Final Fantasy VII was a revolution when it dropped in 1997. Video game fans lost their minds over it, and it was the game that made RPG players truly go all-in on the first PlayStation. Square Enix, then SquareSoft, had been pushing the limits of what was possible with video games for a long time, and FF VII was a culmination of that for the RPG genre. A stark dividing line can be drawn between the era before and after the game.
Nowadays, fans can go back and play the original version of the game on many consoles, re-experiencing one of the greatest video games ever. However, the last twenty-five years have changed a lot about games, and those changes render FFVII in a harsh light.
10 Changing Social Mores Have Rendered Several Parts Of The Game Offensive
1997 was a very different time in pop culture, and FFVII has some parts that really point that out. For example, there's some optional content at the Honey Bee Inn that every player of the game knows about that results in Cloud getting assaulted by a room full of men. That doesn't play well anymore. Female characters can be cliché, and Barret's "street" sounding dialogue and angry black man portrayal are pretty offensive on multiple levels.
All of this is put on display in a replay of the game, and it can definitely make a gamer uncomfortable. Older media is full of things like this, but FFVII pushes the envelope in a bad way.
9 The Chocobo Breeding System For Special Chocobos Is Really Annoying
FFVII's Chocobos can be a lot of fun. While one would imagine the airship renders them unnecessary, the designers used the racing and breeding features to keep them relevant to the game long after that vehicle is acquired. A big part of this is the special colored Chocobos, which can reach places other vehicles can't.
To get them, one has to breed S class Chocobos from race winners and then breed those with special items called Nuts, with different ones creating different colored Chocobos. The races are fun but finding the special Nuts to make the breeding possible is annoying. They're random drops from specific enemies at different points on the map, and it's super frustrating to keep fighting, not getting them no matter how long one grinds.
8 The Superbosses Are Even More Annoying Than Ever
Emerald and Ruby Weapon are introduced in a cut scene midway through the game. Players can find them on the world map, but they better be prepared for a fight; they're the game's hardest enemies. However, they're also the game's most annoying, two ultra-powerful enemies that give very little reward beyond EXP and AP.
On top of that, there's really only one way to beat either of them — spam The Knights of the Round summon materia. That's probably the most disappointing thing about them — they aren't great strategic challenges; the player just needs to repeatedly use the right tool to kill them.
7 The Graphics Hurt The Story A Lot
FFVII is one of the highest-rated FF games of them all. While its gameplay, soundtrack, and then-revolutionary graphics play a factor in that, the characters and story are the biggest reasons. Square Enix was known for their epic storytelling and great characters, so this was a given, and in 1997, the graphics helped the story a lot.
It's basically the opposite now. Video game presentation has changed a lot in the last 25 years, so going back and seeing how it used to be is harsh. So much about the game just doesn't work as well because of the presentation, especially compared to Final Fantasy VII Remake.
6 Cloud Isn't As Great As He Used To Be
For older players who fell in love with Cloud again after playing FFVIIR, going back to the original is a rude awakening. Cloud has always been one of the best FF protagonists but going back to how he was portrayed in 1997 and comparing it to now is a huge change. Video games were written very differently, and late '90s Square was all about moody adolescents, more so than today.
Cloud is pretty insufferable in the original game, whereas FFVIIR makes him a more well-rounded, understandable character. The original's reveals about Cloud are played out in a much longer form, which means he's annoying for a good portion of the game's run.
5 The Random Encounters And Grinding Haven't Aged Well At All
Random encounters used to be all the rage in JRPGs due to the lower processing powers of consoles limiting how much could be on screen. Random encounters are annoying for a lot of reasons, and after years away from them, playing FFVII again reminds players why. It destroys the flow of the game in many ways, especially with how slow the combat system in FFVII is.
On top of that, the need to grind at times makes things even worse. The random encounters and the slow combat speed can be turned off or sped up; grinding is a necessary evil that can eat up hours of time.
4 There's A Reason FFVIIR Made So Many Changes
For seasoned FFVII veterans, FFVIIR was a brand-new experience in many ways. It added to and changed a lot of things about the story, opening up speculation on what exactly its sequels will change. Playing the original version shows players something they never thought possible: there is a lot that can be changed.
FFVII is still a masterpiece in many ways, but the fact of the matter is that so much of it can be made into something better. Writing standards and what players expect from stories have changed, something that replaying the original reveals.
3 It's Not The Greatest FF Like Many Think It Is
When people are making greatest of all time, must-play RPG lists, FFVII is always there. When making lists about the best FF games, it's usually number one, or at least in the top three. Going back and replaying the game reveals that it's still a very good game, but it almost certainly doesn't deserve the status that nostalgia has given it.
Taken out of the context of the revolution it started, it doesn't really impress as much as it did. In fact, it's not even the best FF game of the PS1 era. As far as it being the best FF game, replaying it reveals that it lags behind installments like FFX and FFVI by a wide margin.
2 Even Besides Cloud, So Many Of The Other Characters Could Be Better
Cloud isn't as great in FFVII as people remember and that goes doubly for everyone else. Take Aerith, for example. People have always loved her and her place in the story, but she's barely even a character in the original game. There's a reason that FFVIIR changed so much about her, actually making her feel like a person.
The same can be said of Tifa, Barret, and the others. The game's writers fall back on making each one a one or two-dimensional character, and it's disappointing. They just can't stand up to modern character standards anymore.
1 Sephiroth Isn't Scary Anymore
For someone who never experienced FFVII back in the day, it's impossible to describe how effective of a villain Sephiroth was. He was the ultimate boogeyman for many of the game's opening stages, a force of nature the players had no chance against. By the time the game's story started to bring him into it, players didn't know what to expect.
Sephiroth has gone down as one of the FF series' scariest villains, but it doesn't work as well as it used to. The archaic nature of the game's graphics is the main reason for this. It's hard to be afraid of polygonal Sephiroth no matter how well the writing does with him. Losing that fear of him hurts the game a lot, as it was integral to the story and its tone.