Why Final Fantasy VII Is the Best

Final Fantasy VII is certainly among the discussion for the best final fantasy game out to date. It isn’t just a groundbreaking entry, it has more than proven itself as one of the most influential video games of all time. Many would agree with our take on Final Fantasy VII as the best entry in the franchise yet. However, we understand that some may think otherwise. Nevertheless, this article aims to share our thoughts on why we came up with that conclusion. Here are some of the reasons why we deemed Final Fantasy VII as the best final fantasy game.

It Started the JRPG Craze

The Final Fantasy series started making waves on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), but it arguably did the most impact on Sony’s PlayStation consoles. Final Fantasy VII, to be specific, was the spark that ignited the explosion of great Japanese Role-Playing Games (JRPGs) in the system in the late 90s to 2000s. 

The game’s worldwide success proved that there is a great demand for expansive RPG games out of Japan. Final Fantasy VII became the poster title that ushered in this new age. After its massive success in the original PlayStation, countless JRPGs flooded the system in the hopes of recapturing the same magic. While the quality of these titles was a mixed bag, some successfully made a name for themselves.

Final Fantasy VII’s impact on how people view JRPGs today cannot be more profound. Even now, many titles credit their success to the path they laid out back in the day. Now it just feels so hard to imagine the state of the gaming industry without JRPGs. While it certainly isn’t the first to be successful in the particular genre, Final Fantasy VII is undoubtedly the one that opened the eyes of the world to these amazing games.

It Revitalized the Series’ Combat System

Six Final Fantasy games using the same battle systems have already hit the shelves before Final Fantasy VII. While Final Fantasy VI has its fans, we believe that it’s this game that revitalized the franchise’s combat system for the better. Final Fantasy VII took all the lessons learned from the previous six iterations to create a fresh take. Square Enix went for the fences and decided to give the series’ magic and combat system an overhaul.

This resulted in the introduction of Materias. Gone are the job classes and story beats that limited some characters from doing anything else other than their assigned abilities. With Final Fantasy VII’s Materia system, players can customize any character to their liking. If you want the main character as a dedicated healer, so be it! If you want him as an all-around powerhouse, you can certainly do so! 

These orbs infused with magic, summons, and abilities, enable players to come up with their character builds. As a result, the game felt more personalized and less restricting. This also helped the game’s replayability tremendously as well. Although the core turn-based combat was still there, Final Fantasy VII’s combat system felt more refined. It is not monotonous and there is always fun to be had thanks to its great additions to the franchise.

The Final Fantasy VII Presentation

Final Fantasy VII is Square’s first foray into making its storied franchise completely 3D. And back in the day, they kicked it out of the park, By today’s standards, the original may look hilariously blocky, but back then, it was a definite game-changer. Characters are now more fleshed-out than ever before. You can see all of their sides, rendering them more relatable, and, thus, memorable.

The game’s cutscenes are also among the industry’s best! Some of them are so good, they are burned into our heads for what we believe would be forever. Yes, we are referring to that scene with Aerith! With the game’s remake looking to take these amazing cutscenes to the modern age, there is no better time to enjoy this masterpiece than now.

And don’t start us with the game’s amazing OSTs. These include classics, such as Aerith’s theme, the battle theme, and, of course, the one-of-a-kind One-Winged Angel. That boss battle theme still sends shivers down our spine. Final Fantasy VII has some of the best tracks in the entire series. We dare to go as far as saying that they boast some of the greatest in-game tracks in history.

Immersive Final Fantasy VII Story & Gameplay

We honestly believe Final Fantasy VII’s story and colorful cast of characters are its greatest assets. It is what pushes it atop almost every Final Fantasy game’s ranked list. This absolute gem of a game has its characters successfully penetrate pop culture itself! Even non-gamers tend to know who Cloud, Sephiroth, and the gang are because of how famous they have become worldwide.

Even after decades since the original release of the game, these characters stuck with us like glue. We fell in love with them back then and continued to be invested up to now. Cloud’s broody, pretty face, Aerith’s infectious positivity, and Sephiroth’s menacing aura are all still fresh as daisies in our minds. This speaks volumes on how impactful Final Fantasy VII’s character work is and how it successfully touched the lives of millions with the stories they told decades back.

Final Fantasy VII, at its core, is an epic tale about loss, betrayal, redemption, and protecting those dear to you. This game managed to convey these themes wonderfully and has successfully moved the hearts of many. So much so that many would say that their lives have changed for the better thanks to Final Fantasy VII.

Have we convinced you that Final Fantasy VII is the best Final Fantasy game yet? Agree with us or not, there is no denying the impact this game has made on the industry. If not on top, it should at least be in the top 5 final fantasy games.