Should I play FF7?

[Sentenal]

The sales figures of games with uber graphics but no substance seem to indicate otherwise.

Popular != good.

Therefore, the only fair way is to judge a game based on its merits.

In which newer games excel in almost every area compared to older games.

And I do believe there is a absolute standard for Video games:
Innovation.
Gameplay.
Graphics in terms of its Generation*
Story/Plot, how enjoyable it is.

*For this, take, for example, a game I really wanted to worship, but couldn't:  Robotech: Invasion.  This is of the Halo 2 generation.  Graphically, its superior to games such as Golden Eye, FF4, Chrono Trigger, but in terms of other games within its Generation, such as Half Life 2, or Halo 2, the graphics are poor.  So you must judge this within the confines of its generation.

[Lord J Esq]

Are graphics really so important, or does their popularity simply indicate an easily hornswoggled userbase? If we're talking about the innate quality of a game, popularity contests are a poor judge. Just look at the successes of, say, reality television. Is that quality programming right there?

No.

But if you're trying to determine the best game of all time, or judge two games from separate generations against each other, that implies that there exists an absolute standard for gaming.  Therefore, the only fair way is to judge a game based on its merits.

• Direction
• Premise
• Plot
• Music
• Gameplay
• Characters
• Graphics
• Interface
• Replayability

In that order, those qualities comprise the "absolute standard" for judging a game. Of course, some games don't have the various elements, or minimize them. It's a tentative list; you're welcome to improve upon it; but my point with it is that graphics are hardly the singular determining factor in the quality of a game. Now, in the appeal of a game, I must needs make an exception for the lowest common denominator, but let's not confuse quality with appeal.

[Lord J Esq]

Sentenal and I seem to be halfway of a like mind on this. I don't know if the world can take it. In the words of Scotty, "She'll blow up!"

 

[Hadriel]

The categories should probably be altered based on the type of game.  Is SSBM to be branded as crap because it has no plot?  I hope not.

The sales figures of games with uber graphics but no substance seem to indicate otherwise.

Popular != good.

Didn't I JUST SAY THAT?  Jesus Christ.  You didn't get my original point, either.  You said that people in general play games to have fun.  I correctly pointed out that this was not the case.  And then you jump on me by AGREEING WITH ME.

[Lord J Esq]

The categories should probably be altered based on the type of game.  Is SSBM to be branded as crap because it has no plot?  I hope not.

Nah, I made an exception. Higher-order qualities outrank lower-order ones, generally. (I suppose music should rank higher on the list.) "Premise" provides for the genre, as well as for the theme and its execution.

[Sentenal]

The sales figures of games with uber graphics but no substance seem to indicate otherwise.

Sale Figures = popularity.

And me and Lord J agree!  Run for your lives!!!

[Hadriel]

The sales figures of games with uber graphics but no substance seem to indicate otherwise.

Sale Figures = popularity.

I have the urge to lol, because that was probably a typo.  But in any case, they do indeed equal popularity.

[ZeaLitY]

Okay. Now I must pirate Final Fantasy 7 through bittorrent.

[Sentenal]

Sales Figures = Popular != good

Simple logic.

[Lord J Esq]

Okay. Now I must pirate Final Fantasy 7 through bittorrent.

GrayLensman is sooo gonna mod you. Pwn'D.

[Eriol]

Okay. Now I must pirate Final Fantasy 7 through bittorrent.

How about you just try amazon?  You can probably be legal then.  Hell, I got Cross less than a month ago (new) off of there, so I can't think FF7 would be a problem either.

And I'd bet you'd get better results with the PS1 version emulated than the PC version, as the PC version has weird sound/graphic requirements, and thus may stop working on PCs soon.

[ZeaLitY]

Yeah, I planned to acquire the isos somehow. I don't own a Playstation. In fact, I don't own anything past an n64.

[Sir Frog]

Definitely give Final Fantasy 7 a whirl.  It is insanely popular for a reason:  it envelops the player.  The graphics, the music, the story, the characters, the locations--these all combine brilliantly to form the one game that truly plays you. The game is just that good.

A note about the graphics.  They are technically outdated.  The character models are fugly and the backgrounds are flat.  However, aesthetically, Final Fantasy 7 is rarely rivalved, and in terms of the overall immersiveness of its environment, it has never been beaten.  (Not even by Chrono Cross.)

Play the game.  It isn't the greatest ever, but you may certainly begin to think it is as the game inevitably plucks at your heartstrings and makes you feel as if you truly are one of the characters. Final Fantasy 7 is a role playing game in the truest sense of the phrase. Very few other video games can make that claim.

(Exceptions: Final Fantasy IX, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI.)

[Eggith Cyrene]

Final fantasy is a great Series (argubly the finest VG series ever), FF7 was the first rpg a great deal of people of this generation played. The game is a good game and well worth the money (you can get it for 15 new now) ;however its highly highly overated. Personally 6 is my faviote FF and my faviote game ever (narrowly beating CT)


And while 7 may not be my faviote I definitly recognise that it beats the hell out of Chrono Cross in terms of quality and storyline. But hey thats just me

[nightmare975]

Play it. Man, Final Fantasy 7 is why I got the Playstation! To me, it was an awsome and fun game. I find it to have one of the best magic systems ever! The materia was a great idea, I wish they had stayed with it. The music is to die for! Man, just having a boss battle play rock style music in the background was enough to keep me hooked for life!

Trust me, it is a game you can continue to play over and over again.