Final Fantasy is among the longest running Japanese RPG franchises in video game history. The Dragon Quest series, which spans 27 years, is the current holder of that record. Still, it is worth mentioning that Squaresoft is responsible for some of the most significant additions into the Role Playing game catalogue, with perhaps Final Fantasy VII at the top of that list. Despite being associated with rabid fanboyism this game's importance is undeniable.


The seventh installment in the main series marked a change in which Squaresoft's RPGs were presented and played. In 1997 gamers experienced the first polygonal 3D Final Fantasy not on a Nintendo console, but on Sony's PlayStation. Until then all Final Fantasy games were released solely for the NES and Super Nintendo respectively. The shift to 3D presentation, use of pre-rendered cutscenes, and the sheer scope of the narrative meant that the game would not fit onto a standard cartridge. Sony's disc based system allowed Squaresoft to accomplish this and create something totally new and innovative. They had the freedom to stretch their creative muscles and develop their grandest, most epic adventure yet. The result was a game that required three discs and over 40 hours to play to completion.

Squaresoft also established one of video games' most famous rivalry in the relationship between Cloud Strife and Sephiroth. The bond between the two characters formed the narrative arc that gripped so many players in the late 90s. Their relationship stemmed from young Cloud's aspirations to be as powerful as the mighty Sephiroth. However, in typical Role Playing game fashion, things are not as they seem once Cloud learns of Sephiroth's origins. No longer able to deny his past the super soldier sets out to destroy the world and the corporation he had sworn to protect. Thus the bitter rivalry formed between the two that captivated countless gamers.


The leap to 3D visuals and complex characters certainly contribute to Final Fantasy VII's prolific reputation, but that is not the most critical case for the game representing a milestone in RPG history. Final Fantasy VII was the best selling entry in the series at the time. Within 48 hours of its release the game hold sold approximately three million copies, and over eight million units worldwide by 1999. The game was a critical success garnering stellar reviews and becoming the first console RPG to earn widespread popularity outside Japan. RPGs were now something more than esoteric games that appealed only to geeky guys; it became a respected video game genre with more people than ever before exploring the nuances of Role Playing adventures.

Squaresoft's seventh game in the main Final Fantasy series is still being discussed to this day. It is the subject of vehement demands for an HD remake and the source for several spin-offs including an animated feature film. The legacy of Final Fantasy VII lives on and even if it may not be one's favourite installment, the game definitely maintains a special place in gamers' collections as well as the RPG catalogue.


Fun Final Fantasy VII Facts

The game was considered for a remake on the PlayStation 2 in 2001

Final Fantasy X's Spira is the 'ancestor' civilization which colonized the Planet of Final Fantasy VII. This is reinforced by Shinra's mention of potentially harnessing the Farplane as an energy source, which his descendants would go on to do with the Lifestream many centuries later, as the Shinra Electric Power Company.

It was the first Final Fantasy to include incredibly powerful optional bosses

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