Final Fantasy VII

The Good
In all my gaming and role-playing years I've rarely been so deeply and profoundly shocked as when Sephiroth dropped upon Aeris, like a silent black hawk on an unsuspecting white dove. Storytelling and imaginative, over-the-top battles at their best. Lovable characters, a truly memorable villain, bizarre monsters, a cartoony-anime look that often mocks itself and a frequent change of pace with mini-games and plot twists made this game what it is: the masterpiece of a quirky, but unique and intriguing genre. It somehow manages to combine childlike innocence with countless battles and an epic, world-breaking tale. Powerful warriors who look like kids with over-sized heads and weapons. And that is magic...

The Bad
You either love it or hate it. But one should definitely give it some time if one is not familiar with the odd, cutesy look of most japanese role-playing games. FFVII was grossly underrated by die-hard PC gamers who really didn't give it the attention it deserved. Unfortunately, the usual problems with console ports didn't help much. Don't expect complex character development or any real choices concerning the plot, since this is not the way Japanese developers approach the genre. Being a hardcore RPG gamer, I believe that these two factors are key to games of this kind. However it cannot be denied that this different approach has its merits. Whether one likes it or not is another matter entirely.

The Bottom Line
Final Fantasy does not have the depth, strategy and freedom of great role-playing games such as Baldur's Gate but its strengths lie elsewhere. It is a true masterpiece of its kind and it offers a truly unique experience. And whenever I listen to its music it still gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling.