On September 7 , 1997 , " Final Fantasy VII " come in North America . The Sony PlayStation TV game introduce many English - language gamers to their first Japanese role playing biz , or JRPG . Combining mystical elements with a post - industrial fantasy setting , the seventh instalment in the iconic serial gave the player ascendence of the biz ’s admirer , Cloud Strife ; The North American release of " Final Fantasy VII " received a merchandising blitz nearly unheard of at the clock time , and it pay off ; the game proved to be wildly popular , sellingmore than 11 million copy .
Twenty twelvemonth after its release , " Final Fantasy VII , " developed by SquareSoft , remain iconic . The companionship now called Square Enixannounced in 2015it was creating a remaking of its authoritative game for the PlayStation 4console . Sony included the announcement in its E3 display that year , and wowed the audience with a annoyer trailer .
But it ’s been more than two years since that announcement , and gamers are still wait for the remake . But we thought it would be fun to take a look back at the serial publication and see what made " Final Fantasy VII " so special two decades ago .
Redefining Fantasy
One affair that sets the " Final Fantasy " series apart fromother franchisesis that it ’s not contained to a single set of characters or even a unwashed world . Most of the games adopt the same world-wide plot : You master a champion or radical of heroes who must face overwhelming betting odds to vote out an tremendously powerful baddie . This scoundrel has goals that ordinarily , but not always , threaten everyone in the secret plan ’s world .
While each game inhabits its own Earth , there are vulgar constituent across worlds . Some animate being , like the flightless birds phone chocobos , seem in nearly all the game . item such as bring around potion or genus Phoenix down , which can revive fallen associate , also appear in games across the series . now and then , you ’ll lead into a intimate character original who shares a common name across a few game . But beyond that , there ’s no tangible connective tissue between game .
One of the elements that sets " Final Fantasy VII " apart from its forebears was its departure from a more distinctive fantasy environment . Up until then , " Final Fantasy " games had delved into a Tolkien - esque world of knight and wizards , dragonsand castles . In making the bound to a techno - fantast setting , " Final Fantasy VII " kept some of the weapons system ( swords of preposterous size have become as much a trademark as the spiky tomentum of the agonist ) , magic and eldritch beasts , but introduce an industrialized , semi - modern world that appealed to a broader audience .
What’s in a Name?
Square released the first " terminal Fantasy " plot in 1987 in Japan and the U.S. The second and third game in the seriesdebuted in Japanin 1988 and 1990 , respectively , but jump the United States . Americans who buy " Final Fantasy II " when it first came out for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System were actually playing " Final Fantasy IV . " To make matters more perplexing , Square also reserved " Final Fantasy V " for Japan , meaning the secret plan English - oral communication gamers knew as " Final Fantasy III " was actually Japan ’s " Final Fantasy VI . "
Eventually , Square direct this problem and published all the Final Fantasy game in the US , updating the enumeration as it did so to get both the Japanese and U.S. versions in alignment . By the time " Final Fantasy VII " rolled around in 1997 , everyone was ( somewhat ) on the same page , even though installments numbered with the Roman number IV , V or VI had yet to see official exit in the U.S.
How It Worked
Gameplay in most of the early " Final Fantasy " games followed a pattern . Outside of combat , players ascertain characters as they explore the world and interact with other entities , then randomly encountering foeman to struggle . Once in battle , the secret plan switches to a round - based mood . Here , player give each of the characters in their party commands and stress to manage their resource to maintain enough sex appeal to take on any bigger , badder boss down the way . Rinse and repeat , as shown in this video footage of gameplay from the PlayStation original :
Though the 1997 " Final Fantasy VII " used this gameplay proficiency , the remake wo n’t , apparently . It will comprise a more action - based gameplay grease monkey to appeal to a modern play consultation . choke are the turning - by - turn commands , replaced with a more fluid twitch - ground approach to combat .
Many JRPGs have similar gameplay elements as " Final Fantasy VII , " so what actually made it extra ? For many , it was the grapheme . Cloud is a flawed champion with a complex backstory . His companions had nuanced personality . The compelling narration featured fortune of twists and turn , and it was just plain weird .
While the characters in " Final Fantasy VII " by and large issue forth across as serious , the situation they would obtain themselves in often tended toward the absurd . The combination of a deep story , intrigue role and bizarre situations create a sense of emotional investment among participant . Two decades after its vent , " Final Fantasy VII " characters remain democratic choice for cosplayers .
So, About That Remake…
Development on the remaking has had its own twists and bout . When Square Enixannounced its original plan to release the remake in several installments , some fans were worried . The companionship excuse that the scale of measurement of the game was so enceinte that Square Enix would have to publish in multiple contribution or else make drastic swing to the game for the intent of file size . In May 2017,news brokethat Square Enix shifted development from an extraneous studio apartment to an in - mansion squad . There has been no prescribed word on when the plot will launch .
If you ’re intrigued and ca n’t wait for the remake , whenever it may arrive , the original version isavailable for PCand foriOS gimmick .
