John Paul M. Joaquin Games 12.19.2022 09:Dec AM EST

[RETRO GAMING] Do You Remember the Original Final Fantasy VII?

Final Fantasy VII has to be one of the most iconic and popular games of all time in the history of the video game industry.

Anyone would recognize "One-Winged Angel" and think of Sephiroth, and anyone will remember their first look at Midgar during the game's opening scene.

However, with the remake changing things here and there, some things will be better or worse than the original 1997 game.

Here are some things that made Final Fantasy VII memorable and the points were improved on in the remake.

Final Fantasy VII 1997 History, Game Elements

Final Fantasy VII is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square (Square Enix's former name) and Eidos Interactive originally for the PlayStation and PC in 199, per the Final Fantasy Wiki.

The game focuses on the story of the mercenary, Cloud Strife, and AVALANCHE, an eco-terrorist insurgent group opposing the actions of the Shinra Electric Power Company, the main antagonists in the game.

During the events of the game, the player gets to see Cloud's development from a mercenary who fights for personal gain into a warrior who fights for a cause greater than himself.

The game's graphics are stunning for a game released in the 90s, according to IGN, while its combat mechanics are turn-based, with players being able to add magical abilities and even new special abilities through adding materia to their characters' weapons, per Gamespot.

Although only three characters are allowed to be in a party at one time, their equipment, abilities, and "limit breaks" distinguish them from one another.

"Limit breaks" become available when a character takes a certain amount of damage. Once that amount is reached, the character will attack and deal extra damage to the target enemy.

The game's plot is as great as it gets, with the game featuring many full-motion videos and world-building moments to sell the game's story to players. There may be some linearity in the game's plot, but it is widely considered a "respectable sacrifice" and a by-product of the story's complexity.

The game's soundtrack is also as memorable as its story, with people recognizing "Tifa's Theme," "Aerith's theme," and "One-Winged Angel" to the point they became a part of pop culture themselves in their own right.

Better Than The Remake?

Despite the game being one of the most iconic ones in video game history, it does have some imperfections here and there - things that the 2020 remake addressed and improved on.

According to Inverse, making turn-based combat optional cuts down on the time the game is being played, streamlining combat to real-time instead.

Random encounters can also be skipped in the Remake, unlike in the original game wherein you have to go up against every random enemy encounter to progress in the game.

Obviously, the game's graphics were given the modern remake they so deserve. Character interactions and gestures are now fully animated and voiced unlike in the original 1997 game, where head nods and hand waving are the only means of communication characters have other than the dialogue displayed at the top of the screen.