According to a report over on Andriasang, Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada said that Square Enix won’t do a remake of Final Fantasy VII until another Final Fantasy title surpasses the quality of Final Fantasy VII. While I certainly applaud Square Enix for standing up for their product, I think it’s absolutely absurd to act like Final Fantasy VII is the best game in the franchise.
Final Fantasy VII is an iconic game, don’t get me wrong. It absolutely changed the way we look at RPG titles, and introduced a cast of characters that were more than just “companions”, giving you an emotional response for story entries because you actually care about these secondary characters. I’m pretty sure Aeris’ death is one of the most memorable moments in gaming history. That said, story wise, Final Fantasy VII has some really well done twists, but in the end it’s just not as good as Final Fantasy X. I’ll say it point blank: Final Fantasy VII isn’t a better game than Final Fantasy X was. Final Fantasy X should be the metric that Square Enix uses to measure the pinnacle of the series, not VII. In fact, I could argue that VIII has a better story, but that’s an article all in itself.
I’m sorry, but it’s true. Everything about Final Fantasy X is better than Final Fantasy VII. The magic/skill system is much better – materia was a pain in the ass having to use shitty materia because you needed to level it up was atrocious and often meant you’d have to grind to get good spells. Using the Spheregrid in Final Fantasy X, you could plan out exactly where you needed to go for maximum enjoyment (and destruction) without having to grind enemies in order to progress. There’s no awkward cross dressing moments in Final Fantasy X.
The story is FAR better in Final Fantasy X; the paradox of living in a world divided between religion and science while there’s a looming inevitable death destroying the world around you is far more daunting than anything Final Fantasy VII offered. Tidus’ struggle and eventual realization that his father, Jecht, actually became the mass cloud of destruction known as Sin was far more trying on the heart strings than Cloud’s love for Aeris. Seeing the ending of Final Fantasy X, and watching Tidus hold Yuna as he fades away back into the ether is probably one of the most heart wrenching scenes I’ve ever seen in any type of medium.
That scene was the first time that I realized just how deep an emotional connection with a video game could go. I cried like an absolute baby as he faded away. In fact, that moment was so strong that I couldn’t wait for Final Fantasy X-2 just to see if there was more to the story. If you play through Final Fantasy X-2, the spirits note that Yuna still hunts for Tidus, and they grant her wish to give him back to her but inform her that his time will be limited. She jumps off the Gullwing to find Tidus in the ocean and their embrace is one of the happiest yet saddest moments I’ve ever seen in a game. Happy because they’re finally back together, but depressing as fuck because you know he’s eventually going to fade away again.
Story aside, everything that makes Final Fantasy VII good, is even better in Final Fantasy X. Chocobo racing, Blitzball, Monster Hunting, it’s all there and it’s quite fun. Sure, dodging lightning bolts for Lulu’s ultimate staff wasn’t fun at all, but the feeling you get once you finally complete it was incredibly terrific.
I don’t discount Final Fantasy VII for being an excellent game, because it’s one of the best games in the history of video games – but in the world of Final Fantasy, it’s a solid 3rd in my book. Final Fantasy X (and X-2) are the pinnacle of Final Fantasy’s excellence and I will faithfully continue to play Final Fantasy titles looking for an experience that can top it, much like Final Fantasy VIII and X topped VII.
I’m still waiting on that Final Fantasy X HD remake, Square Enix. Though I really hope when that shows up, it’s the International Edition.
Source : Andriasang
@sybaritictrance My personal favorites are 2/3. I couldn’t push myself through anything past that. Admittedly, I have never tried X
@sebastiandalby I liked 2, I never really got into 3.
@sybaritictrance what I really liked about 3 was the class system. It was fantastic and the most enjoyable to play through
I always like 8 more than 7…yet I get a lot of shit for it.
6, 9 and 8 tickle my Final Fantasy fancy. Great article.
Very nice article, and X was definitely one of the more memorable FF for me. I loved XII too, but yes, X was legit.
But, ya know, maybe I’m just old school, but I still think FFIII was one of the best FF’s ever…
@JMattHicks TBH, I still haven’t played III all the way through. It’s out for Android now, but I can’t justify $16 bucks for it.
@sybaritictrance Yeah, I hear ya, but IMO, it’s worth every penny!
this is only your opinion if the people who make the games say that 7 is the best it is, like you said deal with it. they know better than you do.
I wouldn’t say that. They’ve proven they don’t know better than anyone.