Final Fantasy VII
Who am I...?
The world-spanning Shinra Electric Company is ruling with an iron fist. The rich get richer while the poor are doomed to empty lives in the shadow of their giant city, Midgar. Those who oppose are killed by their army or captured by their black ops department.
Enter AVALANCHE, a resistance group founded against the Shinra's evil ways and branded as terrorists by their propaganda. They believe that the reactors the Shinra have all over the world are sucking the very life out of the planet, and they are on a mission to destroy. Their new recruit, an ex-Shinra from their military group SOLDIER, will help tip the balance of power.
Elsewhere, there have been increased sightings of Shinra's elite combat specialist, Sephiroth. Presumed dead many years ago, this is somewhat disturbing for the company, and they can only hope that he is still on their side.
Final Fantasy VII is the game that opened up the series to the mass market. Released on the shiny and popular PlayStation, and later on the PC, a new generation of gamers were allowed to explore Final Fantasy. Taking up the role of the ex-SOLDIER Cloud on his first AVALANCHE mission, we follow his story as he meets up with a mysterious flower girl and goes in search of Sephiroth. The Shinra, on the other hand, are determined to stop the terrorist group, retrieve the girl, and find the Promised Land. The going is far from easy for poor Cloud, as he appears to be at the mercy of an unseen force and suffers bouts of confusion about jumbled memories of his past. Just who is the girl, and what is Sephiroth after? And more importantly, who is he?
New to the series: sprites are gone. The improved technology meant that the game could be in almost-3D, with polygonal characters and pre-rendered backgrounds. Battle sequences take place in true 3D, and are packed with special effects and a dynamic camera. There are even FMV sequences for important scenes. FFVII also marks a step away from the traditional in terms of theme; The dark, oppressive steampunk atmosphere and the air of guns, corruption, and death create a very different world. The plot, too, is full of twists and turns and most of it is inferred rather than explicitly stated.
Other changes take place in the battles. Only three characters can be in the party at a time, and "desperation attacks" have been greatly improved. Characters taking damage will fill up a Limit bar, and can execute a powerful skill once it is complete. Outside of battle, there are a host of subgames to keep the group interested. You can defend a reactor from attack in a realtime strategy game, go snowboarding, or capture, raise, breed, and race chocobos at the Gold Saucer. In short, the series has "grown up" somewhat and opened itself up to a wider audience, and FFVII is in many ways a turning point for the series.
This, then, is our Final Fantasy VII section. Use the menu bar on the left to browse to the information you desire, and don't forget to contact us with your opinions.
