Is Final Fantasy VII Overrated??

Trent Skydaddy

I read an article recently claiming that Final Fantasy is overrated, specifically VII. I was wondering what people's thoughts on the subjest are. My personal favourite is X but I can't imagine categorising VII as overrated?

Gummy Panda

It's an excellent game but some consider it overrated due to the fanboy fever it creates. I love it cause it got me into JRPGs but I think there are better RPGs like Suikoden 2

Trent Skydaddy

I never could get that into Suikodens, then again I started playing number 4 first. The JRPG's are my personal favourite type of game. FFVII was the first one I played for a considerable period of time, time that I still spend playing to this very day.

Zapho

NO!




Whoever said they were overrated is an idiot. They're wonderful pieces of work and I hope to replay them all someday!

Trent Skydaddy

I completely agree with you that it is amazing!!

I'd strongly recommend playing it again, but adding challenges to it such as no materia or only use the beginning weapons, makes it much more entertaining.

Retr0gamer

Just to start off FFVII is a great game however it really is vastly overrated and far from the best game ever which it is labelled with. The game has been surpassed in every way by games that have not only come out after it but before it as well.

First the battle system is poor. The materia system while easy to use leads to a very boring battle system were members of the party have no individuality. Contrast this to FFVI which came out before it which had 18 playable characters all with their own unique abilities in combat. The battle system has been bettered by many games, to name a few, Grandia, FFIV-FFVI, Panzer Dragoon Saga, FFIX-FFX, Suikoden 2, Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, the Tales of games ect. The worst thing about the battle system is there are no tactics really whatsoever other than the usual elemental weakness exploitation. Compare that to FFX's superb tactical system.

Storywise it's nothing special. The early parts of the game in Midgar are amazing but it falls apart once you leave midgar and after it's big plot development well thats all it really has. It falls into JRPG/anime cliche after that with the cast of characters glove trotting trying to stop the bad guy ending the world. You can tell the game was a rush job. It may be hard to hear this but there are so many games and JRPGs out there with far better stories than this. Suikoden 2's tragic tale of friends torn apart by war, Panzer Dragoon Saga's unique world and storyline of a destroyed world, FFVI's brave upheaval of the traditional jrpg cliche story, Vagrant Stories dark gothic tale. There's no way FFVII has the best story of an game let alone JRPG with these games around. Character development is pretty high but again surpassed by other games. Even it's big shock at the end of disc 1 was done before and handled better by lesser known games.

One big issue I have with fans of the game is them holding aloft Sephiroth as the pinnacle of videogame villians. All he really had going for him was that he looked cool and he did something shocking. Other than that he was a cookie cutter anime villian. In the JRPG genre suikoden 2's Luca Blight is not going to be beaten from the top spot that easily. A far more complex character you'll hate him for the genocide he is causing but also feel pity for him because of the past that turned him into a monster. FFVI's Kefka is also a more interesting and better bad guy. He isn't cool, he wears a jesters outfit, and is a total coward. But it's the cowardice that makes you hate him so much. Taking videogames as a whole, Sephiroth has nothing on S.H.O.D.A.N.

To sum it up FFVII is far from the greatest game ever and there's dozens of better games including games in the JRPG genre.

Trent Skydaddy wrote: »

I never could get that into Suikodens, then again I started playing number 4 first.

Well starting with 4 was a problem there since it's the worst in the series and pretty crap.

Keith C

I notice theres a few PS1 games on playstation store to download. Anyone reckon FFVII will ever appear there??

Otaku Girl

Trent Skydaddy wrote: »

I never could get that into Suikodens, then again I started playing number 4 first. The JRPG's are my personal favourite type of game. FFVII was the first one I played for a considerable period of time, time that I still spend playing to this very day.

Suikoden IV is the worst in the series by a light year.The suikoden games are great-try to hunt them down on ebay.I,II,IV and V were released in E.U. but III was'nt.I hope there will be a Suikoden VI.Anywho,no FFVII is not over rated as far as I'm concerned.

WolfForager

Keith C wrote: »

I notice theres a few PS1 games on playstation store to download. Anyone reckon FFVII will ever appear there??

I saw someone post on the forums (noodler me thinks) that it's on the japenese PSN.

Retr0gamer

I've said in 2 other threads that it's very unlikely to come out here since EA own the rights to publish it in america and Sony in europe. So it's a legal minefield to get it published really. Otherwise the other square games on the PSN would have been released outside japan.

tenacious-me

WolfForager wrote: »

I saw someone post on the forums (noodler me thinks) that it's on the japenese PSN.

I heard this too but apparently it's only for PSP, i'd definitely buy if it became available in English and was for the PS3 especially at the great low prices for PSone games on PSN,
And RE the thread, I love VII, it is a bit overated but if anyone played it on PSone when it came out it was massively brilliant for what was available at the time, personally though, I prefer VIII, brilliant storyline, music, gameplay, and esp. the battle system!

noodler

Not really down with the idea of opinions are you Retro?

Helix

indescribably overrated yes

noodler

Excellent game, excellent story (for the most part), plot twists, excellent side-quests etc etc

Luap

Its not overrated, its a great game my favourite out of the series.:D

Helix

Maloney_o9 wrote: »

Its not overrated, its a great game

that doesnt mean it cant be overrated

noodler

What do we even mean by overrated anyway?

Would you feel disapplointed if you played FF7 for the first time after hearing all the good things said about it? I really don't think so.

The fact so many of us consider it to be the best game they have ever played shouldn't impact on the quality of the game.

Luap

emmm i see....overrated, so from your rating and someone elses your is well below par??

noodler

Sorry? Didn't understand that last post.

WolfForager

So when does a series become a franchise?

Helix

noodler wrote: »

The fact so many of us consider it to be the best game they have ever played

is exactly what makes it overrated

its a good game, a bloody good game, but it doesnt come close to best game ever or anything like it

noodler

Eh, no you have that arseways pal.

People's feelings for a particular game are exactly what makes it great or not and, in this case, millions of us do feel it is the best.

What is this anyway? The opinion police?

tenacious-me

noodler wrote: »

What is this anyway? The opinion police?

lol

Michael-O'Neill

Helix wrote: »

that doesnt mean it cant be overrated

oh but your mom

Helix

noodler wrote: »

People's feelings for a particular game are exactly what makes it great or not

no, im pretty sure its the game itself which defines whether the game is great or not

Jack Sheehan

Yep.

Luap

its not OVERRATED

Its the bestest!!:D

noodler

In a perfect world, but people's perceptions of a game are ultimately what decides whether or not a game is great.

I know what you are saying but even a review is a person's opinion and all reviews would be identical if it were the case.

EDIT: I didn't care much for San Andreas but looking at the critical acclaim and number sold I recognise there must have been something about it.

Luap

Jack Sheehan wrote: »

Yep.

+1:p:p

Helix

noodler wrote: »

In a perfect world, but people's perceptions of a game are ultimately what decides whether or not a game is great.

no, its not. a crap game doesnt become a great one because people think its great for some reason. the same way a great game doesnt become crap because it flops

youre saying that the quality of the game has nothing to do with how good it is, which is absolutely ridiculous

the publics opinion of a game only influences how successful it is, not how good it is, because the game is as good as it is before the public ever get their hands on it

noodler

The argument is moot if you are going to take it to extremes.

However, between a group of GREAT games, it is the public which decide what the greatest game ever will be.

I didn't say the quality of a game has nothing to do with how great it is, we are assuming there won't be a bunch of turds in a potential "Greatest Games Ever List", but what else but opinions are what determines the relative greatness of a game?

Helix

noodler wrote: »

but what else but opinions are what determines the relative greatness of a game?

again youre suggesting that the quality of the game has nothing to do with it, and its more down to public perception of the game, which again i label as ridiculous

noodler

Helix wrote: »

again youre suggesting that the quality of the game has nothing to do with it, and its more down to public perception of the game, which again i label as ridiculous

Look up the word relative.

You are just being argumentative for the sake off it now. The title of Greatest Game Ever will be decided upon by people, people with opinions, if nobody thinks the game is great then it is hardly going to be considered great.

You can't use a set of rules or values to establish agame's effect on somebody on an emotional level. How the story grabbed a particular person, how one minigame as judged repetitive by one and addictive to another. Quality may not be subjective but picking out one game from a line of other great games certainly is.

Luap

This is causing fierce controversy:pac:

regob

funal fantasy seven is by far one of the best games ever made, whoever said its overrated is talking crap

Kersmash

IMO, it's one of the best games I've ever played, but it is slightly overrated, mainly by the FF fanboys.

Jack Sheehan

regob wrote: »

funal fantasy seven is by far one of the best games ever made, whoever said its overrated is talking crap

Funal Fantasy? Jesus that sounds Doooorrrty.

Retr0gamer

noodler wrote: »

In a perfect world, but people's perceptions of a game are ultimately what decides whether or not a game is great.

I know what you are saying but even a review is a person's opinion and all reviews would be identical if it were the case.

Thats rubbish. We've all seen best of lists that were voted in by the public and been apalled by them. A popularity contest shouldn't decide how good a game is.

Suikoden 2 and Panzer Dragoon Saga are so far ahead of FFVII that it's criminal that people think FFVII is better. However they won't win any popularity contests because nobody has played them.

Gummy Panda

Final Fantasy 7 is overrated as it was the first JRPG for a lot of people played due the advertising Sony did in europe and they assume there was never good JRPGs before it. I still remember FF7 ads on the TV being played a lot. I don't remember many other RPGs having such attention bar maybe pokemon.

Seriously, FF7 is awesome and was a gateway JRPG for most people. I love it and have a copy in my draw. I love other final fantasy games as well but Suikoden 2 is probably the best JRPG i've played though i haven't played Xenogears and a few others.

I just think its overrated due to how extreme the fans big it up.

Vyse

There's a reason why FFVII holds a special place in the hearts of many people; it was the first jrpg that many of us played (I know it was for me anyway). I had never dabbled in the likes of Phantasy Star or the earlier FF games and was blown away by the story telling and atmosphere of the game (never thought too much of the gameplay but that didn't matter when the other parts were so good). THe game had me absolutely hooked, I had to find out what was going to happen next.

You have to remember as well that this JRPG had much more exposure than any that went before it due to Square's defection from Nintendo (caused quite the stir at the time) so more people were aware and intirgued by the game (I hadn't heard of Final Fantasy up until that point anyway).

I think these are the 2 reasons that has lead to FFVII being "overrated". I booted it up there recently; it didn't stay on for very long;)

noodler

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Thats rubbish. We've all seen best of lists that were voted in by the public and been apalled by them. A popularity contest shouldn't decide how good a game is.

Suikoden 2 and Panzer Dragoon Saga are so far ahead of FFVII that it's criminal that people think FFVII is better. However they won't win any popularity contests because nobody has played them.

Why should one anarok's opinion have more weight than millions?

Everyone is entitles to their opinion of course but it is elitist to believe that one person's opinion is more important than the will of thousands.

By the above logic any potential best game ever could be disregarded with a "yeah but you haven't played X or Y". Nobody can play every game and the majority of people have to make an opinion based on what they have played. The millions that think FF7 is the best game ever have as much right to their opinion as those who have played every JRPG under the sun.


Of course a large group of people's opinions make a game great. Even if the game was crap to you or somebody else the fact so many love it proves there must be something to it.

Retr0gamer

noodler wrote: »

Why should one anarok's opinion have more weight than millions?

Because the general public are idiots. They like coldplay and think U2 are the best Irish band ever amongst other sins.

John

A lot of people like crap things, that doesn't mean all things that have a huge following are bad.

noodler

Sorry Retro, thats just being elitist.

Theres nothing crap about FF7 in any case. We can't discount the opinion of the general public because you don't agree with them.

WolfForager

Retr0gamer wrote: »

think U2 are the best Irish band ever amongst other sins.

Ye i know, everyone knows that Boyzone are the greatest irish band!!

tenacious-me

Somewhat unrelated, and I like JRPGs but, saw this today and thought twas funny!

Retr0gamer

noodler wrote: »

Theres nothing crap about FF7 in any case. We can't discount the opinion of the general public because you don't agree with them.

Well I never said FFVII was crap, it's far from it. However I'd be more inclined to take the opinion of a single expert that has experienced a wider variety of games than the general public. We never see games like Panzer Dragoon Saga or Suikoden 2 in public polls because not many people have played them. Find someone that has and more than likely they will agree that they are far superior games to FFVII. The problem with the populist view is that only games that have been successful and played by a large portion of people will even be considered. Just look for top X lists from people who know their games and compare that to thelist by idiots like the guys at screw attack (that wasn't an attack on the general public it's just the guys from screw attack don't know their arse from their elbow when it comes to games).

eddhorse

I must be one of those idiots.
I dont really like JRPG's mainly for the slow battles.
I did however play FFVII years back and it was the one and only i ever tried.

It had me hooked for a while but i got bored.
Kudos to you people that play them. Not my thing.
Might try again to some of these so called new and improved better ones