Final Fantasy VII

Accessories:
PC Gamer (1-year)	Games for Windows: The Official Magazine	Official Final Fantasy VII Strategy Guide, Playstation Version	Unofficial Final Fantasy VII : Strategies & Secrets (Strategies & Secrets)	Legend of Crystals: Final Fantasy 1 (Sub)

Customer Reviews:

Still the best In My Book. [Posted on 2006-04-19]
I have played many FF games 2,3,6,7,8 and, X. From all of these 7 still ranks at the top of my list. I guess it was the story and the gameplay. its the only one that attracts me enough to play agian.

It was so good I played for almost 16 hours straight the first day I got it, oh yeah. This is one that must be experienced by all gamers, even if youre not an RPG fan, trust me you will love it.

A great game overall [Posted on 2006-07-13]
Arguably the best of the Final Fantasy games, FF7 offers some great gameplay and storytelling. Admittably the graphics are not up to par with current expectations, but they aren't actually as bad as some reviews would lead you to believe. The graphics of the characters themselves are fairly primitive, constructed of simple shapes, but this does not usually pose much of a problem except in closeups. The backgrounds and cutscenes however look excellent and are occasionally quite stunning.

The port to PC of this game has a few minor problems. The Disks are mislabeled as 1 through 4, whereas the game will refer to them as the Installation disk plus disks 1-3. In addition, the default controls are somewhat awkward especially on laptops since they use the numpad which requires the use of the Fn button on most notebooks. Unfortunately these default controls must be used to access the ability to change control schemes and also each time you name a character during the game.

Also be wary that this game is not fully compatible with Windows XP, and will crash upon reaching the chocobo races. This compatibility issue is easily fixed however by downloading a patch (just search for "ff7 XP patch").

Despite these few issues this game is still a great buy. The storyline itself is very immersive and I find you spend most of the time progressing through the intricate storyline and new landscapes. Unlike most rpgs, it doesn't just become repetitive or waste your time with mindless leveling up. There are enough twists and variety to make this game very interesting to the casual or hardcore gamer. This is truly a game that defined gaming as we know it today.

Simply one of the best rpg ive ever played [Posted on 2006-08-08]
well 1st let me say that this game has a very good replay value. ive played the psx ver of this game. and let me say getting the pc ver. is well worth getting.. say if your psx brakes (like mines did) you got the pc ver witch will last much longer.. (and you need no memory cards on top of that) but for a price.. its price is kinda high but its for a reason. replay value ;-) & depending on what ver. of the game you get.. as far as i know there 3 diffrent ver. of this game for the pc. 1st there's the original triangle box set thats made by eidos the usa ver. 2nd theres the eidos platinum ver. witch is usa & asia vers. and last theres the EA asia pacific ver. of ff7 (witch is the one i own and yes its in english) all game patchs & mods works for all vers. of this game so there no need for worries on that part. theres only 2 probs that this game does has. the music & the gfx (graphics) well let me start with the music. if you have the psx ver of this game the music is slightly beter then the pc ver. you can get a midi synthesizer like a Yamaha XG SoftSynthesizer S-YXG50 4.0 for download on google. or a diffrent midi synthesizer of your choice.. i wouldnt use the one that comes with the game sence its kinda old.. that will make it close to the psx ver. now for the graphics is tricky if you have a newer gfx card the res for the game will look pixeled. en older gfx gard will look better then the psx ver of the game.. all i have to say is that if you love the FF games this one in my opinion is the best one ever made. parts 8, 9 and 10 comes no way near to ff7 (same go's for parts 3, 4, 5, and 6 compared to part 2 for the snes ver.) buy this game at any cost. trust me youll love this game.......

The Best of the Franchise - That Says A LOT [Posted on 2006-09-05]
Final Fantasy VII was the sort of "catch up" version of the famed Final Fantasy series. That is, Japan had released (obviously) six titles prior to this one, however, in America, only three titles had been available to us. We went straight from "FF3" to FF7! (America did not get FFs 2, 3, or 5. Here, FF4 was named "FF2," and FF6 was named "FF3." I was there from the beginning.)

Above all else, FF7 provides a fully 3-dimensional role-playing game in the classic sense (a genre almost totally defined by the Final Fantasy series), and it made a doozy. In my opinion, this is the best title in the entire franchise, and that is saying something! The Final Fantasy series is by far the greatest RPG franchise ever known, even when SquareSoft routinely majorly alters each game's concepts and gameplay. They make the best of the best, and FF7 is the "best of the best of the best." (I hold it better than ALL subsequent titles to date, as well.)

The Platinum Edition of the game provides all the nostalgia a true fan could ever want. But let's review the game itself...

First off, if you haven't played any Final Fantasy title before, the main appreciation you will get from FF7 is the ease of play. You can pick up a controller and play - the hardest part of the game is not the controls, it is the quest(s) within the game itself.

Second, if you are familiar with the Final Fantasy series or role-playing games (RPGs) in general, then your appreciation will be at the wonderful details of FF7. Truly, in all aspects, the game rocks: graphics, game play, battle and magic systems, character development, storyline, and "replayability." It's like a Beatles song: it never gets old, and it still teaches us "old dogs" new things every time we experience it. (I was born in 1977, by the way.)

Next, the storyline is so immersive. What makes FF7 so versatile is that your characters interact with their surroundings so well. For example, if you are in the snow fields conducting battle, the background view is of... a snowfield! If you are on a rope bridge and engage in combat, you see your characters fighting on the rope bridge! And the non-player characters (NPCs) within the towns and who sometimes come to your aid add excellent elements, as well.

Lastly, if all that weren't good enough, there is still one more factor about Final Fantasy VII that requires you to purchase it if you haven't done so already. Simply put, side quests. That is, the story, the graphics, and the interface are all excellent on their own, but what if you find out later that there was a hidden character - whose involvement is optional - that you hadn't discovered yet? Or what about a special weapon or magic piece which requires a seven-step process to attain? "Replayability," my friend, is what we call it. I also like to refer to it as "strategy guide required" gaming. I am the type of player that will risk it all to simply see what is inside every single treasure chest out there. I also don't mind being given the cheats, tips, or hints if that would mean I could explore and find EVERYTHING.

So don't worry, Final Fantasy VII for the PC is a smart choice - and is more cost effective than getting it for your Playstation. It will appeal to every creative fiber in your body (making you dream about it at night and wondering how you can make your own similar game - for your day dreams). The game is great for those who have or have not played it before. It's a must-buy, in my opinion.

Legendary [Posted on 2006-10-27]
This game is fantastic, and you wont be able to put it down for a long long time. I have over 120+ hours played on my game save. Final Fantasy VII Platinum Edition features a revamped old soundtrack...that I find 2x better than the PSone version's soundtrack. Although it takes a while to adjust to the numpad controls, after playing for a while, you'll wonder how you would have done it any other way. The on-screen controls are bizarre and during scenes such as the timed puzzle in the rocket ship, you'll have a hard time typing in key combos. Materia allows you to use different magics on different characters, allowing for different characters to use Summons, Magic, and Cure. My tip: dont give up solely because of the controls---this game is FANTASTIC and although I found the console experience more enthralling and easier to jump into, the PC version was much more cinematic and was totally worth it. FF7 is by far the best game I have ever played, and you do not want to miss out on this adventure. My only tip: dont save over the same file, especially before you enter the Northern Crater--you wont be able to exit it if you do.

Replayability: ***** (Tons of extra caves, quests, missions, mini-games to find, extra materia, weapons, limit-breaks, and bosses to fight well after the game is over.)
Gameplay: ***** (Amazing boss fights, you will be on the edge of your seat during battles, incredibly fun)
Story: ***** (The plot twists, the depth in the story, the emotions...its AMAZING)
Graphics: ***** (You can view on a big resolution, better textures and stuff. More crisp than the PSone version)
Controls: **** (Takes a while to get used to, you wont want to try another control setup once you do)
Sound: ***** (Sound effects are recycled from the PSone game, BUT, the music was totally redone, and that is one of the biggest parts of this game)
Addictiveness: ***** (I stopped playing my other games for almost 4 months when I got into this game)

The best part of this game is that it is so easy to pick up and play. The Ruby and Emerald Weapons provide you with more challenge than the last boss of the game. Raising chocobos and minigames at the Golden Saucer couldnt be more fun, and this remains the only game besides World of Warcraft that I havent uninstalled from my computer. Final Fantasy VII is a keeper, and dont be discouraged by the prices on Amazon, by the time you're done with the game, you will believe it to be the best $50 you have spent on a game. I would know, because I said the same thing.

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