What FFVII Actually Gave Us
When Final Fantasy VII released in 1997, it marked a turning point for JRPGs and video games in general. This Final Fantasy was the first mainline entry to hit the PlayStation, the first to use 3D graphics and full-motion video, and the first to receive a major marketing push in the West. It introduced a lot of players to the JRPG genre. It also introduced a lot of problems that have stuck with the industry ever since.
There’s no denying the game’s commercial impact. It sold millions of copies, made the PlayStation a household name, and helped popularize anime-inspired aesthetics for a Western audience. But those facts don’t make it perfect, or even finished.
Screenshot: Squaresoft
FFVII wasn’t my first RPG. But it was many Western Millennials introduction to the genre. And as first impressions go, it had all the trappings of not just an IP explosion, but a supernova: cyberpunk mysticism, tragic waifs, antigravity anime hair, and a plot that lurched between brilliance and incoherence.
Related: How JRPGs Made Anime Mainstream in the West
Everybody who played Final Fantasy VII in the late 90s remembers the cinematic visuals, which were ambitious for the time. What they often forget is that the gameplay took a backseat to those cutscenes. For every flashy CG sequence, there was a missed opportunity in the game’s substance: cut side quests, dropped dialogue, and entire plot threads that just dead-ended.
Image: Squaresoft
The North American release in particular suffered from poor localization. Key story points were mistranslated or left nebulous. Combined with the missing content, such vague translations left a lot of the game's deeper themes underdeveloped. It’s telling that to this day, fans are still trying to map Cloud’s relationships with red twine and debating what Aerith’s death was supposed to mean for the larger story.
Nor is this just a case of fans reading too much between the lines. Data from the original discs and early strategy guides confirm that the game shipped in an unfinished state. Dialogue and items exist in the code that were never used. Enemies and areas were removed late in development. Some of these were only accessible via GameShark or code editors, and some only appeared in the original Japanese version.
Items like the “Letter to Wife in Kalm” and “Letter to Daughter in Kalm” hint at stories that were never told. Unused enemies in Corel Prison and missing quests related to Aerith suggest a much larger game was planned. But Square had a deadline, and the game shipped as-is.
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That’s not speculation—it’s backed up by fan discoveries going back decades. Final Fantasy VII is not a complete game. It’s a compromised one.
When Square Enix announced the remake, long-time fans hoped the company would finally finish what it started. But instead of restoring cut content or refining the original structure, they rebuilt the game from scratch: new plot, new combat system; different priorities.
That’s not to downplay fans who enjoy the remakes. But let’s be honest: These are new games inspired by the original, not a completed version of it.
Image: Square-Enix
Final Fantasy VII was a milestone in gaming history, but that doesn’t make it flawless. It introduced technical innovations and reached a broader audience, but it also set bad trends like prioritizing cinematic presentation over gameplay and narrative coherence. Its rushed development left behind a trail of unfinished ideas and missing assets, and even its most iconic moments have left nagging doubts over the decades.
This review isn't predicated on bitterness, it's honesty. If you want to read a hatchet piece that trashes the game, go find some screed by a fickle hater who claimed to love the game before pulling a 180 after watching too many YouTube hecklers. For me, the original Final Fantasy VII was exciting to play in 1997. But it always lacked the spark of VI or even IV. And replaying it today reveals just how much was left on the cutting room floor.
Fans have spent decades filling in the gaps. Because Square never did. It turns out that what Final Fantasy VII really gave us was 40 hours of genuine spectacle followed by three decades of wistfully pining “If only …”
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