Final Fantasy 7 is a timeless classic. I think I always knew that but it wasn't until I decided that the time was finally here to replay it in full to truly understand that. It's a game that's truly bigger than itself, now more than ever being remade as a trilogy, but the cultural and industry impacts of FF7 are still as important now as it was when it was released. There are big landmark games that shape the types of games that get made but also have such profound impacts on what games we, as the hobbyists, choose to play. This is very often either someone my age's first RPG or the one that made the biggest case for the genre. I cannot remember many RPGs prior to FF7 but I know I started playing a ton of them after.
I think the best part of revisiting a game from my childhood is that I understood so much more of it this time. I think I knew the materia system was a great magic system, but I really 'got' it now. I think I knew the story was great, but it's so much better now. The themes of environmentalism and anti-corporatism feel more at place now in 2024 than 1997. The characters have such a richer depth through the lens of an adult. Cloud was always cast as this moody loner, but it comes through a lot clearer that his aloofness and 'coolness' is a cover for insecurity and a fear of disappointment. The dichotomy of Tifa and Aerith also stuck out to me more. Tifa being the monk/brawler character, typically brash and loud characters, struggles with being scared of her memories and of what is going on with Cloud and often cannot find her words. Meanwhile, her opposite, Aerith, the typical White Mage, whom are often fragile and meek, is bold and funny and confident. She often takes charge and why her absence is felt much more deeply. I have to mention that Cait Sith/Reeve stuck out a lot more as an adult with a career more than as a kid. I think a lot of people hate this character for being a spy, but there's this conflict of him being loyal to the company and his place in the party. It reminded me a lot of stories of people who worked at Enron who were not involved in the fraud. The conflict of needing to be employed vs clear villainy.
Thankfully now there is easy access to guides and this game's secrets have been spoiled multiple times over. As a kid, I never interacted with the chocobo breeding/racing aspect, so I had never got Knights of the Round. I decided to see new parts of this game and being able to ride around on a gold chocobo makes you see the world in a different way. It's actually pretty nice to be able to look at an old game, during a replay, with a new experience in the mix. There are still some things I am leaving incomplete however. Emerald and Ruby Weapon will maybe have to wait another 25+ years.
There's so much that is impressive with this game. I've been stunned at this perfect pacing where I previously thought it would have dragged. I have truly been impressed by the materia system. I am charmed by these characters in a new way. This story hits harder in the world we now inhabit. It's truly a game I think is worth playing at any time and it is always going to be this classic game.
I think the best part of revisiting a game from my childhood is that I understood so much more of it this time. I think I knew the materia system was a great magic system, but I really 'got' it now. I think I knew the story was great, but it's so much better now. The themes of environmentalism and anti-corporatism feel more at place now in 2024 than 1997. The characters have such a richer depth through the lens of an adult. Cloud was always cast as this moody loner, but it comes through a lot clearer that his aloofness and 'coolness' is a cover for insecurity and a fear of disappointment. The dichotomy of Tifa and Aerith also stuck out to me more. Tifa being the monk/brawler character, typically brash and loud characters, struggles with being scared of her memories and of what is going on with Cloud and often cannot find her words. Meanwhile, her opposite, Aerith, the typical White Mage, whom are often fragile and meek, is bold and funny and confident. She often takes charge and why her absence is felt much more deeply. I have to mention that Cait Sith/Reeve stuck out a lot more as an adult with a career more than as a kid. I think a lot of people hate this character for being a spy, but there's this conflict of him being loyal to the company and his place in the party. It reminded me a lot of stories of people who worked at Enron who were not involved in the fraud. The conflict of needing to be employed vs clear villainy.
Thankfully now there is easy access to guides and this game's secrets have been spoiled multiple times over. As a kid, I never interacted with the chocobo breeding/racing aspect, so I had never got Knights of the Round. I decided to see new parts of this game and being able to ride around on a gold chocobo makes you see the world in a different way. It's actually pretty nice to be able to look at an old game, during a replay, with a new experience in the mix. There are still some things I am leaving incomplete however. Emerald and Ruby Weapon will maybe have to wait another 25+ years.
There's so much that is impressive with this game. I've been stunned at this perfect pacing where I previously thought it would have dragged. I have truly been impressed by the materia system. I am charmed by these characters in a new way. This story hits harder in the world we now inhabit. It's truly a game I think is worth playing at any time and it is always going to be this classic game.