Dec 31 2008
Started Playing a RPG Legend - Final Fantasy VII
I know I’m eleven years late, but I just started Final Fantasy VII this week. I have two reasons for never trying out this RPG legend until now: 1) I didn’t own a PlayStation back then and 2) until recently, I loathed turn-based games. I’ve been told by countless friends that I’m not a real gamer until I play this one, so everyone can finally get off of my back. I’m playing it!
The final push for me to play it was when some of my friends at work gave me Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII as a gift when I quit my job earlier this year. I fell completely in love with the game. I knew it was the backstory to FF7, so I knew what awful fate awaited Zack at the end, but I still cried during the extremely long ending sequence. After I wiped away the tears and tried to put on goofy faces for my infant son, who was looking at me like I was crazy, I knew I had to play the original game and see what happens next.
After just one hour of gameplay, I was hooked. Scratch that. With just the opening sequence, I was hooked. When I saw Aerith in a pink dress and holding a basket of flowers, I started to tear up. I had a flashback of Zack asking her to wear pink on the days they would meet and Zack helping her start her flower-selling business. Then I remembered one of Aerith’s 23 wishes was so spend more time with Zack. Before I became an emotional basketcase, thankfully the sequence moved away from Aerith and then to Cloud.
I know I’m going to have a rather different point of view while playing this game since I did play Crisis Core first, possibly similar to the reactions one would have from playing FF7 right before Crisis Core. Every cut through Midgar made me smile as I remembered all of the things Zack did there. Sector 8 with the Loveless play. Aerith’s church in Sector 5. The train station. Shinra. The Mako Reactors in Midgar. The well in Nibelheim. It was all so incredibly cool to me. I may have played this game without playing Crisis Core, but I’m not sure I’d have the same attachment without Crisis Core.
So be prepared for lots of blogs while I traverse through this giant. I’m eager to share my dated perspective while playing.
