memory foggy? I can see how people can complain about it if they are just now getting around to playing it, but not for those who played it when it was first released. Anyone else feel this way?

[TrollHunter]

Honestly, this is a valid complaint.
Now, keep in mind this is coming from someone who actually for some reason enjoys FF7's graphics.
Bad graphics for the ps1? Not really, but they are bad graphics. FF7 was made to show off fancy new graphics, and there is a risk/downside to that... we really didnt have 3d models down at all back then, and that shows. As such FF7 did not age well in the graphical department compared to say the old sprite-based games. For every decision there are pros and cons, and the decision to make FF7 graphically the way it was is no exception. It was fantastic for its time, but its not its time anymore.
Now, remember, I do love FF VII's graphics and find them quite charming... but complaining about the graphics is definitely valid. Maybe some complaints about them arent, but that doesnt make the ones that are any less relevant.

[Sephiroth]

I understand he complaints but it is great for what it wants to be, it is not only good for 1997 but for how far it can go to express its charme. Some scenes don't go well without Lego figures because even with so much death and seriousness in the story there is still some innocence.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

The blocky graphics are a big part of the charm for me (as well as the spotty translation). Honestly, I think the backgrounds all look great and the battle animations look great too. Some of the cutscenes are a little iffy (the little girl who sticks her head out the window in the final cutscene as meteor is falling comes to mind). Yes, graphics improved, but they were pretty good for the time.

Honestly, I find the character models easier on the eyes than what we have in VIII and IX. That was something I had never thought about before I saw someone post that in another thread on here.

[VeloZer0]

The blocky graphics don't turn me off so much as the pixelation. The character models just come off as an art style to me, but after seeing how much better they look with a higher resolution in the PC version it makes it much harder to play on PS1. I still think the pre-renders look awesome.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I haven't played it on the PC, so that might impact my judgment on the graphics somewhat. Most of my experience with the game was also not on a big HD tv which also probably impacts my view of the graphics.

[Ayen]

Well, if you compare the game to something like Resident Evil or Tomb Raider which came out a year before FFVII, then sure. Or even if you compare it to some of the things that came out on the N64 like Super Mario 64. But we're talking about entirely different genres there. Does no one remember Legend of Legaia? I mean, the graphics there with the cut-scenes and when in battle were better, but just moving around from town and such? Their figures weren't that much of a step up from VII. I don't know much about the technical aspect to really say for sure if it was just different for RPGs or if graphics are universal regardless of genres.

FFVII graphics are dated, I can't deny that. But so are a lot of graphics thanks to today's standards. Few games have a timeless feel in that area. The only games I could think of that still look good today as they did back then is Ocarina of Time and Croc, but Croc was ahead of its time visually and I might have some bias for Ocarina of Time.

Graphics are only an issue depending on preference, though. Personally, I always found graphics to be the last thing on my mind but I can see why it would turn others off.

[Elskidor]

FF7 was made to show off fancy new graphics, and there is a risk/downside to that... we really didnt have 3d models down at all back then, and that shows. As such FF7 did not age well in the graphical department compared to say the old sprite-based games. For every decision there are pros and cons, and the decision to make FF7 graphically the way it was is no exception. It was fantastic for its time, but its not its time anymore.

Yeah, when people say it was even bad for its time was the thing that I found interesting. I thought it was mind blowing for its time, but now I think the entire PS1 era has aged worst of all, but not in the late 90's....not at all.

[MJN SEIFER]

I like the FFVII graphics - the chracters themselves come off worse than the backgrounds, but the only part I found "blocky" was the hands. I'm not making them out to be better than anything we have now, but I still think they look pretty decent especially for the time.

[Psychotic]

I don't think the graphics are anywhere near as bad as potrayed. The backgrounds are actually really gorgeous if you pay attention to them, and the battle graphics are of course nice. However, as far as the "lego" figures go, they're quite expressive - the characters all have their own unique little gestures and walking/running styles, and the attention to detail is really good.

[Lone Wolf Leonhart]

I think a lot of people appreciate the graphics in the sense that, when compared to VI and earlier titles with sprites, this game was leaps and bounds ahead of them visually.

[Minami]

When i first played the game i thought the graphics were the best i'd ever seen lol

[Bolivar]

I like the graphics alot. Sure, the characters might be overly blocky but they're clear; VIII and IX had more detail but they're more pixellated as a result.

Maybe its because I play it on the PSP's sharp and smaller screen, but I think VII's characters have the same charm that the 2d sprites have, if not the same cohesiveness.

[RocketMBA]

Pros: CRT anti-aliasing, generally smaller screen size available back in't day so higher PPI, pre-rendered backdrops look great, poor quality connection to the television hid a lot of the flaws

Cons: PSX graphical shortfalls (no perspective correction, texture aliasing, no HW anti-aliasing), poor quality connection to the television hid a lot of the detail

FFVII looks like a turd today, but it was the best turd we could push out in 1997.

[Niale]

I think to be this old it really is good, i mean sure the overhead 3D Map view might not be top notch, but it was 1997 in PS1 era, when it was all about fun. Besides it got pretty good once you did all the summoning and all that stuff in battle mode.