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Final Fantasy VII brought the RPG genre to the masses; hell, it
was the first Final Fantasy to be released in the UK!
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It was three years in the making, and the subject
of more hotly-traded rumour and speculation
and gossip than any previous game in Japan, but Square
finally returned to its most popular and successful series
with Final Fantasy VII. A large part of the delay was because of
changing formats - Square felt it had done as much as
it could with the SNES, and wanted to start developing for
one of the next generation consoles. Of course, given the company's
long-standing association with Nintendo, everyone expected
it to plump for the Nintendo 64. Square, however, decided that the
only way to create the kind of games it wanted was to use the
massive storage space of the CD-ROM, and once it became
clear that Nintendo's wonder machine was going to stick
to the cartridge format, the company looked for another
platform. In one of the most significant endorsements of Sony's
game machine ever, Square announced that Final Fantasy VII would
be released on the PlayStation.
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Three years in the making...
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...and the subject of more
hotly-traded rumour, speculation and gossip
than any previous game in Japan...
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This, of course, is the game we all know and love. Cloud Strife's
struggle with the evil schemes of the oppressive Shinra Corporation
and his own mysterious past were an astonishing achievement, and
both the game's techno-magical world and main characters
have become icons for the PlayStation, rivalling such stars as
Lara Croft. Until the release of Final Fantasy VIII it was probably
the most stunning game available for Sony's little grey box of tricks,
with all three CDs of Final Fantasy VII packed to the gills with
sumptuous graphics, intricate plotting and ridiculously
addictive gameplay. Even given the PlayStation's 32-bit
architecture and much-famed 3D capabilities, no-one
expected and RPG to look this good.
If you still
haven't got a copy, you really should slap yourself
about the head for being such a fool and rush out
immediately and get one - you've no excuse not to
sacrifice months of your free time now, especially since
it's available at a bargain price.
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Some loved it; some disliked it, claiming the
plot was too thin...
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While all the Final Fantasy titles have enjoyed a monumental level of acclaim - especially in Japan - Final Fantasy
VIII has so far been the biggest global success for Square. This achievement - while entirely justified in an
artistic and technical sense - has also been aided by the enormous number of PlayStations owned world-wide.
That number has increased further, and now millions of owners count Final Fantasy VIII as their most hotly anticipated game
of 1999.
But long-time Final Fantasy fans say that Final Fantasy VIII was a disappointment. Sure, it has flashy graphics and four CDs, but does
the storyline compare to Final Fantasy VI, or even Final Fantasy VII with its twists and turns? We think not. Final Fantasy VIII's plot was too
simple for some, and to others it just didn't feel like a Final Fantasy. Don't get us wrong, we think
it's a great game in its own right - but give us Final Fantasy VI, and we'll play that in preference any day of the week...
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As ever, Square push the hardware to the limits...
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...but Final Fantasy VIII left hardcore Final Fantasy fans a little
disappointed.
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Roll on Final Fantasy IX...
Article by Andy Butcher for the Official U.K. PlayStation Magazine.
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