4.5/5 ★ – Spamus100's review of Final Fantasy VII.

Final Fantasy VII is a popular, beloved classic JRPG, originally for PS1, that still holds up surprisingly well today. The translation is a little rough at points (do NOT attack when the tail is up), but the story is very solid. It's magical, mysterious and heartbreaking all at once. The game has an outstanding cast of characters, both in personalities, stories and especially character designs. The gameplay, even in 2021, is still really good as well. As someone who doesn't usually love turn-based combat, FFVII made it lively and exciting. The camera in battles is very dynamic, and the character animations, while limited, do a good job of bringing the battle to life. The limit break mechanic, introduced to the FF series here, is a fantastic feature that adds a layer of depth and intensity to the combat. The world of FFVII is quite vast, and there are many interesting places to go and see. My one issue with the world as a whole is that it doesn't always feel complete or totally cohesive. Even though the game is quite long, the world feels a little small sometimes. Your mileage may vary on that front. The world does have plenty of side areas to visit that reward you with good items, so exploring everything is definitely recommended. I would say that the thing about FFVII that has aged the worst is the graphics. The character models outside of battle are very blocky and cartoonish, which doesn't always mesh with the rather serious story the game is trying to tell. I personally used mods to make the game HD and have better character models, but I don't necessarily recommend you do the same. The more cartoony style may be to your liking, so that is up to personal preference. Navigating the pre-rendered backgrounds can also be a bit tricky, but that's a mark of when the game was made, and was not really something that could have been done better in 1997. Overall, I think this is a very fun and truly special game. If you have even a passing interest in this game, the Final Fantasy series, or JRPGs in general, I absolutely recommend that you play this game. Some may tell you that it is overrated, but I say that even with the remake out with more on the way, the original Final Fantasy VII is still a great game that is absolutely worth playing.