Final Fantasy VII: Revisiting a classic adventure (Switch)

Final Fantasy games from the original Playstation era will always have a special place in my heart.

They were among the first RPGs I played for any significant length of time - the first ones which really hooked me, at least.

And although the eighth entry in this long running series was the first one I actually owned, it was the seventh which first drew me in.

I fondly recall listening to every detail, poring over the instruction manuals and guides my friends brought in to school and being totally glued to the screen as they played their way through its epic, twisting and turning story.

It wasn't until a few years later that I returned to play it for myself. I've replayed it many times since and wow - what a game.

Final Fantasy VII opens with a bang as Cloud Strife, Barrett Wallace and members of an action group called Avalanche infiltrate and destroy a reactor owned by a company the Shinra Corporation.

From there Cloud finds himself embroiled in a struggle with increasingly high stakes as he fights to protect those he cares about.

Although the game has been out for a long time indeed, I won't reveal any more of the plot. With it having recently been re-released on Switch I imagine it has a fair few first time players.

Needless to say, it's a twisting tale full of hard hitting moments, humour, intrigue and some genuinely interesting moral and philosophical ideas.

Along the way Cloud meets a memorable cast of allies and enemies, all of whom feel very nicely rounded and well developed.

Some of his fellow heroes in particular have fascinating stories of their own and it is wonderful to see how they grow and change as events of the game unfold.

Some people seem to dislike the way FFVII has aged in the graphics department - but honestly, I like the way the game looks.


The character models may lack some detail, but what do you want? It was an original Playstation game - and if I'm remembering right, it was the first 3D Final Fantasy game too.

It does however have a lot of gorgeous locations and backgrounds, such as the towns and villages you visit along the way.

There is also a lovely selection of really atmospheric music tracks to accompany the adventure, which just heightens the experience and really adds emotion to a lot of key scenes.

Gameplay-wise, FFVII offers your classic turn-based RPG battle system with exploration via a world map that gradually opens up as you take on the main quest.

If you've played any other Final Fantasy game prior to 10, you'll likely know what to expect here.

The unique element this entry brings to the table is the materia system, which enables you to equip different buffs and magic abilities to your characters' weapons and armour.

Each piece of materia usually brings its own strengths and drawbacks, so you're faced with a nice balancing exercise as you tune each character to your liking.


Main quest aside, there is an absolute heap of additional content to enjoy in this game, from chocobo breeding and racing to tackling tough optional bosses, tracking down powerful spells and weapons and plenty of fun mini-games.

My most recent playthough on the Nintendo Switch version clocked up a good 30 hours and I didn't even go for all of the extras this time round.

The Switch version itself features some additional options, including the ability to put the game into 3X speed, max out stats and turn off enemy encounters.

Of these I used the speed option only - using the others felt a little too much like cheating. The speed option just helped reduce the time I spent grinding for exp.

All in all this is a fantastic game and a real classic in the RPG genre. Well worth a buy and a bargain for your money at just over £12.50.

Have you played FFVII and its Switch version? What did you think of it? Let me know below!

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