“C’mon newcomer. Follow me”

– Barret

Welcome to HentaRobot’s very first game review of the site! It’s only fitting that I start out with the very first game that introduces me into the wonderful world of JRPGs. With the remake coming out soon, let’s talk about what makes the original game fun and memorable.

Released in 1997 for the Playstation by the developer SquareSoft (now known as Square Enix), the story follows the mercenary Cloud Strife that joins the eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE in order to stop the megacorporation Shinra that are continually using the planet’s life essence as an energy source.

The plot itself is pretty straightforward with some nice twists here and there, but what really got my attention at the time was how mysterious the villain, Sephiroth really is. He is a famous Hero with an exceptional strength (and exceptionally long katana) who has turned rogue and is obsessed with his mother. What made this famous Hero turned rogue? What drove him to be a mama-con? How many bottles of shampoo did he use everyday? Combine that with the whole mystery surrounding Shinra and their experiments plus the steampunk-like environment of the game, and you’ll get a weirdly fun plot that is enough to keep you engaged throughout the game.

Putting Sephy aside, the characters themselves are all fun and have great design. Cloud with his trademark spiky hair and sword the same size as him quickly makes him memorable right from the start. Barret has a machine gun as his arm, Tifa is a delicious martial artist that punch her enemies to a bloody pulp, Red XIII satisfy the craving of those who wants a feral animal as a party member, Cid is one of the most badass Cids we got in the FF franchise, we got a ninja, a shapeshifter, and….. well, Cait Sith is a thing. Yeah.

Speaking of environment, what makes the world of FF7 stood out is the incorporation of horror elements in the game. There are certain parts of the game that makes you wonder if you are actually playing a horror game disguised as a JRPG instead. For example, the haunted mansion in Nibelheim is full of weird ghosts and monsters. I won’t be surprised if there is even vampires sleeping in the basement or so, because that is how spooky the mansion is. From the underwater passage in Junon to the sewers in Midgar, there is always the feel of suspense as in something is watching you from afar. And don’t get me started on that sunken plane. Even the underwater exploration makes you feel like you’re alone and really small in the scale of the world. While the underwater music is calming, it also gives off a chilling vibe. Wait, did something just pass beside our ship? Nah, must be our imagination.

One of the fun aspect of FF7 is the battle system. The battle uses the traditional turn-based battles, but what you can do depends on what materia you equipped on your party members. Materias have various effects, from magic spells like Fire and Cure, to abilities like Steal and Manipulate, to passive effects like HP Plus and Cover. The Materia system gives you a lot of freedom in customizing your party member’s battle style.

• Fancy a Cloud with a classic Knight setup? Give him HP Plus materias plus Cover materia.
• Want Cloud to be a Rune Knight ala Celes and Terra? Give him those magic materias plus support materias that improve his magic/mp.
• Want an all-rounded party that can do everything? Spread out your magic and summon materias across all three party members.

Veterans of the game will probably tell you that some setups are way better coughenemyskillcough than other setups, but don’t let that hinder you from running your own setups if you just want to have fun. Sometimes you just want to blast your enemies with all kind of magics. Sometimes you just want to enjoy watching those fancy summon animations (over two decades later, and I am still enjoying watching those summons myself). The game itself is easy enough that you don’t have to optimize your setups as long as you understand the fundamentals of how the materia works. Part of what makes the materia system fun is being creative and mix-match to see what kind of combination and setups you can come up with.

During the party’s free time, they can visit the Gold Saucer which is a one-stop centre to all kinds of entertainment. The battle square served as a coliseum to test your strength and gives you some nice rewards in return. The wonder square is filled with all kind of minigames. The chocobo square lets you participate in chocobo racing, or let you be the spectator and bet on other chocobo racers. Suffice to say, the Gold Saucer is a fun place and it will always be open for the party to relieve some stress.

Final Fantasy 7 in my opinion is one of those games that can stay fun years after its release without feeling outdated from a gameplay perspective. The materia system is fun and is still one of my favorite mechanics in a Final Fantasy game, the world felt lively -albeit creepy at times-, the soundtrack is amazing, and the characters themselves are memorable. This game is my first venture into the JRPG genre, and it did a great job in convincing me about the wonders of JRPGs and I will always be grateful for getting to enjoy that experience at the mere age of seven.