/vr/ - Retro Games

Everything but the graphics.

I think it does, and for what it's worth, I convinced a guy in his early 20s to try it out and he loved it.

even at release it was a godawful mess. now its even worse

I played it again a year ago, which was 13-14 years after I played and beat it the first time. I actually understood the story this time, didnt go with so many cheese-tactics and overall enjoyed the game a lot more this time around. The graphics suck, but really if you're on vr - things like graphics probably aren't THAT important to you. They weren't too detracting to me, at least.

I'm a huge fan of the series after watching advent children and playing crisis core. sorry to say OP but the original has unbearably dated graphics. I couldn't stand it at all.

>>1447621
>I'm a huge fan of the series after watching advent children and playing crisis core.
best be trollin'

>>1447621
You mean you didn't play VII first? What the fuck?

>>1447621
We're you even born when this game came out

Its just as mediocre now as it was back then, so sure.

Still the best FF game, which isn't saying much.

Finishing my third playthrough atm. CBA to breed chocobos and gear up for the Weapons, so I'll just hit the Crater.

>Does it hold up?
Don't fucking know. The game is so, so good when it's good, and so meh to mediocre when it's not. Visuals are the least of its problems. Yeah, the blocky scene character models are ugly and some of the renders are (charmingly?) ridiculous. But it's still vibrant with flair and has a bunch of cool vistas. Add that to the lovely music, and you still get one of the better atmospheres in JRPGs fwiw.

>>1447613
>>1447725
>>1447726

babby's first troll

>>1448073
Just because somebody does not like something that you do does not mean that they are trolling.

>>1448080
Welcome to 4chan.

I always enjoy the Midgar section but then I run out of steam once released into the overworld. I have a thing for hugeass tiered cities though so being forced to leave makes me sad.

>>1448073
>babby's first troll
>lulz gais

>>1447597
>>1447617

>graphics suck

stop stop stop

First, are you playing this on some LCD abomination? Please stop. I just went back and played it on my CRT TV and it looks so glorious. Background were super sharp.

The art direction in this game is simply fantastic. The backgrounds and the world is some of the best Square has ever made. Yes, Midgar seems poor but holy shit do you want to live there.

Characters and enemies in battles look great too. Some of the best designs ever.

Do you mean the field models? I liked them. They're basically 3D versions of the FF6 sprites. Love them.

I'd say yes. Sephiroth is a stupid villain when you play the game when not being 15, but everything else is top notch. Great graphics (yes, even the legomen), great music, fast combat animations. Its too easy, though. As in, this is probably the second easiest RPG I've ever played all the way through.

>>1447595
Yes and no
It's a competent game, the translation is iffy, the polygonal characters work well for the period (honestly IX's character models are a little boring to look at but they're at least a little more tolerable than VIII's) and Materia is pretty neat as a concept and as a mechanic

7.9/10 not bird

>>1448258
>Sephiroth is a stupid villain when you play the game when not being 15,

Jenova's the real villain. There's slight ambiguity as to who's in control. Once you see it as Sephy being corrupted by Jenova, or her taking him over, or them merging as one, then it makes WAY more sense.

Otherwise Sephy just goes nutty for no reason. Instead he has a breakdown due to the revelations, and then that lets Jenova take him over.

I still watch Carnage64 on Twitch.tv attempt world record speedruns of the game every day.

>my face when I'm 28 and still do this

The story never did and the graphics have become kinda unbearable. Otherwise it has held up the best it could have. I personally find materia overruling character classes and causing everyone to become faceless damage dealing/healer/tank/mage/thieves to be really boring but I can see why others would like it.

>>1448073
One of the people he quoted said its the best though. Pretty sure he is just pointing out how obvious it is that they just want to start a shit flinging fest. People like them spill over from /v/ a bit too often.

>>1448351
When I replay this game I give each character a role and only give them appropriate materias. It gives them more character and is fun, too. Plus Cloud does even more melee damage when he has 1 offensive magic materia max.

Disagree on the graphics, though. I think they are legitimately good with a few nitpicks such as intense clipping, aside. The no-texture looks means there aren't any hideous pixelated shifting textures sliding around the models, as PSX games are wont to do.

>>1448338
This. There's so much of Parasite Eve in FF7.
You can really tell they were supposed to be one game.

>>1448354
You play JRPGs for the story, characters and setting. Gameplay is irrelevant because all JRPGs have shit gameplay. FFVII has the best story and characters. Best setting is less clear. If all of FFVII was a good as Midgar it would be FFVII, but the rest is less interesting. Even so, FFVII has the most wins for the things that matter.

>>1448338
>Jenova's the real villain. There's slight ambiguity as to who's in control. Once you see it as Sephy being corrupted by Jenova, or her taking him over, or them merging as one, then it makes WAY more sense.
except that's not what happened and Jenova is pretty much just a piece of brain-dead meat under Sephiroth's control

>>1448338
They are merging, but at Sephiroth's instigation. I've played the game from both angles, and as far as the game reveals, Sephiroth is the driving force. Yes, his power comes from Jenova, but she's never portrayed as doing much. Though she does have 1 line in the entire game, which is bizarre.

All these try-hards pretending to be critics with sophistated taste.
Puberty sure is tough. Especially when you're still not through with it nearing your 30s.

Not liking them is one thing, but to say they are objectively bad is just dumb.

>>1448374

In case you missed it, every SOLDIER is injected with Jenova cells. These cells are part of a galactic being that travels from world to world sucking the life out of it and moving on. Jenova is completely sentient, and Sephy, after learning the truth of his origin, went batshit and this allowed Jenova to fully take over the most powerful being on the planet to help further her goals.

>>1448390
>and Sephy, after learning the truth of his origin, went batshit and this allowed Jenova to fully take over the most powerful being on the planet to help further her goals.
too bad that is blatantly untrue

I first played it and beat twice when I was 14 or 15. This was years after it released. I was never too huge of a jrpg guy but even I consider this one of the greatest games I ever played.

Second playthrough was right after I beat it the first time and went on to beat Emerald and Ruby weapon. In total it was probably 2-3 weeks spent just playing FFVII. I never played it a third time though. I really should.

>>1448434
I replay 7 every few years. last time I replayed it I was worried that I'd outgrown it, as it wasn't quite gripping me, but that only lasted an hour or two during the immediate post-midgar section, and I got swept up in the adventure again. Great game.

I keep a save file right after Midgar, depending on whether I feel like replaying the beginning or not. I like it, but not every time, because it feels like an extended tutorial, since there's little customization or party options.

>>1447634
I fucking hate KingBach.

>>1448372
go cure your ignorance and play more JRPGs.

>>1448418

>sephy, perfectly fine until he starts reading all the research in the mansion which leads to him going absolutely berserk, unlocking 'mother' jenova from its containment field and getting tossed into the lifestream by cloud which only furthers their fusion which leads to the final two forms he has

Sure buddy. Pray tell, what's the REAL story then? All evidence in the game, if you pay attention, points to these facts. But oh wait, it was probably just sephy being evil for the sake of being evil, right?

Sure buddy.

>>1448461
I've played far too many JRPGs already. Even with fastforward I can't tolerate the boredom now.

>>1448469
read the ultimania you twit
sephiroth is in control, that comes straight from the mouth of god

>>1448372
>all JRPGs have shit gameplay

pretty bold statement there, you pompous mong. When your exposure is basically just the FF series, I cant be too mad at you though.

>>1448489
Eh not denying that it's canon, but I'm partial to believe that said 'decision' to make it canon wasn't exactly unbiased. That is, it is highly likely that it was influenced by Sephiroth's popularity. Obviously coming out and saying that he wasn't in control would have made his fanbase quite upset, while what we got would make them quite happy.

>>1448489
Yeah I don't understand why people think Jenova is the true villain of the game. That makes no sense thematically. Final Fantasy VII is Cloud's story, and Sephiroth represents the sum of all Cloud's insecurities and failings.

>>1448512
JRPGs are defined by grinding. If grinding is impossible then it's not a JRPG.

>>1448549
>JRPGs are defined by grinding.
wat

>>1448549
My favorite JRPGs have next to no necessary grinding.

Behold, the game that ruined the jRPG.

>>1448604
the tidal wave of otaku pantysim garbage is what ruined JRPGs

>>1448604
Wrong.

>>1448669
Also wrong. Stop playing Idea factory games.

>>1448549
That's like saying wrpgs are about min/maxing to create an overpowered character.

>>1448669

ya there's a point where all the characters in every game had the same lame art style.

at least in the old days each game's character had unique art styles.like FF and Suikoden and all these games had cool character drawings that looked pretty human...now its all animu same-style garbage.

>>1448540
Yeah, but you can also look at the larger picture. If Sephiroth is representative of Cloud's failings, then Jenova is representative of humanity's failing as a whole (e.g., midgar, post-industrial disaffection, the loss of culture, alienation from nature). It really depends on how you want to look at the plot, because I feel it can go either way. To each his own.

Except for the people who say Hojo is the true villain. That's just fucking retarded.

>>1448604
You're absolutely right.
FF7 set such an obscenely high bar that no JRPG since has even come close to matching it.

>>1448732
Midgar is representative of humanity's failures (and triumphs)
Jenova is The Thing with titties

>>1448794
>Jenova is The Thing with titties

And that's why she's the greatest FF villain ever.

>>1448529
>That is, it is highly likely that it was influenced by Sephiroth's popularity.

That's bullshit because there isn't a single thing in the game that hints Jenova has any influence over Sephiroth. I don't know why people hold on to stupid ideas they had when they were kids.

>>1448747
I liked FF8 better.

>>1448747
Hahaha go play some other games, you know nothing.

It's still good but there are better JRPGs out there.

Yes, it is still the finest RPG yet made by a wide margin.

>>1448842
>>1449542
I'm not him, but no, there really aren't. JRPGs haven't successfully advanced since the 90s.

They've tried new things, but they've never made a better product, just a different one. VII really did set a high standard that no one has been able to live up to.

>muh VI
>muh XII

lrn2 game design

VII is the masterpiece of masterpieces in the jRPG realm.

>>1449573
Calm down, kid
and play some more games before you make such bold statements.

>>1449573
That is complete name brand bullshit for the sake of bullshit.

Let me give you another example of this trend. McDonald's fucking sucks. But that's gonna be 90% of this board's idea of "burger."

>>1449573

>>1449542
Name a few

>>1448747
This is what ff7fags actually believe.

Wasn't impressed even back in 1997. Shit's just embarrassing now.

>>1449738
>thinly veiled recommendation request

>>1449738
So you can shit all over my opinion? No thanks.

>>1449743
I know right? I come to /vr/ to get away from this madness.

>>1448836
Mah Nigga

>>1449760
>"Hey, you know that everyone likes? I DON'T like it!"
>"Okay, what do you like then?"
>"I... I'm not telling"

Why do you even post?

>>1449760
>"Hey, you know that thing everyone likes? I DON'T like it!"
>"Okay, what do you like then?"
>"I... I'm not telling"

Why do you even post?

>>1449760
I wouldn't do that, I'm just interested in your taste. And even if I would do it, who cares, it's an anonymous board

Do it.

Why does it matter, really..
Everyone will still argue about it, it's a heavily opinion based argument..

Wow all the butthurt of this non-childhood people.

Sorry you were stuck with inferior Zelda: Doge of Time and you couldn't chat with the cool guys of school.

FF7 is still one of the best JRPGs ever, it's probably not the same as playing it as a teen when it's hot shit, but it holds up. Also, there are incredible mods out there to make the graphics better, you can always check them for a better gaming experience.

>>1449892
>Sorry you were stuck with inferior Zelda: Doge of Time
Are you living in the 90s?

>>1449892
The cool kids at school played N64 and PSX, though.

It does. I bought it a few weeks ago on Steam and played through it again. On my shitty 90's tv I never really saw how detailed the non-3d backgrounds were in this game, but on my monitor I could really appreciate it.

Even now, this game is still a big part of what got me into gaming in the first place, but I wish I could replicate that 1st play through I did as a kid. FFVII seemed so magical and huge and I didn't understand a lot of it, but I still had lots of fun for years.

>tfw you'll never experience that feeling of childish wonder as a 10 year old as you play through old games on a PS1 or SNES ever again

>>1448747
This guy gets it.

midgar still stands up, but the rest not so much.

also its bizarre how deep the materia system is compared to how easy the game already is.

>>1450208
>TFW I did

I know what you're saying but in all honestly, I did have that feeling. I enjoyed Demons Souls and was looking forward to Dark, but nobody knew enough or gave a damn about it. So I got it on day of release, played it, never used a guide, never looked up ANYTHING at all and it was like the world was new and everything in the world had potential. I had the same feeling playing Nights on the Saturn. I think gaming is what you make it. People are so keen to deconstruct games nowadays, compare it to something, spoil it, promote it. If you go into something blind and take your time, certain games can have that feeling.

>>1450248
>also its bizarre how deep the materia system is compared to how easy the game already is
This is a recurring theme with Final Fantasy since V.

>>1450336
Does anything else modern feel like this?

I remember everyone bitching about how hard it was and thinking "you all suck at games." Finally got the chance to play Dark and lost my shit laughing after getting club-smashed on the platform at the first boss.

Every subsequent death made me grin.

>>1450430
Also I've avoided guides & media about it like the plague but people have spoiled/detailed shit to me.

Can't wait until I have my own fucking copy.

>>1447595
http://myanimelist.net/animelist/Ruggarell

>>1449790
>"Hey, you know that thing everyone likes? I DON'T like it!"
>It's still good
So hard to read.

>>1447595
Yes, but I think FF VI is better.

Graphics not withstanding, it still holds up pretty alright without the nostalgia goggles.

There are some moments that make me facepalm, but there are games that have aged far worse from the time.

I think IX is the best though.

>>1450803
Oh, and it needs a retranslation. Badly.

>>1450430
It's like I have No Mouth and I must Scream.

You can't win. You just lose better every time.

Considering how the Final Fantasy series has kind of gone to crap since XI, (and some argue, with X) this game fares a lot better than any of the newer games lately. It's still fun, the music is still good, the atmosphere is interesting. The story can get a little hammy at times, but I don't play it strictly for its literature.

So I think it's held up well, and I'd recommend it to anyone who hadn't played it back in 1998/

it does

>>1448807
There's also very little to show Sephiroth doing much past the Nibelheim Incident flashback, besides being a vegetated puppet for Jenova.
We see him unresponsive when Cloud deposits the Black Materia, mutely guard the Holy cast, instantly suffers Jenova-mutation for the final bosses, and then have a final battle, arguably just in Cloud's subconscious, representing Cloud closing the book on that Nibelheim chapter.
As soon as the Black Materia has changed hands, Jenova ceases all communication to Cloud, because up to that point, the clones taking on the illusion of Sephiroth, and both mentally and physically taunting Cloud, was simply a means to lead him et al, into getting the Black Materia up North. There was no personal beef from Sephy toward Cloud, it was simply Jenova using Cloud's own personal issues as a means to an end, the same way it took on the forms of the Cetra's dead relatives to more easily bait them for infection.
No doubt Sephiroth is a force to be reckoned with, and maybe Jenova is incapable of manipulating Materia required for the Meteor plan itself, or just needs a powerful vessel to guard the casting, but he still appears to be Jenova's dragon. The plan of crippling the World, then basking in the spirit energy that rushes to heal the wound, certainly sounds more like a parasitic calamity from the sky's plan, than the mortal man with a grudge on his shoulder we see in flashbacks.

But neither viewpoint is bullshit, that's the beauty of FFVII. Because of the graphical stylings, and script, there's a lot of ambiguity and preference to be explored either way. I'm personally dreading the day Square gets desperate enough to remake VII, and cements their shitey Compilation of FFVII revisions on the game.

>>1448807
>single thing in the game that hints Jenova has any influence over Sephiroth
Wasn't the game supposed to give you that idea at first? It's pretty obvious later on it's the other way around.

>>1447595
FFVII was the first objectively shit FF game.

>>1451949
>objectively

I can't tell if it's joke I wasn't let in on and everyone's just pretending to be retarded, or if no one actually understands how to use this word anymore.

>>1447595
No. It aged terribly.

>>1451954
probably the former.
retards are literally a diamond dozen, even on /vr/.

>>1451923
I like this theory.

>>1451923
>But neither viewpoint is bullshit, that's the beauty of FFVII. Because of the graphical stylings, and script, there's a lot of ambiguity and preference to be explored either way.

You're an idiot. Hojo directly says that Sephiroth is behind everything. Jenova never comes into play. Stop clinging to retarded nonsense you believed as a child.

OST and story are timeless. Materia system is still one of my favorite magic/upgrade systems in the FF series. The OST is fucking fantastic.

After all this time, people still don't understand it was Sephiroth controlling Jenova from the North Crater and not the other way around.

The only times the party physically interacts with Sephiroth are at the end of the game, when you fight Bizarro Sephiroth and Safer Sephiroth (and also briefly when Cloud gives him the Black Materia).

http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VII#Story

>>1453068
B-b-but Square went back and changed that because Sephiroth was popular!

FFVII is overrated and shit, just like the PSX as a whole.

>>1453190
What changed? I never bothered with any of the spin-offs.

>>1452952
I'll never forget this music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJRCeU1GQns

>>1453068
>also briefly when Cloud gives him the Black Materia
That was him?