Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII, an often bullied poster child for overrated games everywhere, turned out to be one fantasy too many for a lot of fans of the veteran RPG series. Something of a watershed for the franchise, Final Fantasy VII played an important role in the growth of the RPG genre and the solidification of the original Playstation as the console of choice in its day. It was a sprawling adventure with impressive visuals and copious amounts of rendered cutscenes - advancements facilitated by the move from Nintendo's ageing cartridge system to Sony's optical discs. Final Fantasy VII ate three of these all on its own. But for all it brought to the series, it was this seventh iteration which divided public opinion more than any other. So, why the vitriol? How could the venerated Final Fantasy story gather so much negative heat from one release to the next? This is, after all, arguably the game most directly responsible for bringing the Jap RPG into the Western consciousness, and a trendsetter for a new, more modern aesthetic within the genre. But with a labyrinthine story that threatened to collapse under its own weight, some truly annoying characters and changes to the classic battle system that no one asked for, many gamers who had been travelling the Final Fantasy path since the beginning were unimpressed with the supposed advancements. Convoluted as it may be, champions for FF VII's place on the RPG throne continue to yelp and howl that the storyline carries a more meaningful, immersive atmosphere than its predecessors. Those in the opposing camp will cry that the writers' unrelenting attempts to inject emotion and drama wherever possible felt forced and shallow. Undoubtedly one of the most passionately supported role playing games, Final Fantasy VII definitely had it's share of flaws, and will be remembered for that as much as for everything it got right.
Game-obsessed since the moment I could twiddle both thumbs independently. Equally enthralled by all the genres of music that your parents warned you about.
