May's Gaming Newsletter: Final Fantasy VII Resurrection

[McMurphy]

Feature Story: The Final Fantasy VII Resurrection

The Playstation and PC game Final Fantasy VII (Square Co., LTD) may have been originally released in 1997—nearly a decade earlier—but it appears to have more marketing power than any of the other Final Fantasy installments or even the series’s competition based on the recent outpouring of literature, animation, and related video games. These additions to the Final Fantasy VII franchise tie exclusively to the stronger points of the game.

Perhaps the fans’ fascination with Final Fantasy VII has something to do with a storyline epic in portions, colorful in nature, and socially significant in theme. The planet is ruled by The Shin-Ra Electric Power Company: a paramount example of what anti-capitalists fear the most. Shin-Ra controls everything. The politics, the military, the economy, the inhabitants’ standard of living, and even the products they buy. In the past, people such as Orson Orwell had sounded the siren against government imperialism in books such as 1984 and Animal Farm. Like a tired car alarm that has been updated to still grab a pedestrian’s attention, Final Fantasy VII has modified the alarm to factor in the buying power of a corporation’s influence on a world. This lesson presented in the game is only more real when one looks at the recent wars, pricing scams, and political puppetry composed by the gas and oil companies. Like the oil companies, Shin-Ra is not satisfied with mere dominance and currency collecting. The company has been achieving its goal by sucking the world dry of its Mako, the life energy of the planet. The more Mako that is robbed from the planet, the closer the time is to the planet’s destruction. It is reasonable to suggest that Yoshinori Kitase, the director of Final Fantasy VII, is commenting on ties between a capitalistic world society (if a person were to view the oil companies as the real power pushers) and the environmental breakdown of Earth.

The storyline of Final Fantasy VII is not only a lecture. The game also presents a great amount of spirituality. Connected to the concept of Mako, all life energy on the planet begins and ends through its Life Stream. A person’s life energy returns to the flow of the Life Stream when they die, and the inhabitants of the planet only exist because the planet continues to provide the life energy. This concept is a very literal interpretation of Mother Earth, and an ancient race called Cetra adds a religious tone to the world of VII. The Cetra, shaman of the Life Stream, are rumored to know the existence of a land where Mako naturally flows out of the planet without the need of a large reactor. The very notion of a cheaper processing procedure for Shin-Ra causes the Cetra to be within its cross-hairs.

The conflict of VII does not stop at being between corporate interests and religious knowledge. The rebel—even terrorist—reaction to Shin-Ra’s dominance is not only representing the downtrodden and angry voice of the average citizen, but it is also the focus of a player’s control in the game. AVALANCHE, a terrorist group centered within the planet’s core city (Midgar), has been blowing up Shin-Ra Mako reactors when the game opens its curtains. When Cloud, the main character that the player controls, is recruited to aid AVALANCHE in stepping-up their efforts, the human element of the storyline is given face. The characters in and surrounding a player’s party are who become real to the player. The audience comes to view Cloud and others, even when conducting terrorist activities, as sympathetic figures who often reflect his/her own views on life and what threatens it.

Perhaps it is the colorful nature of the characters of Final Fantasy VII that has fueled the recent resurrection of the franchise. The cast is certainly dynamic, and all the characters have intriguing back stories. Cloud is a brash mercenary who struggles to fully remember his role in SOLDIER (Shin-Ra’s military force), which ultimately reveals the greatest conflict in the game when his flashbacks finally unravel all its mysterious threads. Aeris Gainsborough, a upbeat flower girl and Cetra ancient, supplies not only friction in a love triangle with Cloud, but she is involved in the most famous storyline shocker in video gaming history. Tifa Lockheart, the other woman competing for Cloud’s heart, breaks away from the stereotypical role of female main characters in role playing games. Instead of being meek and always accommodating, Tifa is strong willed and fights bare-fisted—remaining always as one of the most powerful physical attackers in the party. Barret Wallace is the gruff leader of AVALANCHE. VII humanizes him by giving him a daughter, Marlene, who he cares for. Red XIII is a member of a red furred beast race with Native American themes. He may be physically savage, but his race is more intelligent and wise than the humans. Sephiroth, after finding out the truth behind Shin-Ra’s “Jenova Project,” wants to destroy not only Shin-Ra but the whole planet in unrepentant yet blind rage. Cloud’s ties to Sephiroth during his SOLDIER years come to head by the end of the game. Yuffie Kisaragi is a young ninja thief who may not be the most likeable character due to her selfish and immature nature, but she is a strong character that often finds her way into many fanfictions. Cait Sith is probably the oddest addition to the hero’s party. As the instruction manual to Final Fantasy VII states, “Cait Sith rides around on the back of a huge stuffed Mog he magically brought to life. Megaphone in hand, he’s always shouting orders and creating dopey attacks......His hobby is fortune-telling, but like his personality, it’s pretty unreliable” (page 11). Vincent Valentine, rich with dark motifs, is more than reminiscent to Vampire Hunter D. What may be leaving fans spellbound is that VII, unlike most games that add characters to the party for no other reason than optional fodder, have all these colorful characters play an important role in how the storyline progresses.

That is not to say that Final Fantasy VII is not loaded with options. Quite the opposite, in fact. Through the player’s ability to rename virtually every character, dictate the resolution of the love triangle between Cloud, Tifa, and Aeris, and choose which side quests she/he wish to take part in help make the gaming experience unique to each player and attractive for revisiting. It is fair to surmise that the high degree of options in the game is partly why the seventh edition to Final Fantasy is breeding spin-offs.

And what of these spin-offs? The number of Final Fantasy VII related games and animations is quickly growing. Take a look at the following list of recent releases:

Literature:

Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega: a guide published to help fans better understand the world, politics, religion, and character thoughts of VII.

On the Way to a Smile: a novelization of the events taking place directly after the conclusion of Final Fantasy VII and the beginning of the movie Advent Children.

Maiden Who Travels the Planet: a novelization taking place during Final Fantasy VII from the viewpoint of Aeris.

Film:

Last Order: A direct-to-video animation movie taking place before the events of Final Fantasy VII. Originally released with the special edition copies of Advent Children.

Advent Children: A direct to video 3D animation film depicting events a couple years after the conclusion of Final Fantasy VII. On the day of its release, it was the number one ordered DVD on amazon.com. Fans can think of this very ambitious film as a reunion of the VII cast.

Spin-off Games:

Derge of Cerberus: an action game starring Vincent Valentine for the Playstation 2. Think of Devil May Cry, and you will have a good idea of what Derge has in store for fans.

Before Crisis: a mobile phone game depicting events before Final Fantasy VII and starring the Turks.

Crisis Core: Set to be released for the Playstation Portable, and will center around Zack.


Fans are also releasing plenty of Final Fantasy VII publications. Everything from fanfiction to music videos are popping up all over the internet, often within fan-made webpage shrines. In fact, the Gaming Board on Chronicles has several threads already in existence that are exclusively about VII, and the game often pops back up any time role playing games are brought up in other threads.

Why do you think that Final Fantasy VII is still so interesting for so many fans? Do you think it was the best of the Final Fantasy franchise? Do you have any plans for playing, reading, or watching any of the above spin-offs? Share your thoughts!

Media

Go back to the Final Fantasy roots. Click the below link to play a free online emulation of the very first Final Fantasy game released on the original Nintendo.

http://www.everyvideogame.com/play-nes-Final_Fantasy_(U).htm


See you all next month!

[Jason_Taverner]

well I loved the game one of my all time fav. I've played it through two or three times I just love the characters. It was the first role play I had played were I felt there was a real story to follow and some great little side quests. I also enjoyed the back story of the characters and the varity and general strangness to the world. I also felt it was the first time I actual felt any conection to the characters when aries died you were interested and a little bit touched by the moment.
I have recent watched advent children and felt it was a great film. The story line is a little shoddy but to have everyone reunited like that was a true tribute to a great game and I don't think it could of been done any better.
Now I think I will just ride my golden chocobo off into the sunset as I never got round to getting vincents level 4 break manual there's always something to do..

[Winters_Sorrow]

FFVII was the only game I ever bought the strategy guide for.
Just so I could complete it again and get every side quest.

It looks shoddy, graphically speaking, now but you have to remember that at the time it was, by far, the most graphically stunning game around and the pre-rendered backgrounds and cut scenes made you feel part of an interactive movie at times. The opening sequence with the train pulling into the station and the 'camera' zooming in, is still a landmark opening moment and gets you into the game's atmosphere from the very beginning.

The proliferation of mini games (especially in the Golden Saucer section) is truly amazing and I wasted hours playing the 'road rash' arcade game, the sub hunter arcade game, the boxing arcade game, the snowboarding arcade game, etc etc

I watched Advent Children and, storywise, it's fairly basic and just an excuse for a lot of fight sequences, but the return of Sepiroth was a satisfyingly spine-chilling moment.

[kaneda]

I'm a bit of a final fantasy VII obsessive fan boy (well girl). Love love love love LOVE the game.

I think FFVII has by far the most involving plot line compared to any other RPG I've played. It has fantastic characters (getting onto the poll in a bit). As WS said, the biggest let down is the graphics - and admit it even back in the days (apart from the cutscenes which were amazing back then) the graphics weren't great. BUT it doesn't matter! I actually like them! It goes to prove that graphic's aren't everything in a game, and if you get the story right then people will not care (because we call them quirky ). It has ridiculously sad moments, but also loads of humour.

Like WS, I also got the stratergy guide for this... its the only game where I can say that I completed everything the game has to offer (even though, am I the only one who was majorly annoyed when beating Ruby Weapon that the reward was a golden chocobo?!!! ). But you DON'T have to do them! You don't have to spend a whole day playing the snow boarding game, you don't have to spend ages breeding chocobos (even tho tbh, I think that would have been a nightmare if it wasn't for the guide!) you don't have to spend hours and hours and hours getting Knights of the round material to Master level!

I have two versions of advents children... the Japenese import (which has last order, and some other features that I can't understand because they haven't got subtitles), and now the UK version which has different subtitles and voice dubbing and different features. When I first got the DVD I watched it everyday for nearly 2 weeks (believing I'm an obsessive yet? hehe). It's not the best story, does have some questions (wheelchair man [not saying who, because some people may not have seen it yet!] and I'm guessing that if you haven't played the game then you won't like it, but WHO CARES! its a fan boy/girl film, and for people like me it puts the most massive smile on my face! The only thing I don't like in the game is that they got the materia colour wrong! Summon materia is RED not green!!!

I'm really excited about the forthcoming Dirge of Cereberus game... Vincent is by far one of the most intruiging characters in the game, and whats really cool about it, is that you don't even need Vincent in the game, he doesn't offer plot development, but just adds to the depth of the game. I am more that a bit annoyed that before crisis is only going to be available on a mobile phone in Japan with no plans for a release over here (because our phones are too basic!) and that Crisis Core is for the PSP (as I REALLY don't want to purchase a psp).

In regards to the literature, read on the way to a smile, am going to reading Maiden who travels the planet as soon as I finish typing this and would love to read the Ultimania guide, but as I can't read Japenese I can't!

Right favourite character - almost impossible for me to choose! For me it boils down to Sephiroth, Cloud, Vincent and Nananki (Red XIII). But then you also have members of the Turks (reno), Rufus, and even Reeve (Reeve alone, I wasn't really keen on Cait Sith). I really can't choose!!

Bit of a ramble I know, but for me the game, the characters, the plot is perfect. The game is what I compare all other games too. There hasn't been anything in a game that has touched me as much as the end of disk 1 (and I think that so many people know what happens at the end of disk 1 who haven't even played the game says a lot!). I love it.

[McMurphy]

I remember asking a form of this question way back in another thread a year (or so) ago, but I have always found the character naming interesting.

Did anyone else rename Cloud, or did you simply leave it at the preset title?

I rename everything if given the option, and I renamed Cloud as "Van." It is a reference to the main character in the anime "Escaflowne."

[kaneda]

Nope I leave the character's names alone. The second time i played the game I called Red XIII Nanaki, but then realised that was a bit silly when I got to cosmo canon "nanaki's real name is nanaki"

[Winters_Sorrow]

I changed all the names first time round to my name and my friend's names. Although one of them is really called nanaki apparently...

The second time I played it I called the characters all rude or bizarre names (yes, it was very juvenile!)

Oh, and p.s. I voted for Cloud as my favourite character because for me, he has the best back story.

[kaneda]

Originally Posted by Winters_Sorrow

Oh, and p.s. I voted for Cloud as my favourite character because for me, he has the best back story.

Better than Sephiroths who we never really find out all the truth about? Not knocking your choice, Clouds story is immense! but its so hard for me to decide!!!

[Winters_Sorrow]

Well, without putting in any spoilers, both Cloud and Sepiroth have the same origin, don't they?
What swung it for me was the massive twist in Cloud's story which made you completely re-evaluate what you thought you knew about him.

Still one of my all-time great gaming moments (it helped that I got to that section at about 2am after playing for about 6 hours straight)

[kaneda]

Originally Posted by Winters_Sorrow

Well, without putting in any spoilers, both Cloud and Sepiroth have the same origin, don't they?
What swung it for me was the massive twist in Cloud's story which made you completely re-evaluate what you thought you knew about him.

Still one of my all-time great gaming moments (it helped that I got to that section at about 2am after playing for about 6 hours straight)

Thats true actually! That moment when you find out the truth was a OMG moment! But i suppose nowadays, I'm still a bit confused about Seph, theres still loads of questions that I want answering about him (and that I was really annoyed that Advent Children didn't answer). Same with Vincent (but those questions should be answered in Dirge of Cerberus hopefully).

As for same origin, yes... but no... the method of origin varies quite drastically.

[Aeris]

I know I'm a little late, but I don't really care.

I agree with what people have said so far. I LOVE THIS GAME, AND ALWAYS HAVE!!! To be honest, I think it was Final Fantasy VII that got me interested in gaming as a whole. The movie's graphics were amazing!!!!!! I can't stress how amazing the graphics were.....breath-taking. Surprisingly, my cousin (who has never played the game) liked the movie. He even said it made him want to play the game (not that he will, but hey, it's a start). And the materia bothered me too, kaneda. Summon materia IS red, recover materia is the green one. I don't get why they didn't use the red; everything in the world had a bluish-green hue to it, so the red would have looked more...evil...menacing...cool.

My favorite character was Tifa. She could kick butt better than anyone in the game, and I always used her in the Battle Arena at the Gold Saucer.

I renamed all of them but Aeris (because that name is mega-awesome). Cloud became Garion, Barrett became Balrog...actually, I think that's about all I renamed. I can't think of what I named everyone. BUMMER! Oh well.

[Aes]

I voted for Aeris, because she went the same way that I wish the huge craze over FF7 would. I don't mean to be negative, but really, am I the only one who just can't stand this game? I never really saw the storyline as any bigger or better than the other Final Fantasies, starting with #6.

I suspect for a lot of people, it was their first game from the series, which is understandable. To others, it was the first one with 'decent' graphics, plus it had "zomg supar kool charactarz with awsum huuuuge weapinz!"

Anyway yeah, that's enough from me on this for now. Sorry for coming across so negative, too.

[Aeris]

It makes sense that you would feel this way, Aes. While saying that FF7 is an amazing game, we in no way say the others are less. I quite enjoyed FF4 and FF6. I played them after FF7, and enjoyed them no less. I can agree with the "supar kool charactarz", but the "awsum huuuuge weapinz!" was a little hurtful. The fact that we love FF7 in no way suggests we are less intelligent than those that enjoyed the earlier enstallments, or those that don't like any of the FF to begin with. It was exciting to see the FF series take off into the 3D realm, and to have a good storyline along with that was very exciting for everyone. I remember watching my older siblings play the first Final Fantasies, and I fell in love with the series before I fell in love with the 7th one. Sure it gets a lot of credit for being a great game, but it also gets a lot of crap for being so popular.

Again, I can see your side of it, but still stick firmly by my opinion posted earlier.

[Aes]

Oh, I don't mean that people who like it are dumb, just that the FF7 saturation gets to me. That's all. People should like what they like.

[Alurny]

I (heart) tifa...

She was the only character i got attached to! Loved doing her limit break and making her super powerful

I love FF7 as it was the first RPG i played and I played it pretty religiously at that age. I also loved 8 and 9 a lot (but a little less ) 9 especially it's so underrated!