Final Fantasy VII: Coming Full Circle

Full disclosure: I have yet to actually finish Final Fantasy VII. And even so, it remains one of my favorite games. Or rather, “pieces of my adolescence.” I specifically remember one night. I was alone in the apartment with everything a young teenager may want: hot pizza, cold Mountain Dew, and FFVII on the original PlayStation. My good friend had lent me both the game and his strategy guide for it. Everything was just perfect. Page after page, I read and played and paused and read some more. It was like having a mentor by way of an oversized magazine that knew everything there was to know about the quest I was setting out on, and could direct my many steps from the comfort of my couch.

If you’ve played the title, then you know how massive it is. Back in those early days of professional gaming, it was released on no less than three separate discs. That was 1997. It took me hours just to reach the outskirts of Midgar (the metropolis setting which takes up roughly the first third of the game). Everything about that night remains a vivid memory in my mind. The imaginative storyline, the epic soundtrack, and the adventurous dreams it instilled within me for years to come. Though I’d have to return the game to my friend shortly thereafter, I’d still look forward to playing it again someday. Sadly, someday never really came. Until now.

The title was so well-received and became such an important facet of so many people’s childhoods, that for the next eighteen years, there would be nonstop fan demand for a remake. Finally, during the summer of 2015, the demand was met. The surprise announcement put an end to nearly two decades of constant speculation.

Either way, this article isn’t so much about the remake (which, again, is being released in three parts—the second installment having just made its debut during the previous month of this writing). Rather, it’s about the vibe. The reignited memories and enriched imagination put into one of the gaming industry’s most classic masterworks. It’s also about all of those kids who put themselves in main character Cloud Strife’s shoes, and walked their way through a different world. Now that we’re all grown up, we are invited to reembark on the adventure once more.

Everything has been understandably upgraded. The 8-bit soundtrack is now scored by a live symphony. The voice acting is topnotch. The graphics speak for themselves. Each part has been thought out to a tee so that the original’s fans can have an improved experience. But what is it about remakes that have this hold on our hearts? And what was it about this specific title that made its way to the top of that pile? It must all come down to how the original game captured such a wildly optimistic view of our lives when we were so much younger. Almost as if…, we too, could live out an adventure. Now, many years later, perhaps we’re playing new games with our own children. Perhaps we’re showing them this very remake and sharing how important the original was to our own childhoods.

But it’s more than that. In a time when many of us have maybe given up on ever living out that adventurous part of our lives, this remake pulls us by the collar, looks us square in the eyes, and with a serious tone advises us that the adventure’s barely begun. Forget age. Forget societal expectations. And embrace those imaginative years when all we had to look forward to were the bright colorful pixels, pizza, and soda pop. There are still new friends to meet, foes to slay, and landscapes to explore.

While the world of FFVII is undeniably huge, ours is that much more. Some of us may be able to book a flight tomorrow and head out towards exotic new places. Others may only need to reach for their console’s controller. There is no wrong answer here. However you dream, do it in style. Take hold of all that you once were, thought, or dared to believe and accept the fact that it’s not over. Your younger self will thank you.

All that’s left to do now is to pull up a few chairs, order some delivery, and surprise your little ones with an experience they’ll never forget—, as you yourself are such proof of. How beautifully full circle it all is.