|
Final
Fantasy VII was
released in 1997 with a great deal of welcome fanfare from role
playing fans around he world. A
production of the Squaresoft Corporation (and converted to PC by
Eidos Interactive in 1998), Final
Fantasy VII was the most spectacular Playstation game
released that year. It
is even debated by RPG fans that this installment of the Final
Fantasy series is the greatest role playing game of all time.
The
plot of Final Fantasy VII seems
simple enough at first. The
main character in the game is the daring Cloud, once a member of the
elite fighting force “SOLDIER” and now a mercenary fighting for
the highest bidder. Cloud’s
employer, an exceedingly gruff brute with a gattling gun for an arm
named Barret, has hired him to help foil the plans of an evil
corporation named “Shinra”.
In fact most of the characters appear very linear and shallow
at first, mere stereotypes of typical RPG fare.
But beneath this seemingly reproduced plot structure is an
amazing tale of good versus evil and the triumph of self-sacrifice.
As
the tale continues forth, dark insidious plots are discovered behind
the scenes of Shinra. The
company has not only been polluting the world that the game takes
place on, but it has been sucking the very life force and energy
from the planet. In a
way the ideals reflect environmentalism and perhaps the Gaia
hypothesis, and yet do not preach anything of Druidic nature except
that the fantasy world of Final
Fantasy VII has its own spiritual energy.
This may present some sort of problem with Christians who
want to veer away from any sort of mystical nature or new-ageism.
This said, thinking too deeply on the nature of the Final Fantasy VII world detracts from the benefits and even life
lessons that the characters of the story create.
The
initial impressions of the nine primary characters are shattered
with the game’s forward progression.
Barret’s harsh nature is based on his love for his
daughter, and his desire to protect her from what the world offers.
Cloud ends up breaking free of his gun-for-hire attitude and
develops a courtly relationship with another character in the story.
After playing this game for just a little while I could
honestly feel for the characters and their caring attitudes.
In some ways I found myself forgetting that these individuals
were not individuals at all, but pixels and a well-written plot
stewed together.
Game play is very
amusing but also very engrossing.
You’ll find yourself playing this game when you probably
should be doing something much more important.
A lot of the time in the game is spent fighting monsters.
This is where most of Final Fantasy VII’s mechanics lay. The graphics are top notch for the Playstation and the music
and sound that accompany the swashbuckling spell casting fight
scenes add to an exciting mood overall.
In the battles you may choose up to three characters to fight
whatever evil you may have stumbled upon.
On a personal
computer a few changes mar the overall atmosphere of the game. Though Eidos Interactive has made it easy to get running, and
on my K6 II 400 machine with 128 meg of RAM it took but a few
minutes before I was battling evil, the conversion to PC backfires.
The sound is simply MIDI and not as ornate or fantastic as on
the Playstation version. Also
there isn’t any mouse support, so you are forced to use the Keypad
on your computer for movement and combat.
Also, without a 3DFX card, the graphics are blocky and rough
edged. Unless you want
to spend the extra money on a Playstation though, if you only have a
PC, its worth the visual sacrifice just to get the story
The action is
turn-based, and each character will have a list of options appear
when it is his or her turn, ranging from Attack to Summon to Magic.
Your choices are dependant on what sort of “materia”
(magic material) is equipped on your character’s weapons and
armor. For instance, if you equip a “Fire” materia on Cloud’s
sword, he will have the opportunity to cast the Fire spell in combat
instead of just lashing out with his huge blade.
The animations for these attacks are extraordinary,
especially the Summoning magic which is elaborate though time
consuming. The more
powerful the spell or summon, the longer you have to watch, and
though this is very enjoyable at first, after twenty hours into the
game, you really don’t feel like watching a giant chicken (or
Chocobo as the game calls them) battling evil for twenty seconds.
This gets into
another point that will be touchy for some Christians.
Though the magic system is not dependant on spellcasting, if
you want to beat the game you’re going to have to summon a few
monsters and throw a few fireballs.
Though it is not a shared view amongst all Christians, if you
feel that even touching on these subjects will be dangerous
spiritually, Final
Fantasy VII is not the game for you.
Overall I feel that
the message of Final
Fantasy VII is easy to understand and very ethical, though
based more on social morals than Christian morals.
There is absolutely no mentioning of a deity or a Christ-like
figure in this game, so most of the morality is based solely on the
innate goodness of mankind much like the philosophy of Jean-Jacque
Rousseau. Honor they
neighbor not because it is the mandate God but because your neighbor
has certain inherent rights. I
guess according to Final Fantasy VII the monsters don’t have these
rights, because you end up defeating an awful lot of them.
To step away from
ethics for a moment and give you the downright feel of this game,
it’s a whole lot of fun and a great story, even if it isn’t a
Christian production. There
really aren’t any adult themes, and even the dating sequences
between two of the main characters are done in a very pleasant and
tasteful manner, without any sort of physical implications.
Perhaps it is for this reason that I found the game so
enjoyable. The
characters are very idealistic, and represent what most people
should strive to be in real life.
And though we humans have been plagued with imperfection
since a certain person named Adam decided to munch on a certain
fruit called an apple, it is very possible that we may emulate our
desired perfection, even if only on a television screen.
James
A Walls
Final
Score
Highlights: Wonderful plot and amazing graphics.
This sort of eye candy will have you spoiled when you return
to reality.
Lowlights:
Watching the same spellcasting sequence for the fiftieth time
will have you gnawing at your controller.
Hints:
Recommendation:
This game is almost like watching a really long (30+ hour)
movie, and if you have the time I think it’s a decent investment.
Just make sure that you aren’t totally ignoring God while
you’re enjoying a luxury that without Him you wouldn’t have-
life.
Age Appropriateness:
Though a good deal of this game revolves around combat and
battle, the violence is surprisingly mild.
Instead of blood pouring in every direction like some of the
new RPG’s out on the market (Fallout,
Odium, Torment) combat in this game stresses flashy sparks and
graphical fireworks instead. This
game should be suitable for children over fourteen years old.
Christian
Sense (CS): 3 –
Though not a Christian game, a lot of the morals overlap.
The characters are definitely the good guys and are strong
role models. Unfortunately,
this is attributed to human goodness alone, not even mentioning God.
Though this is not unusual for a secular game, it can
distract from a Christian audience.
Game
Engine (GE): Playstation 4 / PC 3 - The
graphics are great, the combat system is intriguing, and the Full
Motion Video is awesome.
Game
Play (GP): 4.5 –
Despite its flaws the game is a blast to play. Expect to become reclusive for a few days while you’re
hunting down the Shinra Corporation with your giant sword.
Overall:
Playstation 3.75 / PC 3.25 – A fun though long experience that
won’t make you feel guilty with graphic violence and adult themes. Definitely a keeper! |
