Yes, I realize FF7 is several years old by this reading, but the most revolutionary game in arguably the greatest Role Playing Game (RPG) series in history deserves a mention. The Final Fantasy series has always prided itself in its vast worlds, in-depth gameplay, and deep storylines. FF7 took all these things and combined it with extraordinary graphics and some breathtaking in-game cinema. In fact, it is the first videogame to ever use cinema so impressively to tell a story, and the Squaresoft produced 'Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" computer graphic (CG) rendered film released in July of 2001 can probably thank FF7 for setting the precedent.

FF7 follows the standard formula for an RPG: an explorable and interactive world with several characters, each with its own unique characteristics and storyline, and a complex battle system with upgradeable tools and statistics. But this is where the similarities between traditional RPG's and FF7 ends. Developer Squaresoft fully utilized the power and speed of the Sony Playstation to make one of the greatest gaming experiences of all time. They added 3D graphics and the aforementioned CG cinemas to an already impressive project, and incorporated one of the deepest stories to ever grace a videogame. Cloud, the unlikely hero with no recollection of his past, is cast into the position of leading a crusade to save the world. Aeris, the delicate and beautiful heroine holds a mysterious power inside her that is the key to stopping Armageddon. Sephiroth, the surprisingly profound villain nefariously scheming to end the world, was driven by forces in his childhood completely out of his control. As depraved as Sephiroth was, the gamer was forced to feel sympathy, the sign of a truly great tragic villain. These individuals, in combination with the other minor characters in FF7, make up the cast of an often tragic but ultimately triumphant story of good and evil.

Of course, RPG's aren't for everyone. The battles and building statistics can become rather tedious to the casual gamer. However, FF7 offers a generous amount of locations to explore, each vastly different then the last, enough to keep anyone engrossed in this fantasy world. Also, this game has become rather technologically primitive compared to some of today's games. But it would be a serious challenge to find a game in ANY time period that offers such an intricate story and artistic world with characters that absolutely compel you to feel for them. Regardless of whether or not you're a fan of RPG's, FF7 is a masterpiece in gaming and storytelling that will draw you into a world you may never want to leave.