Since the advent of internet message boards there has been heavy debate about a little game known as Final Fantasy 7. The list of this game's accomplishments is not a short one. It has been decorated as the greatest RPG many times over, it's characters have received similar treatment as being called "best villain" or "best hero" of all time, and the game has been called by a few sources as the greatest video game ever made. It's no wonder that this game has so much opposition along with it. Considering the psychology of detractors it is easy to point out that it is simply just "cool" to hate it since so many loved it. Instead I will make a point counterpoint list of all the most common complaints about Final Fantasy 7 and show why they are unfounded, and overblown.
Firstly, let's discuss something about opinions. I do not mind anyone who says they did not like Final Fantasy 7, I have a problem with people who call it a "bad" game. It is clearly not a bad game for reasons I will further delve into, and for all the accolades it has received which speak volumes to it more than I ever could. What detractors tend to forget is they can dislike something, but they have to go one level higher to understand if that something is actually bad. For instance, I dislike the Metal Gear Solid series, but I will never call them bad games because I know they aren't. If you cannot understand this perspective then I cannot respect your opinions. This is the sort of thing that gets lost on message boards and popular opinion.
Back to the point of the article...the top 10 complaints of Final Fantasy 7:
1. The story is terrible!
I often read this from haters of FF7, with little else posted. To this day I have yet to read actual complaints about the story other than it has poor translation (look to complaint #5 for that). So what about the story was so terrible? Let's recap it quick shall we? Cloud, a mercenary sets out to make some dough and befriends a rebel group along the way against an evil company called Shinra who seeks the promised land to further their overall power. The main villain former hero Sephiroth discovers his past and causes him to go insane and really just be a thorn in everyone's side from there on, and of course, seeks to destroy the world. Many plot twists and character developments ensue and we have ourselves an RPG.
At no point in playing this game did I consider it to be anything less than what I had played prior. If anything it was an improvement on what had been offered in the past, and that's the bar in which it should be measured (see complaint #6). Square had provided us with the very first cinematic heavy, deeply woven plot line the likes of which the game genre had never seen before. I have yet to find a valid argument to why FF7's story is any worse than what had been offered before it.
2. The characters are underdeveloped and stereotypical.
Stereotypical? Yes. Underdeveloped? No, you didn't finish the game/weren't paying attention. First, let's analyze stereotypical as I love this argument most. Stereotypical by what measure? If your answer is to other RPG's then I lol in your face. Did the game at any point call a character "Warrior" or "black mage"? No. Then by this standard that had been set by RPG's prior FF7 was a revelation. People often point to Crono Trigger as a game with a better cast of characters. While I love Crono Trigger I will say this about its character development and stereotypes all with two words, "silent protagonist." There, suck on that.
Now for the characters being underdeveloped? I do not understand this argument. For the first time in a long time each character was given their own scene of development about what their goals and aspirations were, or stories about their past. Some characters got multiple moments like this. I can't name many RPG's that gave each character their own moment in the sun in that time period but FF7 did it.
3. Cloud is emo.
Ugh...Cloud's entire persona before disc 1 was that he was out for himself, wanted money, cared nothing for others. This is not emo. Throughout disc 1 we see a change in Cloud through his involvement with Aries and he finds a heart for his friends and their struggle. Aries dies and Cloud then finds this "emo" area through the majority of the game. But what defines this "emo" state? Simply, Cloud feels useless, like he cannot help or save anyone and doesn't know his place in life. I dare to find a single person in the world today that has never experienced this at least once, or can't imagine that some have even been consumed by it. How is this not relatable or unrealistic? Cloud lost a close friend right in front of his eyes, does he suddenly become happy? No. Does he dance around with glee? No... Does he exhibit a very honest human emotion? Why yes he does! Then quit whining about it.
4. Sephiroth is a mediocre villain.
RPG's of that era had this going for them, that every villain's goal was to take over the world, destroy it, or do both. Sephiroth is no different from these villains except that we actually get to see his past and know his thoughts. Every villain before him wanted power, control, or whatever. Sephiroth is interesting because he doesn't want any of these things. He's insane really and we get to watch him evolve from hero to villain right before our eyes because of what he learns about himself. He sees the truth, hates it, loathes himself at first and then embraces it causing his insanity. This is interesting, this is not stale, this is engrossing. How is he worse than Lavos from Crono Trigger whom we know nothing about? Or the many final bosses of FF1-5 whom I can barely remember the names of. Many counter that Kefka was a more interesting character. Kefka was good, and definitely a step in the right direction, but he sought only power and to control the world, *yawn* been there done that. Sephiroth wanted to end all life on the planet and use it to travel to other galaxies to spread his hatred for life. Insane! And, interesting.
5. This game has poor translation.
They all did back then. Few people realize the market of video games was just booming around this time and the interest in spending large quantities of money for good translations was a foreign (lol) idea. This is one reason people state the game has a bad story. Well ignore for a moment that the game wasn't translated well, how is the story worse because of it? The actions of the characters still play out the same way in all translations. The points are still understood, and confusion only occurs to people not paying attention (see complaint 7).
6. You can't keep using the excuse of "for the time...."
Yes I can. FF7 came out in 1997 and that's how we measure things. How many people claim Gone With the Wind is bad because movies these days are better, or make more sense? No one, they call it a classic and move on. But for some reason FF7 is not allowed the same treatment. For the time, FF7 did what no other RPG had done. It was a cinematic experience like no other, with solid game play, characters, music, and graphics (see complaint 10). For the time, it was a revelation.
7. Final Fantasy 7 has too many plot holes.
It does? Which ones? I can't find them, everything that was important was explained to me. I played the game 8 times through, and I remain satisfied with the story. That's not to say the game doesn't have a few HUH??? moments but it is a Japanese game, let's keep this in mind. That being said, Japanese plots and stories are batshit crazy let's be honest. Most westerners aren't totally used to some of the crazy shit the Japanese have cooked up in the past, but FF7 is pretty tame by those standards.
8. This game is too easy!
Ah, another favorite complaint of mine. For the uninitiated, FF7 is an RPG, a genre that as I understand it is made to be beaten. The entire point of the genre is to be an interactive storybook. I dare to find anyone complain that an RPG from that era was difficult at all. Sure, strategy RPG's were, some of them, but mainstream Japanese RPG's spoon fed you every step of the way. Can't beat a boss? Grind! Seriously, that is the solution to every RPG and if this defines difficulty to the genre, then I'll prefer FF7's pace any day. The fact that FF7 is fluent in that you do not have to grind to hear the story is a testament to just how well put together the game was as an RPG. That's not to say the game boasts no challenge either. They put Emerald and Ruby weapons in the game for just that reason.
9. The game takes itself too seriously.
This complaint is more common than you think. And the easy response is this: Cloud dresses up like a girl in the beginning of the game. While the game has more moments of whimsical comedy like this, at no point do I feel like I have to mention anything other than that. Conversation over, he cross dresses.
10. The graphics are terrible!
For the time....for the time... Square as few may know, is a graphics whore first and foremost. If at the time they devised a better cleaner look to a game they would have used it. Well that was the best they could come up with for the time. And dammit, it still looks better than 16 bit sprites. I think this complaint stems mostly from those of us that remember the commercials and all they showed us were the cinemas. Yeah, we were all fooled. It was a mean trick. I got over it, but a lot of people still harbor a grudge.
Conclusion:
Final Fantasy 7 will always be one of the all time great games, whether it is in your collection of greats or not. The arguments saying it was a bad game are laughable and just plain incorrect. I could sit here all day and complain about how much I hated the game play of Metal Gear Solid, or the 1 hour cut scenes it had, or how the villains continually sought redemption for no damn reason. But the fact is, Metal Gear Solid invented a genre, it was a solid game with tight controls, great music, and interesting writing. The fact that I hate it, even for some of those reasons, will never take away the fact that Metal Gear Solid is a classic, in the same respect that Final Fantasy 7 is. Insert your own "Metal Gear" here, it's still a perspective that needs to be understood.
*rant over...food now*
