A friend who was once my best friend came over to my house one night during the latter half of my ninth-grade year in High School. I never had friends over. If I did it was for a special occasion with a bunch of buddies playing smash brothers or watching a movie I convinced them to see. This time my friend asked to come over and I said yes. He wanted me to play Final Fantasy VII. We ate pizza while playing through the Midgar section before his ancient PS1 stopped working. He was two grades ahead of me, and I don't know if he hung out with me because he thought I needed a friend, or if he genuinely enjoyed spending time with me. I might never know. The next day at school I failed a Spanish test because I didn't study the previous night for obvious reasons. An upperclassman came up to me and asked me about Final Fantasy VII. He was a friend of my friend. He asked if I had left Midgar yet. I didn't know that you could leave Midgar. I forgot what I said to the upperclassman, but it was most likely an anxious mumble followed by a nervous laugh. Years went by and my friend graduated. During lunch, a month before he left, he began to indulge in Real Talk with me and a few other misfits that we liked talking to. He told us his fears of losing touch with us. We were not ready for Real Talk. We declared that we would stay in touch and that there was nothing to worry about. I knew deep down he was right. We didn't talk much after that. Sometimes we would bump into each other in our small town and say a few things or give a knowing nod as if to maintain the recognition that we still remembered the good times. I didn't play Final Fantasy VII for a long time.
At some point, I got my own PS1 and my own copy of Final Fantasy VII. My PS1 also stopped working so I borrowed my cousin's forgotten PS3. After three years, I am still borrowing that PS3. I started a new save file during my years at community college and finally left Midgar. It wasn't until this year, my senior year of college that I beat the game in its entirety. I didn't finish all the side quests. I aimed to go straight for the main story and finish what I had started long ago. Some of this game is a slog. I found myself underwhelmed with the gameplay at moments, wanting to rush through as fast as I could. However, when I was away from the game, I couldn't help but think about it. The aesthetic, the music, and these characters stayed in my mind until I came back. I think Final Fantasy VII excels more than it falters. It oozes significance that was a turning point for JRPGs and video games as a medium. I knew the spoilers, but it didn't deter me away from experiencing the story. I won't say that this was the best story I have ever experienced, or that I think the translated dialogue is all that good. I WILL say that it reminded me of the feeling of reading a thick novel. It has a literature quality to it that I can't stop thinking about. I adored the themes, the cinematic setpieces, and the character dynamics so much that it got me through a gameplay loop that continued to fight against my attention span. It was an incredible experience, and yet I can't help but think of my old friend after completing it.
Sometimes the people in our past can affect us in small ways that make us into the person we are today. Sometimes we lose those that are closest to us for reasons we can't quite comprehend. Sometimes we lose focus on who we are, and the person we want to share with those we love most. Final Fantasy VII might not be a perfect game, but it is absolutely a wonderful game.
At some point, I got my own PS1 and my own copy of Final Fantasy VII. My PS1 also stopped working so I borrowed my cousin's forgotten PS3. After three years, I am still borrowing that PS3. I started a new save file during my years at community college and finally left Midgar. It wasn't until this year, my senior year of college that I beat the game in its entirety. I didn't finish all the side quests. I aimed to go straight for the main story and finish what I had started long ago. Some of this game is a slog. I found myself underwhelmed with the gameplay at moments, wanting to rush through as fast as I could. However, when I was away from the game, I couldn't help but think about it. The aesthetic, the music, and these characters stayed in my mind until I came back. I think Final Fantasy VII excels more than it falters. It oozes significance that was a turning point for JRPGs and video games as a medium. I knew the spoilers, but it didn't deter me away from experiencing the story. I won't say that this was the best story I have ever experienced, or that I think the translated dialogue is all that good. I WILL say that it reminded me of the feeling of reading a thick novel. It has a literature quality to it that I can't stop thinking about. I adored the themes, the cinematic setpieces, and the character dynamics so much that it got me through a gameplay loop that continued to fight against my attention span. It was an incredible experience, and yet I can't help but think of my old friend after completing it.
Sometimes the people in our past can affect us in small ways that make us into the person we are today. Sometimes we lose those that are closest to us for reasons we can't quite comprehend. Sometimes we lose focus on who we are, and the person we want to share with those we love most. Final Fantasy VII might not be a perfect game, but it is absolutely a wonderful game.