A perfect example of a game that couldnt just be left well alone, Squares epic Final Fantasy VII was a resounding success in the West and single-handedly catapulted their developers Square to global stardom, as well as popularising the Japanese RPG genre outside of Japan. The original game was a complicated plot with many eco-friendly references, but could be understood with a bit of patience. Protagonist Cloud Strife joining an eco-terrorist cell to take on planet-pollutors Shinra Corporation and then tackling primary antagonist Sephiroth made for a superb self-contained plot, even if said story stretched imaginations to the limit. But Square Enix had to build on the success of the original game by introducing various spin-offs such as Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core that featured new protagonists. As a result, the plot was mangled beyond repair with no less than six versions of one infamous scene in the protagonists hometown of Nibelheim, causing much confusion for long-term fans of the game.
