If you're looking to get into RPG, start with a nice easy one, such as this. For those of you past basics, try something
Gameplay: 7
Its not monstrous, by all means, its just rather boring. Due to the ATB system, you have no real time to make any good strategy, not that it matters, as hitting attack and cast Fire, Ice, or whatever will still win the boss battles fairly easily. The game does exactly what you tell it to, sure, its just far too easy to win things. Even if you get stuck on a boss, the easy to defeat locals will boost your levels in no time whatsoever, so wheres the real challenge here? Its flipping through all the stupid menu screens so that, while other charcters wait for input, they aren't slaughtered. Navigating the menus during battle isn't much fun or very practical. Controlling the character outside of battle is no problem, but lining them up to do something can be. Then there are the pointless mini games. Nothing is more fun then running up part a mountain, then hitting the square button a bunch of times.
Graphics: 7
While the cutscene graphics are good, how often do you see them? For the most part, your looking at crappy polygons shifting back in forth in battle, or outside of battle, failed lego people with weird arms and horrible disproportions walking around. During a heartfelt non CG scene, I'd kinda like to be able to see what is going on. Then, every so often, theres a highly detailed large object, but not one that's terribly interesting to care about. Just look at how pretty those stairs are! Rather, i see some polygon ppl moving about, maybe doing something major, but I just can't tell. Who did they capture? I don't know! Of course, word dialogue will eventually get that across anyway, so its all ok in the end.
Sound : 8
The sound is good, for a ps1 title. It could be Uematsu's famous music, although most of the music is boring as anything. The battle music is good, all the music and sound cues work on time. If anything, its a good lesson in correct sound design in RPGs. Why is it only 8? as i said, boring music really does subtract from a game. Sure, slow music is needed, but music that just repeats itself and is used unneccisarily (sp?) subtracts. Most of the charcter music is great and memorable, but its not played as often as anyone would like, and your usually just stuck in a boring town with boring music. And every so often, theres just a simple music variation someplace that really doesn't matter. Then, simply because I must say something, theres One-Winged Angel. Everyone goes crazy over this terrible Carmina Burana rip off that is just simply terrible compared to the real Carmina. Carl Orff is rolling over in his grave everytime that One-Winged Angel is played, be it CD, or the game itself.
Value: 4
Sure, its long, if you paid $20 or less for it, its well worth it as the game can easily take many many hours, as it is about 2.5 discs long. Of course during that time, you're basically doing the same things over and over again. If you're good with that, by all means, don't let me stop you from enjoying the game if you already do. If you havn't played this, this is just a warning that its mostly the same things several times over, but in different locations, with different charcters, and different music. If anything, finding Vincent was well worth my time, as he is actually cool at times.
My Tilt: 1 (*spoilers are be below...*)
Simply because I can't make it 0. This goes beyond the fact that I find fault with *spoiler* "You have a soft! I just bought them!" or "I know you have Phoenix Down! I just bought those too!" or etc. during 'those' cutscenes (for those who have played) *end*. Sure, there is a story there and characters, some of whom are interesting. But then Square puts in people like Cait Sith and Yuffie and makes too much story go around people you can't pretend to care about, as they suck in battle. What about people who are interesting? Not a whole lot of story is given to them as needed either. In the end, you get 9 half-baked charcters to play with. Why is Cloud doing this? Its his job! Sure, this was fine, for this game, where it was more groundbreaking, but to use it again in future titles? Lame! Theres just not interesting charcter development for the main playables! Then, there's the charcters who appear in the story often (ie the Turks), but who appear too infrequently to care about and switch sides too often to eventually give a damn anymore. There's simply no thought provoking in this game, Sephiroth is evil, Cloud and pals are good! *spoiler* Cait Sith was bad? Oh wait, no he changed sides, he's really a good guy now, he's seen the light! *end* Spare me from the terrible drama to ensue and let me fight the inexplicably strong Cactuars instead! Then theres the battles that annoy me. I said the main issue with the battles eariler, and i shant repeat myself in that, but the main problem overall is that theres no challenge to leveling up. You always know exactly how much EXP is needed for everyone, people tend to level up on their own inexplicably as well, and enemies just give so much EXP away that, assuming you are training in the proper places, just makes it far to easy to level up once every 15 minutes at higher levels. Do I want it to take forever to level up? No, not at all, I'd just like to feel more accomplished when I do. Then theres the fact that you never have to spend your Gil wisely. Despite what a weak currency it is (just compare it to Rupees or Pokedollars) it seems to be in abundance, and everything that you must pay for with it is cheap. Need some potions? no problem. Need new armor and weapons for everyone (except Cait Sith and Yuffie, of course) no problem! Gil grows on trees, so just spend spend away! Even after spending all that money, I still have so much left over! Considering that the highlight of this game is the sound, just get the soundtrack and listen to everything on that except one-winged angel.
Well, my rant of how bad this game is is done. For those of you who didn't read it because it was too long, just please bear in mind that I truely don't just call a game this popular bad without reason. Of course, now the FF7 uber fans are thinking I'm a Halo fan and I hate RPGs, or PS1s which simply isn't true. Its simply that this can't compare to the likes of Chrono Trigger or Cross or hell, even the Pokemon games. There are simply much better RPGs out there, both on the ps1, ps2, gb, etc. If you're going to pour many hours into an RPG, better make it a more interesting one than this. If you're looking to get into RPG gaming, FF is a good series, due to its relative ease, but if you're already good at the basics, try something better.