Memory Lane

Final Fantasy VII is the GREATEST GAME OF ALL TIME. I am not going out on a limb when I say this. It is so great that now all the cool kids say it's "overrated" and "I played a much more obscure, much cooler game" and "I'm a huge douche bag". Ok, maybe they aren't saying the last part. But they are douche bags. Totally.

Those of us who spend a great deal of time thinking about and playing video games have a desperate need to seem hip (paradox, thy name is gamer). "True gamerz" think they are above games like Halo because people outside of the fraternity also enjoy them. Of course, this also applies to me, as I look at most of the *ahem* "games" on the Wii and laugh derisively. But sometimes, shit goes too far.

It is fair to say that Final Fantasy VII, in many ways, created modern gaming. The developer's decision to go with the Playstation rather than Nintendo sent shockwaves throughout the industry and legitimized Sony as a video game giant. Additionally, the amazing full motion video made for great television ads, pushing what had once been an obscure genre (Japanese role playing games) into mainstream American conciousness. The game itself wasn't necessarily groundbreaking (though it did a lot of interesting things), but the presentation and cinematic genius made it ahead of its time and started a gaming revolution that hasn't stopped since.

Why am I telling you all this? Because it's my blog, that's why. Also, because I recently started playing it again. Unsurprisingly, it remains my favorite game of all time. While there are some fairly silly story bits as well as some crappy dialogue, it is epic in ways that other games only pretend to be. The combat system is fairly simple but fun, and despite the dated graphics the artistry is still apparent and beautiful. It also has the most unexpected death in the history of gaming. This is a game I sunk 150 hours into during my youth, and I'm currently 30 hours in with no end in sight.

One of the reasons I have been playing this again is to feel some nostalgia for my childhood, but also because it represents the apex of the medium that I love more than any other. There have only been a few games since that have filled me with the same wonder and joy of FF7. In these troubled times, what's wrong with wanting to save the world again?