Final Fantasy VII, 25 Years Later

On January 31, 1997, Final Fantasy VII launched in Japan. 25 years later? We’re in the middle of a remake effort, the original is on virtually every platform and Cloud and Sephiroth are both in Smash Bros. The Siliconera staff is sharing its favorite FFVII memories. Why not share yours in the comments!

I think finally playing Final Fantasy VII on the PS1 is a big one for me. See, the first time I played it on the PC. (That’s how I played FFVIII originally too!) I didn’t have a controller, so I had to rely on keyboard controls. And since I didn’t have my own computer, I was going into my parents’ office and using one of theirs. Which meant I was right at the Northern Cave and end of the game when circumstances meant it was uninstalled to make room for a new business program. Since my first disc ended up too scratched to work along the way? I didn’t get to restart and beat the game proper until I played it on a console later. — Jenni

Final Fantasy VII wasn’t my first Final Fantasy — that would be FFVI — but it was likely the most influential. Sure, many moments from FFVI will always be iconic. I doubt I’ll ever forget them! But FFVII‘s whole vibe stuck with me from the day I paid multiple weeks worth of allowance to buy an overpriced, pirated CD copy of it from a local toy store. I even had to play on a hand-me-down PS1 that had to be turned on its side to read the disc. Its blending of seemingly modern-day/sci-fi aesthetic with the monolithic architecture and scale of by-then typical JRPG storytelling was catnip to then 12-year-old me.

It helps too that Remake has been so interesting, to boot. Rather than look like the kind of questionable franchise expansion like much of the Compilation of FFVII? Remake really seems to be grappling with and respecting its previous incarnations. It’s an approach that most reboots really don’t bother to take. That’s something I think might keep FFVII influential for a new generation of nerds. — Josh

My fondest memory of Final Fantasy VII has to do with the CGI film Advent Children. I remember downloading the Japanese announcement trailer for the film, which was such poor resolution I could barely make anything out. And despite not having played Final Fantasy VII myself at that time, I already was keenly aware of who these characters were through cultural osmosis. So I was extremely excited to see these characters in full 3D. I can still remember the pixelated mess of the Nibelheim incident in that trailer. Just thinking about how I huddled in front of my computer with its big, chunky CRT monitor to watch the trailer on repeat fills me with a deep sense of nostalgia. — Kazuma

What are your Final Fantasy VII memories? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter! And read our other handy roundtables for more thoughts from the Siliconera team.