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Final Fantasy VII Genre Publisher Developer Release Date Role-Playing Game Sony Squaresoft 8/97 Final Fantasy 7, the first Final Fantasy to be released on the Playstation console way back in 1997. You're typical role playing game that involves a bunch of unique characters getting together to save the planet from Sephiroth. The main character is Cloud, he's an ex SOLDIER (its mentioned in all caps in the game) and joins this resistance group called Avalanche which features childhood friend Tifa, and group leader Barett. Avalanche's main goal is to take down Shinra. The first few hours take place in a city called Midgar. When you actually look at the game, as impressive as the FMVs are.....(especially for a playstation game) I have to admit that I was a little disappointed when the characters during the world map and mini movies looked like moving legos. The magic effects were good and playstation quality. Every Final Fantasy is known for having a real good soundtrack and this one is all right. Almost like any CD you buy, there are tracks that rock, and tracks that don't. The one thing I respect about most RPGs is that a lot of the tracks are orchestrated and that shows not only uniqueness versus any modern day game which involves a few keyboards, but shows heart. The final battle is one of those that is just breathtaking. Like every Final Fantasy, the buttons are pretty much wired the same way but it doesn't require any complications. I know that for some when first playing this game......it just seemed jaw opening. I truly believe that the core of this game is nothing short of beauty. Each city, each quest, each character all work to make one hell of a game. The magic system in this game is using Materia. There are different colors of materia which represent different groups. Green is spell magic, yellow is commands, red is summons, blue is 'conjunctive' (meaning can be combined with others), purple more likely is stat altering. Each character's weapon and armor contain both a multiplier and a certain amount of materia slots.. Some materias work only with conjunction of another. (Such Cure + All allows u to clear all) some materia can be used infinite times, others a certain amount of times (based on level.........or magic points cost), and those left up to chance....such as steal and deathblow. The higher the materia level gets......you can add or change abilities. (A cure gives you the new cure 2......a steal becomes a mug). The multiplier takes the AP points earned and multiplies it by a number to make AP added to weapons. Example: You earn 40 AP in battle and armor equipped has a 2X multiplier....every piece of materia in the armor gains 80 points versus 40. There is at least one weapon that has a #x Multiplier, but some have a multiplier of 0. When you level up your materia to the max.....you basically then create a new materia with nothing on it...... (such as a revive materia maxed out......you still keep you maxed out revive, but given a new one with 0 ap) Once again summons play a factor but just like most creatures can do a max of 9999 with the exception of one which is called Knights of the round. 13 Knights attack and each can do a max of 9999 which totals to damage for almost 130,000 hit points a shot. One of the things that makes Final Fantasy both fun and a drag, is the ability to raise chocobos in order to have them race....you can mate your chocobos to get new ones that have different abilities....the reason why anyone would do this is to get some good items. There is just so much to say about FF7 that it's unbelievable. It's just a game that I could never put down since I received it and my PSX for Christmas many years ago. The Display The Noise The Wiring The Core The Boomerang Overall 7.0 8.5 9 9.5 8.9 9.1