With the remake on the way, I decided to play through the original PS1 version of Final Fantasy VII, by way of the PS3 port (previous attempts at Final Fantasy I, VII, X, and Tactics Advance were stymied by being generally shit at JRPGs, but this time I seem to be getting the hang of it, even if I'm still on Disc 1). As I was too preoccupied being a five-year-old child with alternating Mario and Sonic fixations when it came out, I haven't been able to put on the nostalgia goggles. And from what I've seen so far, it's good for what it is, but I don't really see what made this game as popular as it was. So, I'm asking you, /vr/: What made Final Fantasy VII so wildly popular that it pretty much single-handedly changed the series?
Steampunk and the anime craze.
Mostly it was hype from game magazines combined with TV ads. RPGs were very popular at the time and Square was seen as one of the kings of gaming. FFVI had been massive and very well loved.
Square was also releasing tons of screenshots and artwork which really brought the hype to a fever pitch.
I would say that it really didn't change the series all that much though. It added CG cutscenes, but that's minor in the grand scheme of things. It's bigger influence was showing that JRPGs were popular enough that more obscure titles started coming over.
>>2870342
Steampunk was barely a thing back then.
It took the already tight cinematic direction that FF had honed over the SFC games and pushed it further into a full multimedia experience.
>>2870338
>What made Final Fantasy VII so wildly popular that it pretty much single-handedly changed the series?
It was popular because it was massively advertised as the best thing ever, came out when animu was the hottest shit around and was very cinematic and easy to get into.
It didn't really change the series though, at all, but I guess you'll see when you'll get into it, if anything the biggest steps were during the NES trilogy where every titles worked differently from the other and then from IV onwards where the gameplay and difficulty was dumbed down and became more story driven and ultra linear, FFVII is more or less FFVI 2.0 when it comes to mostly everything but a few plot points.
>>2870354
FFVII kickstarted the futuristic steampunk aesthetic that VIII and XIII onwards took and ran with
>>2870365
FFVI is more steampunk than VII was. VII is actually a little high tech for steampunk, it's somewhere inbetween steam and cyberpunk. VIII is straight up sci fi.
>>2870338
Impressive graphics for the time.
Still the best opening of any JRPG, starts right in the action.
Great story by JRPG standards, with the first use of an unreliable narrator I can think of in a JRPG.
Aerith dies, and that was genuinely shocking (yes, I know about Phantasy Star II, but hardly any FFVII players did then).
>>2870342
Cyberpunk. And yes it was "a thing"
>>2870338
>I don't really see what made this game as popular as it was
I can think of two big reasons
>>2870365
>FFVII kickstarted the futuristic steampunk aesthetic that VIII and XIII onwards took and ran with
No, not really.
FFVI or Rudra no Hihou were actual steampunk, FFVII was more Cyberpunk which was already done to death by games like Metal Max, the early SaGa series on GB, Front Mission, Cyber Knight and tons of other JRPGs and RPGs.
>>2870338
How did it change the series, though? Mechanically it's pretty similar to VI. The Materia system is fairly similar to the magicite system in VI (it's not as drastic of a change as, say, VII), and the setting also has a lot of similarities (they're both pretty industrialized for JRPGs).
You could argue that it was the graphics, but just about every major franchise changed in that way when transitioning to a 5th-gen system. And it's not like FF was never heavily driven by plot and cutscenes before.
But to (try to) answer your question, it helps that it was an RPG that was easy to get into. It didn't waste your time by boring you with endless cutscenes and dialogue right off the bat, you go into combat in like a minute. It was pretty, it had characters that appealed to a lot of people, etc. It had a battle system that wasn't too complicated (like, say, VIII's) but at the same time felt challenging.
I will always prefer VI, myself, but I get why VII got this popular.
>>2870414
Mean to say that it's not as drastic of a change as VIII. Missed an I, there.
>>2870350
>I would say that it really didn't change the series all that much though.
>>2870354
It didn't really change the series though, at all, but I guess you'll see when you'll get into it
>>2870414
>>2870423
>it's not as drastic of a change as VIII
Like I said, I'm basically a newcomer to the series. Each and every one of my previous attempts at playing an FF game ended pretty soon after they started.
As far as "changing the whole series" goes, I've been pretty much relying on what I've been hearing online over and over for a little over a decade now, and how many times this game has been put on or near the top of "Best of All Time" lists by everyone from IGN to fucking TIME magazine, as well as the general Nomura aesthetic that continued to be used in most of the following games in the series (as well as in Kingdom Hearts, which I actually am familiar with, unlike FF). I suppose part of why I've been asking why VII was so damned popular (beyond just all the hype for the upcoming remake) is because I didn't really see what exactly was so game-changing about it.
>>2870447
The only "game changer" was that the marketing was successful and western companies finally realized that JRPGs were popular enough that lesser titles could be released and still make a profit.
It wasn't that it was anything new and miraculous, actually that was the point. Graphics aside it was a very standard JRPG. But because it's quite an easy genre, along with the presentation meant a ton of people played it.
It's important to note though that if you don't like Final Fantasy or JRPGs in general, VII really doesn't do much that will change your mind. If you're not loving it by the end of Disk 1 there's really not much point in continuing. Even with good games, not everything appeals to everyone.
>>2870365
The only steampunk aspects of FFVII were the trains and the mako reactors.
>>2870365
Surely you don't mean cyberpunk?
It was Final Fantasy in fucking 3D with FMV and CD quality audio you nog
I'm actually playing X's HD remaster right now and enjoying it as the last traditional Final Fantasy game. 7's story is better objectively though plus the whiz-bang novelty in '97 and yes it's a game changer. However they implemented that quantum leap in tech was guaranteed to be groundbreaking but FF7 is a good game notwithstanding that.
>>2870470
>It's important to note though that if you don't like Final Fantasy or JRPGs in general, VII really doesn't do much that will change your mind. If you're not loving it by the end of Disk 1 there's really not much point in continuing. Even with good games, not everything appeals to everyone.
Well, like I stated in the OP, I do seem to actually be getting the hang of it this time around (most likely because I wimped out and have a guide on standby). I'm currently at Aerith and Elmyra's home after the destruction of the pillar, and from what I've heard, Aerith dies around the end of Disc 1, so I'm guessing I'm not very far in. I'd probably be farther, but I'm sharing the TV with three other people and can't actually play until the wee hours of the morning. So, with those two factors, I'll probably at least continue until the end of the game. I'm not sure if VII will sell me on the series by the end, though.
>>2870512
There are more meaningful plot points to come
>>2870505
>CD quality audio
No, it's basically SNES music with more channels and higher quality samples. The composition is good, but the audio quality is far from CD quality.
>>2870447
>I've been pretty much relying on what I've been hearing online over and over for a little over a decade now, and how many times this game has been put on or near the top of "Best of All Time" lists by everyone from IGN to fucking TIME magazine,
You should know that "best of all time" is a meaningless statement with little to no actual importance in the vast majority of cases, mostly because the people who write this are clueless goons, secondly because it's a statement made by the industry for the industry, rarely if ever there is truth in what people say about "best of all times" other than hey, they sold a shitload of copies and made some dank memes, must be a great game.
>I didn't really see what exactly was so game-changing about it.
Budget.
It was gargantuan.
But again, you'll probably understand once you get into the series, if you ever do.
As one who played a fairly good amount of RPGs in over 20 years of my life, I can only tell you that you can understand certain statements better only by playing a ton of games, it's useless to make examples right now because you don't have the necessary knowledge of the genre but as in the majority of genres, evolution and design standards or philosophies are rarely drastically changed by one title alone, FFVII while having its merits it's nowhere as revolutionary or important to the genre as they want you to believe, the actual revolutionary and groundbreaking titles are the niche ones, not the big hitters.
Also, consider that FFVII or the FF series in general is not really a representative for the genre, it did spawn quite a few clones, but there are lots of games out there that do their own thing and the very FF series took a lot of inspiration from other games as well.
>>2870514
It might be the same chip, but the samples sound muffled as hell on the snes.
>>2870560
It's not the same chip, but it is somewhat similar (Sony made the SNES SPU too). It's a lot better than the SNES SPU. Most importantly it has 8 times as much ram, so the samples aren't so muffled.
In Europe it was the first Final Fantasy game to actually reach us.
not OP, but am I expected to switch around the party often ? I've just been going at it with Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie so far and have had no problems at parts where I was forced to use other characters like whenbarrett fights his m8 and his m8 fucking macarbes himself off a cliff
If we're talking about final fantasy 6, which version is the best if I'm playing it for the first time? (Will probably be on emulator)
>>2870608
There's a part where you're forced to use Tifa, and a part where you're forced to use Cid, but because of materia all the characters are similar so it doesn't matter.
>>2870608
Characters you aren't using still gain EXP and levels.
>>2870536
>You should know that "best of all time" is a meaningless statement with little to no actual importance in the vast majority of cases, mostly because the people who write this are clueless goons, secondly because it's a statement made by the industry for the industry, rarely if ever there is truth in what people say about "best of all times" other than hey, they sold a shitload of copies and made some dank memes, must be a great game.
Give me a fucking break. This is the most hipster thing I've heard in a long time.
>>2870608
Nice, using the harem party i see.
>>2870686
I only main grilles in fighting games too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDz9A4ByHIQ
Honestly it was the ads for me.
Didn't even know what I was getting into, was my first rpg, once I hopped off the train I was confused, especially with the battle system. It soon became my favorite game ever though.
The graphics in these ads were mind blowing for console at the time. Single handedly turned the tide for playstation.
>>2870686
I like how Barret comments on it when you pick Tifa+Aerith when leaving Midgar.
What do you guys think of these fireworks I picked up this weekend?
>>2870692
Damn, those are some great commercials. I would have been sold back then just from those.
I like how the Japanese ones are the only ones to show actual gameplay.
>>2870615
SNES with this patch
http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/1386/
I just finished replaying it. I still love it, honestly.
The tone and setting are still unique in gaming. It has a dream like haze to it that comes from playing as these simple Lego characters against the beautifully constructed backgrounds. The simplicity of the character graphics make the dramatic turns much more startling and impactful. I found that the FMV portions were not nearly engaging as the story bits told in game (the reveal of meteor is so great).
The characters are interesting enough for the most part and the story has a good twist/reveal. Losing control of Cloud periodically works really well still, I wish limiting player agency was used more often in gaming narratives; it can be very unnerving. Tifa is strong and maybe the most determined character in the game. She's kind of the hero upon retrospect.
The music really makes it though. It ties everything together and is just spot on. So many great moments but the flash back to Nibelheim sticks out. Cloud wakes up and you have him run to the basement of the manor, where Sephiroth proceeds to perform a monologue explaining his relation to Jenova. This scene is full of expsosition and quick character building, and does not work that well. But the entire time the only audio playing is a bell being run over and over. Finally, at the end of the speech, Sephiroth tells Clouds that he's going "to see his mother", after which the song kicks in fully and the reveal of burning Nibelheim/race to Jenova begins. If the music were just a bit worse this scene would drag and the villain would lose a lot of emotional weight; instead it elevates Sephiroths character immensely. I am not sure how memorable he'd be withe different music.
The gameplay still works well but enemy skills and summons break it later on. Still, it adds to how powerful you feel. I enjoy turn based battles and feel that the FF7 is solid if not too easy.
But overall I think it still really holds up. Great game.
>>2870781
The reveal of meteor was FMV though
>>2870781
I agree with this wholeheartedly, especially the part about the use of Sephiroth's theme.
The experience of playing FFVII is just magical. I try to only replay it every few years so it stays fresh. I first played it in 2007, I believe; maybe 2008.
>>2870787
The FMV is framed by Barret and Tifa who are in the Junon prison and are still polygonal. When Barret lifts the shade.
>>2870354
>FFVII is more or less FFVI 2.0
And FFVI is just FFIV 2.0.
The game's protagonist Cecil/Terra/Cloud is a former soldier of the evil Baron/Gestahl/Shinra helped the evil empire achieve its goals before they turned away from them. Unbeknownst to the protagonist, they are actually the inheritor of a powerful magical legacy from their Lunarian heritage/Esper heritage/Jenova cells, a truth they will have to face and accept before they overcome their nemesis Golbez/Emperor/President. But it turns out that said nemesis was only a red herring and the TRUE threat to the world is the immensely powerful and inhuman Zeromus/Kefka/Sephiroth who wants to wipe out humanity and claim the earth for Lunarians/Himself/Jenova! Together with his allies, the Kung Fu master Yang/Sabin/Tifa, the mysterious ninja Edge/Shadow/Yuffie, and other identical characters tropes, they will pilot the Enterprise/Blackjack/Highwind and save the world!
As you approach this area (playing fot the 10th time) and you know the inevitability of Aeris' death. Few moments on your life you have a more powerful feeling of despair and inability to change it...
>>2870948
I mean, aeries isn't that cool
>>2870962
But it had a major role in the game story. Fewer deaths on entertainment industry had more impact.
Few deaths*
>>2870338
>I was 5 years old when this game came out
you can't put on nostalgia goggles for something that was never part of your youth in the first place, OP.
>what made this game so popular
What other jRPG came out 1997 than is remotely close to FF7 in terms of execution and grandness of it's scope on the Playstation?
>>2870354
>animu was the hottest shit around
Not in 97.
>>2870884
And FFV is just FFIII.
And FFIV is just FFII.
And FFII is just FFI.
>>2870338
>I don't really see what made this game as popular as it was
Came out at the right time.
>>2870390
>I can think of two big reasons
I agree. The party members' characterization and relationships with Cloud, particularly Tifa, were two of the big draws for me when I first played the game. I hope they don't reduce these factors in the Remake and keep them huge and constantly in focus.
>>2870676
And still you haven't been able to make any example to support your opinion.
There are only a handful of games that fit in the concept, and just barely, if you are bothered by people pointing out that less renowned or "successful" games made things better I don't know what to tell you.
If you really think that games like Chrono Trigger or Tekken 3 were mindblowing pieces of entertainment as people say then I'm afraid your standards are just as low as the people's who write that.
It's the same with everything really, books, music or movies, you can't expect the titles that are unanimously called greatest of all time to actually be that good, it's an inherent contradiction, to have widespread success you must set the bar low so that most people can enjoy your product, because people have different experiences, tastes and level of comfort with anything.
>>2870512
youre still in the prologue part. this game is long as hell, i actually almost didnt finish it
>>2870338
Overall, and gameplay wise, it isn't that special and there were plenty of other, better games out at the time.
>>2870781
>>2870948
>>2870979
But this is something that, in its presentation, it truly does uniquely well. I can't say that any other game does a better job of presenting its story, or creating this sense of unearthly despair though it.
>>2871364
>implying Tekken 3 wasn't mindblowing
Nigga, people are STILL playing it even after like 6 sequels. Tekken 3 is apparently indirectly responsible for Daikatana turning out to be trash and behind schedule.
>>2871520
That Tekken 3 was mindblowing enough that people would still prefer playing it over its superior sequels.
Did I really have to spell that out for you? How dumb are you feeling today?
>>2871561
Well it's got two characters with cybernetic augments, a hallmark of cyberpunk. It's quite laughable compared to more pertinent examples, but it's technically in there.
I think it would be more fitting to just declare a world where tech and magic intermingle frequently as a fantasy/sci-fi setting and leave any subgenre nitpicking out of it.
One of the themes of cyberpunk is questioning how much humanity remains if the base biological components that make us who we are are changed or replaced; the whole "Am I man or machine?" thing, and that's not really explored in FF7 by either one of those characters.
>>2870338
The atmosphere and music is really nice. Although the story is a bit silly, it's still very good at immersing you into the game. I love FFVII. If you hate on FFVII because it's a popular and safe opinion to have on /v/, then you should be gunned down in the street like the degenerate you are.
>"But muh Skies of Arcadia/Suikoden 2/Chrono Trigger".
Shut the fuck up, nobody cares about your unpopular, and therefore shit, JRPGs.
>>2871571
>I think it would be more fitting to just declare a world where tech and magic intermingle frequently as a fantasy/sci-fi setting and leave any subgenre nitpicking out of it.
Yeah, I agree with that completely. It is somewhat cyberpunkish, there's no doubt about that. But it's not really going for what cyberpunk was. Really it's just that magic/scifi mix.
>>2871573
You're getting pretty edgy there friend. I like VII well enough, but it was also the first game to really disappoint me because of over-hype. I read every magazine article, I bought the soundtrack, had posters all before it was out.
Nothing could have lived up to the expectations I'd built, but even still it's far from a perfect game and there are much better JRPGs out there.
>>2871573
just to elaborate in case OP thinks i'm attacking him. This was the only part directed to him, everything else is off-hand:
>"The atmosphere and music is really nice. Although the story is a bit silly, it's still very good at immersing you into the game. I love FFVII"
>>2871551
>That Tekken 3 was mindblowing enough that people would still prefer playing it over its superior sequels.
Not really, people play it because of nostalgia and preferences, just like any old game.
There's nothing mindblowing about Tekken 3 except the graphics, most of the fanbase prefer Tekken 2 and even when Tekken 3 came out I still remember me and my pals being unimpressed with the game outside of the visual factor.
Same with people who prefer Night Warriors over Vampire Saviour, people play old fighting games because they like the system, not because the game was "mind blowing" back in the days, otherwise you'd have hordes of avid arcade Virtua Fighter players, which are ironically almost completely extinct.
>>2871614
>>2871614
The other thing is that fighters are mostly multiplayer games so people also tend to gravitate to what's popular because it's easier to get good matches on your skill level.
So even though I genuinely rather like KoF 2000 and 2001 despite their flaws, outside of a few matches with friends I haven't played either of them in years.
I've never been into 3D fighters much, but that's my impression of what happened with VF.
>>2871614
>nostalgia and preferences, just like any old game.
So you could say that it made an impression on them.
Almost as if they had their minds blown in such a fashion that they would still want to play it all these years later.
>most of the fanbase prefer Tekken 2
HAHAHA no, that's Jun fanboys. The preferred /vr/ Tekken game is TTT by the hardcore fanbase, Tekken 3 was the hyper-popular one (due to it being mindblowing) and is pretty much the reason why Tekken is the best-selling fighting game franchise.
>otherwise you'd have hordes of avid arcade Virtua Fighter players
Apples and oranges, anon, for reasons that I don't want to blogpost here, save that I'll say Tekken changes its systems, VF builds on its systems.
>>2870338
It was the big leap from 2-D sprites to 3-D avatars on rendered backgrounds.
And people noticed the graphical leap.
Plus it as HUGE with just an absolute ton in it. For the same $50 you could get a bunch of action games that last 5 - 8 hours each or you could get this game and put a minimum 50 hours on it.
>>2871647
>Almost as if they had their minds blown in such a fashion that they would still want to play it all these years later.
No, being mind blown and liking a system are completely different things, you're just trying to force your meaning of words unto others.
I was definitely impressed by Vampire saviours and the first Capcom VS SNK, I play them to this day with a few friends, and I am really fond of those even though they don't hold a candle to games like GG for me, but still I play them because I like their system, I like how it works and there's really nothing special in any of those games, Bloody Roar impressed me a lot more but it's utter garbage that I will never ever touch again if not in dire moments of nostalgia crisis, same with a lot of other games.
I was blown away by Gran Turismo, but I still preferred Ridge Racer, same with FFVII, sure, pretty FMV, good music and all of that, but I enjoyed Ogre Battle and Ogre Battle 64 more when it comes to both system and story, I really loved FFVIII attempt at introducing level scaling and messing with mechanics, it was certainly a neat thing, but the cast was so so and the game turned out not that good in the end when it comes to overall design, it certainly impressed me more than FFVII, but as much as I kinda like the series in general I enjoyed games like Vagrant Story or SaGa Frontier 2 a lot more.
>that's Jun fanboys
>Tekken 3 was the hyper-popular one
>due to it being mindblowing
Ah, again with that word.
Tekken 3 had the same treatment as FFVII, it was just a lot of rumour made by people who weren't into FG that much, Tekken became popular because it lowered the bar and had pretty graphics, it was a fighting game for everyone, with little input execution and general skill requirements, just like every "best game of all time".
>>2871682
Fighting games on the Sega and Nintendo were bad and ugly.
Tekken 3 looked like an arcade-machine game for the time.
It instilled the belief that you finally got an arcade-quality system for your home, which was largely true to the point that such is when arcades started dying off and you stopped seeing so many arcade machines in gas stations, restaurants, etc.
That's why it did well.
>>2871719
I think it was online more than at home arcade quality that really did it in for them. We were of course always searching for arcade perfection at home in the early days, but even when we got it I still went to arcades because that was where the competition was.
It was only once I could stay on my couch and connect online to play hundreds of people instead of the same dozen always at the arcade that I finally stopped going.
Can't speak for any of the Tekken stuff though, it was only ever 2D for me.
>>2871682
>Ah, again with that word.
The subject of the discussion? Yeah, funny how English works that way.
>You're just trying to force your definition
As are you.
>>2871719
Oh, the arcade Tekken 3 looked a lot better than the home release though, your point is only really valid for Tekken Tag on the ps2
just about 21hrs in now (most of this is idling while i shitpost on estonian street racing BBS's though)
cloud lv27
tifa lv25
yuffie lv26
how am i doing ?
>>2871962
The game practically plays itself, you can't possibly be doing bad.
>>2871962
Level doesn't really matter. You never really need to grind, and the final battle difficulty is scaled to your level.
>>2871987
>and the final battle difficulty is scaled to your level.
It scales up based on how many people are Lv99 which is very unlikely to happen on a regular playthrough.
>>2870338
I bought the game and didn't know shit about it through advertising or anything. I was familiar with ff but that was it. It was cool because graphics, presentation, and it being a big world. Music was awesome, camera angles were awesome, everything was awesome.
>>2872013
No. It scales with Cloud's level, no matter what level he is. If he's level 1 (or whatever the starting level is; I can't remember), the battle will be adjusted accordingly.
Thus, if you prevent Cloud from ever gaining EXP, the fight is easy as hell. Another way to cheese the final boss fight is to give Cloud every single stat boosting item. By the end of the game his stats will be way beyond what they should be for his level and he'll be slightly overpowered compared to the level of Sephy.
>>2874602
Oh shut up, you bitch.
>>2870338
The music is an often under-rated contributor to a memorable experience. The more somber themes were notably beautiful. The effect of good music makes tedious gameplay more tolerable and gives significant events in the story more emotional impact.
>>2870338
JRPGs weren't that big at the time, it had a gigantic advertisement campaign, and all the fanboys got boners for Tifas CGI boobs.
And this was back in the era when a shit ton of FMVs and ugly as sin CGI animation were considered "good gameplay".
>>2870338
You gonna see it for yourself once you finish Disc 1.
>>2870338
Here in Europe, (J)RPG's were virtually non-existant, well, they existed, but you had to look real hard to actually find one. Final Fantasy was a name that only the most hard-core-underground gamers had heard of.
Then Final Fantasy 7 happenend, and not only did it get some serious advertising, the game itself was enormous in scale, the production values were something that was never seen in games before. It's probably hard to imagine that now with all the triple-A titles with enormous budgets, but what FF7 did, is actually insane. Bringing out a title, with those production values, in a genre, that only in Japan itself is popular, was an enormous risk.
But it paid off, and more. Not only did it become a huge succes, it made the rest of the world consider JRPG's go synonemous with Final Fantasy.
MY FINGERS ARE TINGLING
>>2877021
srsly though. The dialogue after that event..
The weird thing about playing FFVII is how similar to feels to any other of the classic FF games.
At the time it was seen as this huge departure from the 16-bit Square games but now it just feels like a continuation of them.
FMV and narrative
>>2877021
I can't wait for that scene with voice acting in HD along with retarded Cloud in a wheelchair.
Final Fantasy VII was the first manufactured hit in the history of video games. The first modern video game. It's basically the Titanic of video games. Cloud is basically Leonardo DiCaprio.
>>2871573
>unpopular, and therefore shit
I was kinda agreeing with you (I think the story is flat out great) until you said this retarded shit.
Please end your existence, this is one of the most vile and disgusting opinions a person can have.
>>2877993
>Cloud in a wheelchair
It won't have the same impact because they won't have the balls to make him retarded like in the original.
That part scarred me as a kid. Seeing the hero I was playing as and putting myself into reduced to that sad disabled guy on the wheelchair rocking back and forth with his eyes wide open, while that extremely depressing track played.
No, no, no it won't be anywhere close.
>>2870338
>tfw I played FF3 and didn't find it fun
>played FF7 for 10 hours and really disliked it
>FF13 on hold cause I just don't find it fun, only good thing about it is the characters
seriously I wanted to get to the series so much but I just don't enjoy it
I was told to play IV, VI and X after I mentioned this somewhere else so I might try it again, but damn, the series seems so underwhelming.
>>2878145
You will hate FFX so don't bother with it.
>>2878009
>Final Fantasy VII was the first manufactured hit in the history of video games
Tetris called
>>2878134
I mean, there's still hope. But after their comments on the Honey Bee Inn scene, there's a risk that the remake might be really sanitized.
I've recently started to play it for the first time.
Just finished disc 1 and I like the game so far.
I think I need to grind because Demon's gate fucked me up.
>>2870342
>Steampunk
Kek
>>2880406
>I think I need to grind because Demon's gate fucked me up.
Why don't you just keep trying without grinding? There's a lot of fun in actually beating a boss you're having trouble with without grinding.
>>2878145
VIII is literally the best. Don't listen to the memes. Worth it just for the in-game card collecting game.
>>2880536
It's not the best (I'd be hesitant to actually call a single FF "the best") but it's fucking amazing. I still don't understand where the hate comes from.
I've narrowed it down to two theories:
1. Too many people are retarded enough to struggle with the junction system.
2. Too many people are retarded enough to dismiss squall's character as "just an edgy dude"
>>2871614
>most of the fanbase preferred Tekken 2
>seriously implying that Tekken Tag Tournament wasn't the best Tekken
What the fuck? Is this bizarro world?
>>2870338
4g Game.... in 1997. You probably don't realize how massive that is.
>>2880693
The shoehorned romance is retarded
There's some other instances of bad writing, like the hurdurramnesia part or Rinoa hanging off the edge of the floating garden for 20 minutes
There's no middle ground between struggling with the junction system and raping it to death; VIII is probably the most exploitable game in the series.
No party members outside Squall and Rinoa really get much backstory.
Some people with bad taste don't like the soundtrack.
Squall being an edgy dude is probably about 90% of it though.
>>2870338
I can't speak for initial reception, but as someone who played it for the first time last year and loved it, it has an appeal that is very lasting. It's solid all-around, but the storytelling, music, and characters are all designed incredibly well. The game is very long (or it felt to me that way), and is surprisingly consistent in how enjoyable it is all throughout. It capitalized on a few trends like cyberpunk, and did them very well, which explains the popularity.
>>2870351
SNES FFs were not cinematic in their storytelling, very much more Operatic/Dramatic in how its presented.
>>2870725
>not Brave New World
I can't even imagine going back to the FFVI where Magic is the only stat that matters, anymore.
>>2878365
>their comments on the Honey Bee Inn scene
What.
>>2881031
>shoehorned romance
They're the children of Laguna and Julia. Fated lovers. Common trope.
>hurdurramnesia
I can only assume you're referring to the effect GF has on the wielder's memory. This was actually explained well before the amnesia reveal happened. Pay attention.
>VIII is probably the most exploitable game in the series
This is true. Junctioning 100 Tornado before you even hit the SeeD Exam basically makes you untouchable.
>No party members outside Squall and Rinoa really get much backstory
Also true, now that I think about it. Most I can remember is that they were all orphans raised by Cid and Edea.
>Squall being an edgy dude
I will never not hate the blatant misuse of the term "edgy" that 4chan has grown accustomed to. Apathy is not "edgy".
>>2880512
I did defeat it without grinding. I'm now on disc 2 and I just got the air ship.
>>2881323
>Common trope.
So just another way of saying cliche?
it's industrialpunk not cyberpunk get it right
>>2882174
I thought it was dieselpunk?
>>2881494
Update: Just got Cloud back.
Also learned that you can't get Vincent Valentine without having Cloud in your party.
>>2881323
>This was actually explained well before the amnesia reveal happened.
I remember reading it on the console in Balamb well before I got to the plot point that hinged on it. It was still dumb. Foreshadowing lazy writing doesn't do much to excuse it.
>>2870350
>RPGs were very popular at the time and Square was seen as one of the kings of gaming. FFVI had been massive and very well loved.
I don't remember this being the case at all. I only remember RPGs become popular as a result of FF7 being such a big hit.
Granted, that might just be because I didn't hang out with the right people.
>>2871489
>What about VII is cyberpunk?
I don't know if I'd really call FF7 a cyberpunk game, but they do share some elements, such as the theme of technology versus humanity and the idea of technological progress put to use as a tool of bondage.
>>2881323
Feeling defensive there?
>>2881323
>They're the children of Laguna and Julia. Fated lovers. Common trope.
Rinoa basically throws herself at Squall who doesn't know how to handle it. It focuses more on Squall adapting to and learning to engage with Rinoa that it does actually establishing that Squall actually cares about her.
It was poorly communicated, and the fact that they were "fated lovers" doesn't change that.
>I can only assume you're referring to the effect GF has on the wielder's memory. This was actually explained well before the amnesia reveal happened. Pay attention.
Even if you excuse the fact that it was incredibly lazy writing (what with it being explained and foreshadowed) that doesn't excuse it being entirely unnecessary to the plot and detrimental to the game's themes.
Almost nothing in the plot would have changed if Squall, Seifer, Quistis, Zell and all remembered their childhoods together. The only thing we'd have lost is the "gotcha" moment when they suddenly remember everything.
>I will never not hate the blatant misuse of the term "edgy" that 4chan has grown accustomed to. Apathy is not "edgy".
I agree, Squall is not an edgy character unless you seriously abuse the definition of the word.
He is, however, very unsociable, and I don't think it was very wise for Square to make the lead protagonist a character who actively avoids engaging with the other characters.
I think it's a very interesting idea, but I don't think they pulled it off as well as they intended to.
This is kind of my beef with FF8 as a whole. It's extremely evident where the game fell short.
>>2870338
Sephiroth was the Villain all the "bad boy rebels" wanted to be, and all the fangirls wanted to fuck. That's pretty much it. If you can cosplay a good Sephiroth at an anime convention, you'll likely get laid.
One of the great jrpg's of all time. 7 was the apex of Square's FF powers, after having spent a decade perfecting their series culminating in the SNES era, they recreated it in 3d for the first time. A good idea very well executed.
>>2870338
>So, I'm asking you, /vr/: What made Final Fantasy VII so wildly popular that it pretty much single-handedly changed the series?
Edge.
Angst.
Being on a more "mature" console than Nintendo.
Being a lot of babbys' first big RPG.
>>2878145
>I was told to play IV, VI and X
Whoever told you to skip V is a scumbag of massive proportions.
>>2870470
>The only "game changer" was that the marketing was successful
It's mainly this plus brand awareness as Squaresoft had been releasing RPGs in the US for quite some time. It had already dominated the RPG niche on the console market before FF7 was even released.
Story-wise, the game isn't that good. It rehashes the same old tired story of a nameless underdog saving the world from a super powerful villain with his cadre of freakish friends with elements of Greek tragedies thrown in for good measure. The story was easy for gamers to get into due to its simplicity, familiarity, and the fact that many people could relate to Cloud and his friends. How many people don't see themselves as an underdog? Not many.
>>2871719
>on Nintendo
weren't really many, and the ones that were there were literally-who stuff
like, I enjoyed Fighters Destiny, but no one really knew about it other than the small handful of friends I played it with
>on Sega
did you even play the VF2 Saturn port? or any of the other Sega fighting games?
VF1 on Saturn looked like ass, sure (for like no reason other than being rushed as fuck, too), but VF2 runs at 480i (and renders 3D at that resolution, a lot of other 480i Saturn games render 3D at 240 lines like Fighting Vipers, which has more impressive lighting as a tradeoff), keeps a solid 60fps, and just plays really well.
Most of Sega's other fighters on the machine had that same level of polish.
the real answer is that no one bought a Saturn in the west (and for the most part, people barely had a reason to, go look at the tiny-ass western game release list for the machine, it's pretty depressing)
Keep in mind, Tekken in the arcade has always been the sort of "budget" game, all of them up until 4 ran on a slightly beefed up PS1 in a cab, making it much cheaper for operators than the more impressive VF2 and much more impressive looking VF3, both of which ran on Sega's highest-end boards at the time (and were thus pretty damn expensive).
Tekken looked like the arcade because the arcade release of Tekken wasn't terribly impressive there (wasn't bad though), and ran on almost the same hardware at home.
>>2885254
>Whoever told you to skip V is a scumbag of massive proportions.
I can understand why they'd say that. FF5 isn't as character or story focused as 4 or 6.
Having said that, FF5 is, in my opinion, the better and more enjoyable title.
>>2874602
>Muh Wizardry
>Muh Ultima
>>2885731
What are you even trying to say
I know this thread is for FF7, but figured it'd be alright to ask here.
Is there a definitive patch for the SNES version of FF6 that fixes the status effects and useless stats? I haven't played it since I was 15 and want to play fixed version that isn't GBA.
>>2887052
4, 6, 7 and 9 are the only ones really worth playing.
>>2887059
What are you trying to insinuate? That doesn't answer my question at all.
Also, fuck you. FFV isn't perfect but it's the most fun mainline title in the series.
>>2871509
>But this is something that, in its presentation, it truly does uniquely well. I can't say that any other game does a better job of presenting its story, or creating this sense of unearthly despair though it.
You clearly haven't played Crisis Core, or gotten to that part where Zach is tasked with going to Nibelheim and you know things are gonna suck for somebody...
>>2887072
It is one of the harder bosses in the game. However, a little secret is if you use a Phoenix Down on it, you will automatically defeat it!
