The game that killed Squaresoft.
By Rich Stanton
This is a retrospective in the truest sense. I've switched on Final Fantasy 7 since its re-release on PSN a few years ago, but never played past the opening section of Midgar - an opening that, at the time of first playing, I thought was the game itself. The PS3 doesn't take PS1 memory cards, of course, so I can't resurrect my Avalanche crew, every single one at max level, while the treasured materia and weapon collection remains out of reach - nevermind my thoroughbred chocobos. Some games you can only play once.
Over time this gives distance to how you think about it. Final Fantasy 7 has never been loved for the right reasons; conversations focus overwhelmingly on a single moment that in its grand scheme felt largely irrelevant. I'm referring, of course, to the death of Aeris, the sweet flower girl who joins your party in the game's early portion and then, at the end of the first of three discs, is killed by arch-baddy Sephiroth.
"Driver was a technical achievement for PS1, a pioneer in cinematic gaming, and an often brutal challenge - TechStomper asks if its brand of 70s car chase antics still holds up."
Sadly youd be hard pressed to find any driving game with better physics these days. But the draw distance really kills it for me
Gran Turismo for PlayStation launched a sub-genre and revolutionised console racing - TechStomper asks is it still worth playing in 2024.
I'm not big into sim racing, but I got sucked into the hype for this one from magazines back then. I just played arcade mode and that was enough for me to feel like I got my money's worth.
Yeah, it's definitely worth playing today. GT 2 has a few interesting fan made graphical mods when played on an emulator as well.
Cars back then had much more personality then those we see today. Modern cars all about the led lights and the tablet size screens and they all seem alike, back then they could be simpler in design but had tons more personality.
That Corvette Stingray to this day is one of the most ferocious whips ever driven. Overpowered against other cars yes. But to drive it and be that close to losing control, but being in command around those curves, just can't be duplicated.
HiFi mode is also something I miss. There should be a mode in today's GT where it's Mano o Mano and the detail and resolution jump full throttle. In today's games, Max Ray Tracing and lighting and textures to make it look even more real..
Not according to Former Playstation president Jim Ryan for he told Time that he doesn't see why anyone would play old games given the advancements in fidelity achieved today.
https://time.com/4804768/pl...
Final Fantasy 7 has come back under the spotlight thanks to the release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but is it worth replaying the original?
Very much so. Graphically it's dated but the story and the gameplay haven't aged a day. It's still one of my all time favourite RPGs and for me is better than Remake in some ways.
Worst FF in the series
I think its time for Square Enix to make a remake for the PlayStation 4
Drivel. Don't waste your time.
fact is that...it remains the best ff to date.
I don't understand how Final Fantasy VII killed Squaresoft. It's an all-time classic JRPG. Squaresoft made Final Fantasy VIII, IX and X - all of which I think are great (with 8 maybe just good).
If you want to say the merger with Enix killed Square, then from a logical standpoint I understand. But even then, while we haven't seen a great run of Final Fantasy games we did get FFXII, Kingdom Hearts games, The World Ends With You and some good published games like Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Hitman: Absolution and the new Tomb Raider.
Square Enix has been making a lot more bad decisions than good the past several years, but how on Earth can we attribute this to a fantastic RPG from 1997.