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[Cutty Flam]

Spoiler: LTTP

I'm pretty stoked to play this game, this is going to be my first playthrough of Final Fantasy VII. I figure that this is probably a top 25 game of all time without question judging by all the years I've heard others speak about FFVII or reference it on the web, so I'm making this LTTP thread to pay homage to the game's greatness during the journey and for fans of the game and FF series to gather and post if they'd like. By sheer luck, I managed to avoid basically all spoilers of this iconic game so I'm going to do my best to continue this blind playthrough through slightly unorthodox methods. I'll be purposely avoiding reading most of the comments on the game unless directly quoted, at least until I finish the game, which might take me (maybe) 3-6 months, give or take. My goal is to take my time and enjoy this once in a lifetime masterpiece to its fullest, and not take anything for granted. I also wanted to thank all the posters that helped in guiding me towards which games to play in the Final Fantasy series; for taking the time to teach me about the FF series I still remember all that so thank you. Here is to a fun playthrough playing as Cloud Strife

 

[TheInfamousKira]

Enjoy, dude. It's one of the first games I played, and still one of my favorites.

 

[Bonfires Down]

Well I hope you enjoy it, but your expectations seem really high.

 

[Manji Uzuki]

Enjoy your time with this. It was a quite unique game. Great combat system, characters, story, music... The presentation has obviously aged a lot but still the pre rendered backgrounds have a lot of charm and personality. Take your time and enjoy it!

 

[Celcius]

You're in for a treat OP. This is my number one game OF ALL TIME. Good times ahead.
Do you plan to play the remake afterwards? (it's also amazing)

 

[Cutty Flam]

I’ll likely play the Remakes of FFVII one day, can already tell I love this game. This all sort of takes me back… I’m playing on a Switch right, but this game’s vibe is 100% Playstation in feel, sound, looks and overall energy. It takes me back to memories of the mid 90s playing various PS1 games, watching Kids WB cartoons, and Nickelodeon

Right now I’m in the Slums, and they have it rough but the people are lively. Except this guy, who seems to be in some pain or trouble. My temporary partner said he’s sick

Spoiler

Midgar and its people seem to be on the brink. People are severely impoverished and lacking even the basics for life itself. I see these two kids in the broken down church, sanctuary and all they have are these flowers to tend to and help grow

Spoiler

 

[Cutty Flam]

The story is impressively set from the beginning. All the main characters introduced so far seem to connect in one way or another from their past or by an established relationship with another character. Quick notes

• Midgar is filled with corruption and slimy politicians are causing its downfall atm
• There is a resource that is being depleted at a rapid pace that puts the entire planet in peril
• President of Shinra is willing to wipe out all of Sector 6, literally crush an entire group of people
• Anything goes in the Slums, people are trying to survive but the President of Shinra disregards
• Aeris > Tifa
• Miss Cloud

 

[Cutty Flam]

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Ooooo man, you’re in for one hell of a ride.

I replayed FF7 last year and it was still a very good time - even better with the QoL features. The story and cast are still incredibly solid so many years later, and the game is still good to play.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

The story is impressively set from the beginning. All the main characters introduced so far seem to connect in one way or another from their past or by an established relationship with another character. Quick notes

• Midgar is filled with corruption and slimy politicians are causing its downfall atm
• There is a resource that is being depleted at a rapid pace that puts the entire planet in peril
• President of Shinra is willing to wipe out all of Sector 6, literally crush an entire group of people
• Anything goes in the Slums, people are trying to survive but the President of Shinra disregards
• Aeris > Tifa
• Miss Cloud

The opening section is fantastic. It really gives me that gritty 90's anime feeling, Midgar is so detailed and full of atmosphere like it's been LIVED IN, I know it's a different beast, but it's confidence in it's setting reminds me a lot of Cowboy Bebop.

Also, one correction, for the sake of understanding everything. Sector 7 was the one Shinra intended to crush, not Sector 6.

I go back and forth on Aerith and Tifa, haha

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

It's sad that the Remake misses the tone and atmosphere of the original.

Square merging with Enix was a mistake.

I loved the remake, but I totally get where you're coming from. Midgar lost it's grimy, dark, seedy ambience. In VIIR it feels like low income housing. Or to put it better, the plate and the slums feel like analogues for Cocoon and Pulse from FFXIII. They're presented as fine places to live, but one side thinks the other is trash because of stereotypes.

In the original, the divide was more than just the elevation these people lived in and the amount of scrap on the street. These people were impoverished, dirty, perverted, demented in some cases. Hard asses and jaded cynics and criminals who thrive because Midgar was an example of darwinism. The only innocence to be found was in children, and that was innocence born of ignorance, because they weren't yet old enough to realize the hopelessness of their situation.

This is why Aerith was such an anomaly, and initially what made her such a stark contrast and well defined character, because she juxtaposed with her setting so much.

 

[Rat Rage]

Enjoy it, OP. Take your time, don't rush. FF7 is the Zelda Ocarina of Time of JRPG's. It was made at a time when Squaresoft was at their absolut peak. FF7 is a very soulful game. Pure talent and passion without bullshit went into it's development.

It's sad that the Remake misses the tone and atmosphere of the original.

The Remake turned out shit because of two things: A) Nobody asked for a "reimagination". People were asking for a "remake", because at the time a remake basically meant "the original game with better graphics". So yes, people actually asked for a "remaster" when they said "remake". B) Nobody asked for a complete genre change. I mean, how can you take one of the best and most popular video games ever produced... and completely change its fucking GENRE?! Even if the goal is to develop a "reimagination" of any game, it should AT LEAST stay the same genre and not something completely different. Imagine how ridiculous it would be if, let's say a hypothetical QUAKE 1 "remake" suddenly became a 3rd person cover shooter? Or a character action game? Ridiculous!

 

[Cutty Flam]

What a crazy beginning. Everything is happening fast, action from the start and devastation was already brewing before the main characters even got off the train

Spoiler

Wedge, Biggs, Jessie are all dead. We lost them. Wedge fell off the pillar from like 100ft up but somehow survived. Jessie seemed to have survived somehow but was bent over some railing and telling Cloud to help Barret up top the tower in battle. Biggs I think was holding on by a thread. Then the bomb detonated and destroyed all of Sector 7

Aeris is safe for now but held captive and if Tifa thinks Marlene is safe then that’s good enough for me to believe it’s true. Barret is fucking pissed now, Cloud is moving forward and I believe his mind is probably set after witnessing what he just had, and Tifa is trying to process it all

 

[TheAssist]

Enjoy it, OP. Take your time, don't rush. FF7 is the Zelda Ocarina of Time of JRPG's. It was made at a time when Squaresoft was at their absolut peak. FF7 is a very soulful game. Pure talent and passion without bullshit went into it's development.


The Remake turned out shit because of two things: A) Nobody asked for a "reimagination". People were asking for a "remake", because at the time a remake basically meant "the original game with better graphics". So yes, people actually asked for a "remaster" when they said "remake". B) Nobody asked for a complete genre change. I mean, how can you take one of the best and most popular video games ever produced... and completely change its fucking GENRE?! Even if the goal is to develop a "reimagination" of any game, it should AT LEAST stay the same genre and not something completely different. Imagine how ridiculous it would be if, let's say a hypothetical QUAKE 1 "remake" suddenly became a 3rd person cover shooter? Or a character action game? Ridiculous!

People like you always talk like their own opinion if everyone's opinion, which is not true. If you go out of your echo chamber you can see a lot of people liking the changes of FF7R. Its a different game for sure, but that doesnt make it worse. Just different. Different might not what you like or asked for, but others did.

Just be sure to check with reality every now and then. And respect other peoples opinion without being a dick about it.

I like both the original and the remake for different reasons. They are both great games with some flaws. Neither is objectively perfect, but for me they are.

@OP: As the others have said, enjoy the ride. Its going places. Bust most importantly, appreciate the atmosphere. Don't hesitate to just linger on a screen and listen to the music or the fine details. Have fun!

 

[Yoshichan]

It's sad that the Remake misses the tone and atmosphere of the original.

Square merging with Enix was a mistake.

is this a post from 2002?

 

[Numenorean]

Enjoy its my best game of all time, tied just with GTA VC. Take into account that its a game from 1997 so be careful

 

[The Lunch Legend]

I replayed FF7 last year and it was still a very good time

Which platform did you play on? Switch?

It's sad that the Remake misses the tone and atmosphere of the original.

Square merging with Enix was a mistake.

 

[Cutty Flam]

Thanks bros, I’ve been looking forward to playing this game for several months. I wont take it for granted

Spoiler

There’s a strange familiarity about this place in the screenshot. I don’t know if I’ve seen it in a magazine before or what, but for some reason I have a strong feeling or hunch that this particular area is very important. Almost want to say that a level from Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back looks similar or took inspiration from FFVII maybe? It’s been too since playing that game to say though…For now this will just be a note

 

[Cutty Flam]

This collection of shops and such is Wall Market. I couldn’t find a sign post anywhere but a few have mentioned. And the music overall has been great in FVII

Spoiler

 

[The Lunch Legend]

I remember FFVII being the watershed moment when I knew Sony would win the fifth generation.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Which platform did you play on? Switch?

XBox.

 

[Cutty Flam]

I remember FFVII being the watershed moment when I knew Sony would win the fifth generation.

PS1 + PS2 might be the craziest 1-2 punch in gaming. Maybe SNES + N64 or N64 + GCN can compete depending on your preference but the games were gold during those times

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Ah man great memories. I preordered the game and actually got it 3 days early (9/4/97) because they weren’t so concerned about street dates back then. My mom picked it up for me because I had to work that day after school.

Not my favorite in the series but man it was so groundbreaking at the time. Such an awesome sense of atmosphere, great music, great cast of characters. Sadly I think the battle system is pretty bland and easy.

Re. the remake, they really nailed it from a technical perspective and the battle system is tons of fun. Sadly it is also infested with that trademark Tetsuya Nomira Advent Children/Kingdom Hearts cringe that is just really insufferable to me.

 

[dwish]

Love reading this, great thread. FF7 is my GOAT Keep it up!

 

[Metnut]

Great game. Still holds up in some ways today.

If you like the Midgar portion of the game, check out the remake. It really captured the atmosphere of the original, and made better using modern graphics and a better soundtrack. The game has its issues, but it really nailed the atmosphere and immersion.

 

[Salmon Snake]

Oh how I envy you for experiencing it for the first time!
I barely understood English when I watched my older cousing playing it as a kid.

I love FF7 and it's my all time favorite game (with Witcher 3).

Take your time and after finishing it I suggest that you'll play FF7 Remake.

 

[Hammerite Zealot]

My experience with FF7 was rough mainly due to 2 ouf of 4 cdroms failing me. PC release was free with some game magazine, first disc for install worked fine, second ok as well but 3rd crashed and it took me a while to find new one. And the 4th one stoped working as well. Also the story falls apart in the middle of second disc. Tell me why are the good guys stopping Shinra from using huge materia to save the world? Don't get me wrong it's a great game just a rought time playing it for me.

 

[base]

FF7, my life. We've been through alot together. Played Corel Demo right before the release. Got it from my friend back in '98.

 

[base]

The game's soundtrack is the best. Still listening when I drive to work everyday (via Spotify).
It's December so this track suits best.

 

[NinjaBoiX]

Well I hope you enjoy it, but your expectations seem really high.

This.

Anyone who loves it now, does so because they loved it then. I’m going to guess that time hasn’t been too kind to this game, in terms of GOAT status.

But I really hope it lives up to your expectations, it’s definitely in my most beloved games of all time list!

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

This.

Anyone who loves it now, does so because they loved it then. I’m going to guess that time hasn’t been too kind to this game, in terms of GOAT status.

But I really hope it lives up to your expectations, it’s definitely in my most beloved games of all time list!

The script is still better than a lot of anime trash JRPGs have been offering since then. The graphics, while very raw, are still incredibly expressive. Unless you've started gaming in the 7th gen and absolutely can't stand old graphics, FF7 still holds up in all the fundamental aspects of a JRPG.

 

[TheAssist]

This.

Anyone who loves it now, does so because they loved it then. I’m going to guess that time hasn’t been too kind to this game, in terms of GOAT status.

But I really hope it lives up to your expectations, it’s definitely in my most beloved games of all time list!

I think in a lot of regards it still holds up well. Sure the writing doesnt live up to current standards, but the overall setting pacing, characters, etc. still hold up. The atmosphere and vibe are still amazing, especially due to the music. And if you play the new threat mod the gameplay is honestly still amazingly fun. I just played it this year and enjoyed it more than most current gen JRPG's. The materia system is great and the mod completely rebalances equipment and materia so that exploration and experimentation feel so much more rewarding.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Yumi]

I loved the remake, but I totally get where you're coming from. Midgar lost it's grimy, dark, seedy ambience. In VIIR it feels like low income housing. Or to put it better, the plate and the slums feel like analogues for Cocoon and Pulse from FFXIII. They're presented as fine places to live, but one side thinks the other is trash because of stereotypes.

In the original, the divide was more than just the elevation these people lived in and the amount of scrap on the street. These people were impoverished, dirty, perverted, demented in some cases. Hard asses and jaded cynics and criminals who thrive because Midgar was an example of darwinism. The only innocence to be found was in children, and that was innocence born of ignorance, because they weren't yet old enough to realize the hopelessness of their situation.

This is why Aerith was such an anomaly, and initially what made her such a stark contrast and well defined character, because she juxtaposed with her setting so much.

Agreed, I’ve always thought Aeith represented hope, which made her dying all the more impactful. That goes on affect the supporting character too,. Translation issues aside, I still think FF7 has good characters and story.

 

[Airola]

I played this again earlier this year. Was a bit afraid that I might not like it as much as I did in the past, but damn, it was still excellent. Remained in my all time top10 or even top5 games.

 

[alabtrosMyster]

is this a post from 2002?

Why? The remake is not as good as the og... I just want them to remake the og game with improved graphics (true 3d environments, etc.) and a few new easter eggs./side quests.

The voice acting is crap, the new story is crap... But it looks great and the combat system is pretty good. Splitting the thing in 3 forced them to move the introduction of Sephiroth and other aspects, it nakes no sense now.

 

[Rentahamster]

It's sad that the Remake misses the tone and atmosphere of the original.

Disagree. They fleshed out the world very well.

 

[Fools idol]

it's my least favourite of the PS1 titles, but it has the best atmosphere of the lot imho.

Original Midgar is an amazing place. The saucer, the rocket town... Nibelheim and it's music will forever stick with me. So many memorable moments.

it's all absolutely drenched in 90's nostalgia for me, memories of my grandparents when they were still alive, the innocence of youth, walking home from school with my friends talking about the game. Good times.

 

[T8SC]

The greatest game ever made. Far better than the poor imitation remake.

Enjoy, don't rush it.

 

[Cutty Flam]

Tensions within the slums and the people of Midgar are high. Shinra’s corruption is nearly omnipresent in FFVII, as far as a corporation goes

Spoiler

The citizens of Midgar living in Sector 5 are greatly oppressed. They’re boxed and trapped like rats. Meanwhile, Shinra has its eye on only one goal

Only those tied to the underworld getting their cut from the Don or Shinra have their head above water it seems. One patron at the diner was scarfing down food and drink like it was his last meal. I couldn’t tell if they were all associated with Don Corneo, or just that one and maybe a couple others? But a few there seemed to be famished

 

[Cutty Flam]

Mother of God, the overworld’s music when they all agree to meet at Kalm…

 

[Cutty Flam]

Spoiler: Kalm

I made it to Kalm. I’m not sure what to call our crew but AVALANCHE seems fitting if Sephiroth is in SOLDIER and working to control the planet; believing he is the rightful heir to it. So AVALANCHE is who we are. We made it to Calm, or at least Cloud, Aeris, Tifa have and they went into the Inn. I haven’t met up with them yet, gonna do some exploring of this town first. The music is telling me it’s a peaceful place

The music that plays in the fields of the overworld is brilliant. And luckily I saved after a handful of battles because there was this serpent the size of a two story house or building that fucked my crew up. The enemy dealt 429 damage or something with one hit a few times

 

[A.Romero]

Spoiler: Kalm

I made it to Kalm. I’m not sure what to call our crew but AVALANCHE seems fitting if Sephiroth is in SOLDIER and working to control the planet; believing he is the rightful heir to it. So AVALANCHE is who we are. We made it to Calm, or at least Cloud, Aeris, Tifa have and they went into the Inn. I haven’t met up with them yet, gonna do some exploring of this town first. The music is telling me it’s a peaceful place

The music that plays in the fields of the overworld is brilliant. And luckily I saved after a handful of battles because there was this serpent the size of a two story house or building that fucked my crew up. The enemy dealt 429 damage or something with one hit a few times

Nice!

Enjoy the game. I played it 2 decades ago and became one of my favorites.

 

[base]

Mother of God, the overworld’s music when they all agree to meet at Kalm…

Try to imagine how it felt more than 20 years ago.

 

[EruditeHobo]

You skipped over Shinra Building!!

That was one of the greatest moments of my young gaming life, the build up of the Shinra boss and then that reveal in his office, the sword... then the escape. Wow. What a moment.

Try to imagine how it felt more than 20 years ago.

Indeed. It was just pure magic, as I recall...

 

[base]

You skipped over Shinra Building!!

That was one of the greatest moments of my young gaming life, the build up of the Shinra boss and then that reveal in his office, the sword... then the escape. Wow. What a moment.



Indeed. It was just pure magic, as I recall...

Even after so many years I can feel its magic. I'm almost 35 and it's gonna stay with my till the end.

 

[EruditeHobo]

Couldn't agree more. Some of those tracks still have a huge impact on me, the memory of the experience just washes over me sometimes out of nowhere.

The first time in the Overworld is a big one... was my first FF, so to have it open up in a way I did not expect at ALL was incredible. The majestic theme looping. It's just pure adventure. I had no idea what I was in for, which makes it all the more memorable.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

No spoilers: my wife is playing through this for the first time too. She watched me play FF7R a while back but doesn’t remember much and hasn’t been spoiled about anything (just knows it’s a classic beloved by most). It’s a lot of fun seeing her experience it for the first time.

 

[base]

No spoilers: my wife is playing through this for the first time too. She watched me play FF7R a while back but doesn’t remember much and hasn’t been spoiled about anything (just knows it’s a classic beloved by most). It’s a lot of fun seeing her experience it for the first time.

If she plays on PC then I highly recommend using 7th Heaven and installing HD Reworked Pack.