Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #595 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Sony
• Platform: PlayStation
• Number of items: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Long recognised as role-playing games par excellence, the Final Fantasy series gets a technological makeover in this instalment. Shedding the two-dimensional graphics and limited sound capabilities of its predecessors, Final Fantasy VII features lush 3-D graphics, beautifully animated "movie" sequences, and soundtrack-quality music. Coupled with the game's intricate storyline, endearing characters, and an immense yet highly imaginative world, these new advancements make for a quite an engrossing experience.

The story of Final Fantasy VII centres around a solider named Cloud Strife, who joins forces with Avalanche, a group of resistance fighters, to take down an evil mega-corporation known as Shinra. (The fate of the world hangs in the balance, of course.) Truly epic in scope, this three-disc game requires a considerable amount of time to complete---this reviewer gladly gave up over 80 hours of his life to finish it. But it's definitely a rewarding adventure that every gamer should consider undertaking, especially since it's now one of the low-priced "Greatest Hits" titles. --Joe Hon, Amazon.com

Pros:

• Intricate and absorbing storyline with endearing characters
• Immense and highly imaginative game world
• Special battle system
• Beautifully animated movie sequences

Cons:

• Your friends and family may feel neglected

Manufacturer's Description
In Final Fantasy VII you'll explore a beautiful fantasy world that is slowly succumbing to the iron-fist rule of the ruthless Shinra, Inc conglomerate. Operating from Midgar, the neon-drenched city built on a giant elevated plate to separate it from the poverty-stricken slums, the evil corporation uses giant Mako Reactors to gain power by draining the life force from the land, thus giving it a stranglehold over the planet's natural resources.

A number of rebel groups form to destroy this sinister force, the most powerful of which is a group of experienced fighters known as Avalanche. Each member of the team shares a common bond in that they have all been personally affected by Shinra's misdeeds and seek vengeance to reclaim their dignity. Their newest member is Cloud Strife, a former Shinra soldier who could be the key to victory for the rebels. So begins a grand adventure that will change the world forever.

The first Final Fantasy title for PSone is an unmitigated classic, a truly epic title that spans three CDs of finely crafted storytelling and deep RPG action. With a huge world to explore, hundreds of characters to interact with and a myriad of sub-games and side quests, Final Fantasy VII will tax your mind, your reflexes and even your heart. It's a truly unforgettable experience.

Customer Reviews

The Best Game Ever.
FF7 is one of the most brilliant and memorable games ive ever played in my life. I was truely gripped through this when i was younger, the music, graphics at the time, story line, the way the game worked with the materia and all the items, just blew me away. This is a real classic and any for any true gaming fan, this will be in their hearts as one of the best games of all time. Excellent.

graphics aside great game
the graphics are dated but there are still some people out there who are great fans of this game. it is a great game, great story line and is a landmark in the developement of graphics for the ps1 so has some nostalgic value to some. my personal favorite was final fantasy 8 as i was introduced to the series via this game.

still this is a great game with some very good characters who you become very attached to

I don't give five stars for many games, but...
If ever there was a game worthy, this is it. If two-hundred and fifty-two reviews (about two-hundred and forty of which give a five-star rating), ten million units sold and countless spin-offs created to fill the hunger isn't reason enough to give this a bash, then you'd probably be better off selling your console.

Final Fantasy VII (FF7) is heralded as the best RPG ever and one of the best games ever. I could go on forever about this game, but I'll try and keep it under two thousand.

Visually, FF7 is ageing. There is no denying that it looks old by today's standards, but it still remains functional, fluid and (in the case of the FMVs and the battle sequences) quite something to look at. At the time, this game blew everything out of the water, and even when I come back to this game today, the graphics don't come close to getting in the way.

The sound presentation was 'done' on the inbuilt sound chip on the PlayStation (which was the 80's sounding MIDI standard), to save space, and unfortunately, it is a hindrance on Nobuo Uematsu's (the composer's) efforts. However, what it does demonstrate, is how good the soundtrack is anyway; and years after it's release, the MIDI soundtrack still sells well. It is quite hard to get across (without listening to it) how brilliant it really is. Memorable, catchy tunes will ring in your ears for years.

The battle system is a simple one. Up to three of your allies can fight at a time, commanded by you, and they have to engage in random and plot-developing battles throughout the game. The random sequences can be a bit of a drag at times, but it doesn't really detract from the overall experience. The way your characters fight is quite something; you get to equip a weapon, armour and an accessory. You can add 'materia' (magic) to those items to make you stronger, weaker, give you powers and summon monsters. The way in which you can develop your characters and the materia itself is quite deep and immersive. You could be there for hours tweaking your set-up.

The plot and character development is where this game stands strongest though.

All of the main characters have a purpose. Despite all the goings on, all of the characters are human. You will love these characters, and care for their hearts. This is a video game; we're supposed to play Pac-Man and Desert-Strike and ride skateboards. We're not supposed to cry for, laugh at and love the main characters. Final Fantasy was instrumental in changing that.

The story is so thick, it's a wonder anyone was able to swallow it. Honestly, after nearly ten years of playing the game, I'm still discovering things about it that I didn't know. It starts out with Cloud Strife, the main character, fighting for AVALANCHE, a resistance group fighting against the SHIN-RA Corporation, who are draining the world's resources at an unsustainable, but unswerving rate. But before long, you'll be swept up in the epic tree of plots and sub-plots that can go on forever if you let it; before you know it, you'll be delving deep into the hearts of many characters and discovering so much more than any Street Fighter game and movie-to-video-game port can offer you. FF7 laughs in their faces and says, 'Is that all you've got?'. It is truly something to behold.

Many people love this game for many reasons, but just know that when you purchase this game, you're not just getting a piece of entertainment, you're getting a virtual world, waiting for you to explore it; you're getting characters, waiting to grow and heal their hurts; and you're getting the most compelling, deep and purposeful video game in quite possibly the industry's history.

Welcome to Final Fantasy VII, enjoy your stay.