"God damnit already! What the hell are they doing?! What is this? I played Final Fantasy VII, and I liked Final Fantasy VII. It was a cool story, a cool setting! Interesting characters! Why are they adding in all this stupid metaphysical j-pop ultra-fashion Nomura bullcrap?
I mean, sure, the original game had some of that. The last boss DID have one wing but he was the LAST BOSS! Last bosses in Final Fantasy always have one horn and eight heads and stars circling their waist where four snake..."

"The allure just isn't there anymore for the Final Fantasy titles and we have to ask why. Loyal fans try to create hype, but the games are just not combining new and old expectations. Maybe it's because every game, we have to warm up to new characters and worlds. Square sets itself up for hit and miss titles with no character regularity. The only motif running through the series I can identify is a blond guy and clueless protagonists. Most of the recent Final Fantasy games (dare I say Square ..."

"Production on Final Fantasy VII started in late 1995. After a strict hands-on approach to his series, Sakaguchi stayed in the background for Final Fantasy VI. For the new sequel, he stepped back into the lead with a mystery plot centered around Midgar, the perpetually dark capital city of Gaia, and the familiar themes of rebels fighting a corrupt system, pursued by "Hot Blooded Detective Joe." The player's ultimate goal: destroy Midgar.
That changed when Yoshinori Kitase, director on Chrono ..."

"If we’re not jumping through hoops trying to save a kingdom, we’re fetching some rare Crystal Sword of Infinite Necromancy all out of the kindness of our hearts. What do we get in return? “Ah, gee thanks for risking life and limb to do a big ol’ fancypants favor for me and restoring our world to what it once was from the Dark Ruler of Naught. Here’s a medal, young adventurer. Never mind our bustling cleavage. Now get the hell out, street rat. Sorry ‘bout the hard-on.”

Whaaaaaa? Faster than..."

"Role-playing games are most closely related to books in the video game world. As a result, graphics are of little consequence in the genre. Go back and play FFVII and tell me it’s not a compelling game. Do the graphics look dated? Of course they do. But does it matter in the least? No way. A good story could be paired with graphics from 1987 and the game would still shine.

Without a story, the RPG means nothing. As a RPG players, we understand there will be a good amount of reading/control..."

"Uncut and utterly biased, our top FFVII heroes and villains...

8. Cid Highwind
Every Final Fantasy game has a Cid, and every Cid is different. In Final Fantasy VIII, he's a mild-mannered educator. In Final Fantasy V, he's an aging, retired genius. Then there's Cid Highwind, the greatest of all Cids, the missing link between Chuck Yeager, Werner von Braun, and John Constantine. He grouses, chain-smokes, swears up a storm, wipes battlefields clear with one swing of his lance, and wants noth..."

"The Japanese role-playing game is a surprisingly important genre for developers to study - both in terms of gameplay and storytelling, and Gamasutra presents an 'Essential 20' explaining and chronicling the top JRPGs of all-time.

Valkyrie Profile: In most RPGs, it's your job to stop the end of the world. In Valkyrie Profile, it's your job to start it.
The battle system is a strange beast, with actions for each of the four party members assigned to a face button. Each character has a numbe..."

"Ridge Racer
One of the first racing games released for the PlayStation, Ridge Racer ushered in an era of next-gen racing. Sure, it only has one track, but it's a great track. On top of that, several unlockable cars and the "mirror" options make it worth playing, especially since you can remove the disc from your PSOne and play your own CD soundtrack.

Final Fantasy VII
Square's decision to leave Nintendo in favor of the PlayStation shook the gaming world, but not nearly as much as the arr..."

"Where there are games, there are conventions, and where there are conventions, there are people in character costumes – doing cosplay. The images of these devout fans in costume are part of gamer culture, especially online, where pictures of elaborate, pitch-perfect character clothing frequently make the rounds of blogs, forums and news sites. The people behind the pictures can be objects of wonderment, when the costume is good, or the butt of jokes, when it’s not so much.

According to Ade..."