Final Fantasy VII ReviewChris PieprzakCIS 487Assignment 2Due 10/2/06Final Fantasy VII ReviewGame Title: Final Fantasy VIICompany: Square Co. (Now Square Enix)Type of Game: Role Playing Game (RPG)Minimum Hardware Required: 200Mghz Processor and a 3d Accelerated Graphics CardActual Hardware Required: PlayStation or any modern computerPrice: Between $20 and $30 from EbayOverview:The Final Fantasy Series has always been known as one of the best titles in the RPG genre, and Final Fantasy VII does not break this tradition. As of March 2006, the game has sold around 9.72 million copies world wide, making it the highest selling title in the Series (Wikipedia). Final Fantasy VII was the first Final Fantasy Title to be released for the PlayStation in 1997, and had ground breaking graphics for its time. The game has a fairly linear storyline, that has many optional side quests to learn more of the characters pasts. The game has tons of content; enough to last you more than 100 hours (That’s when the game stops keeping track) but can be beaten in around 60 hours if you just follow the main story.Storyline:The game starts off following the main character, Cloud Strife, a hired mercenary and an Ex-Soldier(An Elite Member of the Shinra Army). Soon you learn that Cloud hasbeen hired by a group of extremists known as Avalanche to help destroy Shinra. Shinra provides electrical energy for the world, but do so by draining it from the life force of the planet, or so Avalanche claims. This energy is being pumped from the planet through a total of eight locations, and Cloud has been hired to help destroy these places. All does not go as planned, however, and Cloud is forced to take a detour that leads to uncovering some of Shinra’s darkest secrets, as well as some secrets from his own past.Player’s Role:The player’s main role in the beginning of the game is to guide Cloud through his journey, completing various tasks assigned to him. As the game progresses, Cloud takes over the group, and you make decisions about where to go and how to proceed. Along the way, you encounter numerous enemies that you must defeat, and the player controls up to three party members actions while in battle. Defeating monsters yields and experience and items. It is the player’s job to decide how to best outfit their characters in order to defeat enemies and progress the story.Installation:There are two versions of the game, one for the PC and one for the PlayStation. Installation for the PlayStation, involves dropping in the disc and making sure there is enough memory left in the memory card to save a game. For the PC version, there is an installation disc which installs the game and Direct X 6 if you don’t already have higher. In addition, you must download an unofficial patch from the internet if you want to playon Windows XP. The patch keeps the game from freezing and is entitled something involving Chocobo Racing Fix (there are numerous different names for it).User Interface:The user interface is similar to other games in the Final Fantasy series, and involves the player moving a character around the screen, bringing up a set of menus involving viewing character statistics, equipment, tactical setup, items, and the option to save your game. During battles, enemies and the players take turns attacking each other, and the player selects which actions to take from a list available to them for each character.Game Play: Final Fantasy VII is a single player Role Playing Game. As the game starts out, the player controls Cloud, and follows instructions given to him. Soon after the player begins to get the hang of the game, the game opens up tremendously, allowing the player to explore the world at their own leisure, as well as progress the story line. Along the way there are numerous side quests that yield stronger equipment, and explain more about the workings of the world, but are not necessary to beat the game.Scoring:Final Fantasy VII does not have a direct scoring method, but progress through the game can be measured by a combination of character levels, equipment, items, time played, and story progression. The main objective is to defeat an evil villain bent onworld domination, but there is at least as much content that is not necessary to completingthis goal.Artwork:The artwork is a combination of mostly 2D backgrounds with a 3D character drawn in with a very low polygon count for most of the story.The artwork during the battle scenes are much more detailed and more 3D looking.Throughout the game, there are also various cutscenes of very high quality (for the time).(Pictures from Wikipedia)Sound And Music:The sound track of Final Fantasy VII is composed mostly of midi files. That being said, they are of very high quality and are quite catchy. Most have them have even been ochastraited to large audiances.Manual:The purpose of the manual is to give you a brief overview of the background, explain the characters, and give a brief tutorial on how to play. To this definition, the manual included with Final Fantasy VII succeeds.Bugs:The only bug is for the PC version porting it to an operating system it wasn’t designed for. The game will always crash at one part during the story on Windows XP. An unofficial patch, however, is available to download on the internet to fix this problem.Game Review:If you are a fan of the Role Playing Genre, Final Fantasy VII is a must play. The battle sequences are enthralling, and leveling your characters is as much fun as progressing the story, which is no small feat. The games system of equipment allows for amazing customization, allowing any of your characters to assume just about any role, from healing, to high melee damage, to strong magic attacks, or my personal favorite, maxing all three. While the graphics are sub-par to today’s standards, the defining characteristics for a Role Playing Game is storyline, and in this regards, Final Fantasy VIIsucceeds better than game I have ever played.Summary:Final Fantasy VII is, as a whole, a very solid game. If you enjoy role playing games, even just a little, it’s a safe bet that you will enjoy Final Fantasy VII. A lot. The story is better than any game I have ever played, and rivals that of most books/movies. Ifyou can get over the 1997 graphics, you can easily have 60+ hours of satisfied gameplay with a high replayability. If the game was remade with good voice acting, and graphics standard of
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