Topic: Is Final Fantasy VII too dated?

A few days back I decided to boot up Final Fantasy VII for the PS1. The first couple of hours weren't all that spectacular imo, but I decided to keep going in case it just has a slow start and after a while it'll get good.

Well, now I'm about 10 hours into the game, and I'm just not into it. I mean, it does have a compelling story, but it's too few and far inbetween the gameplay and running around trying to find out where to go next, that I feel it just isn't worth it.

However, I still feel like I need to complete the game, because everyone says it's an essential game that defined a generation or whatever. I feel like I'm missing out on something important to the gaming industry if I don't play this game. But... is it really relevant anymore?

Yes, it has aged terribly

It seems like you're fishing for a reason to drop the game. If you don't like it, don't play it. Simple as that. The game doesn't really take off until you leave Midgar, but nobody should have to continue playing a game they don't like for hours until it mysteriously "gets good." I, for one, love the entire experience, but if you're not feeling it, what's the point of continuing?

I'm not sure what you mean by "is it relevant anymore," but it absolutely was a colossal milestone in the history of gaming. It was like the JRPG equivalent of Star Wars in that it was a huge blockbuster that expanded the scope of what a video game like this could be.

None of this means you're obligated to play or enjoy it.

Hmmm I don't know. I don't think I'm fishing for a reason not to play it. After reading your comment, I thought maybe I actually SHOULD put the game down and stop playing it. But I feel like if I do that, I'm missing out on a huge opportunity. I really don't know what I'm thinking @_@

Maybe I just want the satisfaction of being able to say that I beat Final Fantasy VII, one of the most renowned games ever made. It seems a little silly, I know. I just wanted to get my thoughts out there, and I wondered what you guys had to say about it.

I think VI is the one that if it didn't exist we would be really missing out on something. (Followed by IV then III and then I am no longer bothered at all).

They have added a pay to win option to the latest Steam release of VII. (That I guess can be counted as a modern mechanic)

I am absolutely confused as to why Square Enix refuses to remake this game. I wanted to try it, but it was so awfully ugly that I couldn't play more than 2 minutes. And there is no nostalgia for me for I never owned a PS1 back in the day (or a N64 so screw that gen )

Haha, the graphics don't bug me at all (though if they were on the same caliber as FFXIII then I don't think I would be nearly as resistant to playing it)
I actually think they're charming and the oversized pixels have an appeal to me that I can't really explain.

Like Metallica's black album, depending on who you ask, FF7 is either the highpoint of the series or the beginning of the end. You just seem to fall more into the latter camp is all.

If you prefer the more retro Final Fantasy games, you would probably like FF9 more than FF7.

I see. In that case, play it slowly. Don't make it your only game. Play it here and there.

I was that way with Half Life 2. Felt like I was obligated to play it. I almost dropped it after that miserable extended vehicle section, though. It was easier to deal with once I made it one of my sub-games that i play for short bursts when I have the time.

I played Final Fantasy VII for the first time in 2011 and loved it, so I don't have some sort of crazy nostalgia for the game. It has dated in lots of ways (presentation and gameplay both) and can understand for that reason that it's not for everyone, but for me it was special. I guess in a way I found its dated presentational aspects charming and I came to really love the story, world and characters. The music is incredible and like many old JRPGs it seemed to convey or at least stir up certain emotions that for me did enhance the story or how I felt about certain scenes. I also played on my PSP. If I'd played on the TV I think I would have had more trouble getting into it.

If it's not gelling for you, I would stop and play something else that you will enjoy. You don't have to like everything!

It is because if they do they admit failure for every single entry afterwards. (Or at least they think that).

It's because it's from the PS1 gen and would probably need a full rebuild from the ground up. This would require a few years of development, a relatively large budget, and some SE senior management staff to oversee. It's just not worth it. Remakes don't sell well enough to justify it.

Besides, FF7 remade with FF13 visuals wasn't even possible on PS3. The reason is that FF13 is a series of hallways and has no towns is because the resources and data required to render huge open worlds and all those NPCs in engine just wasn't economically feasible. It may be possible on PS4, but then you look at the 8 year development cycle of FF15 and think "why?" It would absolutely lose money.

Yeah. I know FF7 is beloved... but (based on my currently incomplete playthrough) it's really just not a great JRPG.

The story isn't bad but... but the way it's told is poor and the translation work isn't good either. Gameplay is very linear with odd mini-game type challenges frequently appearing that just aren't much fun. The revolutions it brought to the genre was the size/scope of the world, with 3D graphics and CD quality sound. Unfortunately, all of those aspects have aged poorly so in my opinion there isn't much reason to go play the game now.

There are worse RPGs out there, but there are also many better ones.

For me, FFVII was already dated when IX came out. But that's a general thing. Except for III, IV, and VI, none of the Final Fantasy games struck me as some kind of "timeless experience". Most of them are great games of their respective era (excluding X onward, where all went to waste), but don't seem to reach further than that. That said, FF VII isn't a bad game, but it expects a good bit of patience from you before it's getting good.

@SpokyMeths The big joke about this is that FFX/X-2 got their remakes, though possibly because it was easier to upscale the textures there.
Square Enix is always quick to point out they'd have to redo FFVII from the ground-up, and that it would be too expensive to be lucrative. But that's how their world works.

I thought I was the only one. I went to play my friends copy, and couldn't leave the first area during the countdown timer because I couldn't see the guy that would get me out. I figured that wouldn't be the only time the graphics would screw me, so I dropped the game.

FFX/X-2 HD isn't a remake. It's just an HD remaster.

@SpookyMeths Oh, yeah. Silly me.

It's dated, but not to the point where it's unplayable. It's story won't have the impact it used to. It's graphics definitely won't impress like it used to. A few of its mechanics (namely the minigames) are weird and unnecessary. I still think it's a fun game with a good mix of seriousness, humor, weirdness, and awe. I also think it has arguably the only classless system that actually works well enough to be useful and has the least amount of risk involved in terms of potentially ruining your playthrough. It's a great game if you can get into it, but I can't blame you if you don't, it's not like the game makes it that easy. It's definitely not the well-aged classic some people would like to believe it is, but honestly...none of the Final Fantasy games are. FFIX and FFV are arguably the closest, but even those have aspects that can be greatly improved, especially if they ever get remade...

http://andriasang.com/con1ny/wada_on_ffvii_remake - It has possible they have changed their mind since.

I actually played Final Fantasy IX before starting FFVII, and I thought that game was great
Anyways, I'm still going at it. I'm taking Ralizah's advice and going through it slowly.