Even to a casual gamer, a fantastic game (Final Fantasy VII (PS))

Member Name: raeny

Product:	Final Fantasy VII (PS)
Date:	26/11/08 (14 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great story, great characters, easy-to-learn turn-based battle system

Disadvantages: none.

First off, a disclaimer. I'm not an gaming expert by any means, and haven't played the entire Final Fantasy series like many people have. But, if a casual gamer like myself can enjoy this game so immensely, it's just testament to the outstanding quality of this game.

I first played this about 5 years ago, and was blown away by the complexity of the story and the depth of the characters. I know, I know, people ALWAYS say this about RPGs, but in this case it's true - through the dialogue you get to know each character better until you really feel for them, and in some cases you get to hear their entire life story and play a part in uniting them with their families, or strengthening their belief in themselves and their people. I have to say I didn't fully understand the convoluted story, but more because it was overly complex, not shoddily constructed.

Graphics wise, they were stunning when they first came out more than 10 years ago, and are still nothing to be sneezed at now. The landscapes and enemies are interesting, varied, and exciting to explore.

The battle system is intuitive and challenging. Your weapon strength depends not only on its inherent bonuses but also how you arrange the materia you have, the more you get the more you can 'customise' your weapons and certain combos will make your weapons super powerful.

There is also a lot of flexibility in your gameplay and tons of optional enemies and dungeons to explore. The Golden Saucer is just one of the many welcome distractions in your game, you can race your chocobos, play simple arcade games or fight in the Battle Square to win amazing items or morph enemies into rare items.

Dungeons never get repetitive because of huge arsenal of attacks/spells you can use, and even levelling up can be fun because you get to try out different materia combos and party combinations - if you unlock the 'secret' characters Vincent and Yuffie, it just adds to the fun.

For those who are looking for a long game with many hidden gems to explore, this is the game for you. If you just want to complete the basic quest, the game is still really enjoyable thanks to the host of varied characters, radically different towns and cities, and amusing situations your characters are sometimes thrown into.

Summary: What can be more fun in a game than fighting, romance, raising giant chickens and saving the world?