Overview
Final Fantasy VII is a JRPG developed and published by Square, released in 1997 on PlayStation. I played it on PC. You follow Cloud Strife, a former SOLDIER turned mercenary, hired by the AVALANCHE group to attack the reactors of Shinra, the company pumping the planet's Mako energy from the city of Midgar.
It is the absolute classic, the one that introduced a whole generation to the JRPG.
Story and world
Without revealing anything beyond the starting point, the story keeps real power despite the years.
Gameplay
Combat relies on ATB (Active Time Battle): each character acts when their gauge is full, and a Limit gauge lets you trigger special attacks.
The heart of the game is the Materia system. Materia are orbs you slot into your weapons and armour to give characters spells, summons, commands or bonuses. Some slots are linked, which lets you pair two Materia to combine their effects, and Materia grow stronger as you fight. Since abilities come from the Materia rather than the character, it is the equipment that defines each one's role. This system is still as clever as ever.
Graphics and music
The game mixes 3D characters with pre-rendered backgrounds. The presentation has obviously aged, but the atmosphere is untouched, and so is Nobuo Uematsu's soundtrack.
Verdict
A classic whose Materia system and story still hold up. The graphics show their age, but the atmosphere and the music haven't aged a day.