Release Date: January 31, 1997 (Japan) / September 7, 1997 (NA) | Developer: Square | Platform: PlayStation (32/128-bit CD-ROM, 3 discs) | ROM Size: 3x CD-ROMs (~4.5 GB total across discs) | Playtime: Main story 35–45 hours, Main + extras ~80 hours, Completionist 150+ hours | Sales: 3.4M (Japan PS1), 10.8M+ worldwide (PS1 by 2000), 14M+ lifetime | Critical Reception: 37/40 (Famitsu), 38.5/40 (EGM), 92/100 (Metacritic), 9/10 (Edge UK)
I’m a history teacher. I treat console wars like actual historical events. And Final Fantasy VII is the moment the JRPG went from niche import to mainstream phenomenon.
Not because it’s the best game on this list. It’s not. But because it was the right game at the right moment, and that’s more important to history than perfection.
In 1997, most Western gamers had never heard of a JRPG. PlayStation was brand new. 3D graphics were still somewhat alien. And then Final Fantasy VII arrived on January 31, 1997 in Japan and September 7, 1997 in North America—on four discs, with cinematic FMV cutscenes, a genuine story with mainstream appeal, and Cloud Strife’s hair.(Wikipedia)(Final Fantasy Fandom)
It sold 3.4 million units in Japan alone, with 10.8 million+ worldwide by 2000 on PlayStation.(VGSales)(Wikipedia)(ActivePlayer) The lifetime total eventually hit 14 million+. That’s not just success. That’s cultural penetration.
Why 1997 Was The Moment
The first mainline Final Fantasy to reach Europe launched November 17, 1997.(Wikipedia) That detail matters. Before Final Fantasy VII, the West had received scattered Final Fantasy games—original NES ports, eventual PlayStation compilations. But nothing current. Nothing simultaneous with Japan.
Final Fantasy VII changed that. It arrived as a phenomenon. Gaming magazines covered it like mainstream entertainment. The story was accessible enough for people who’d never touched an RPG. The graphics were impressive enough to justify the PlayStation’s existence. The music was good enough that people remembered it.
This wasn’t accident. Square made specific choices to ensure broad appeal.
What They Actually Built
The Materia system isn’t as flexible as Final Fantasy V’s job system. You plug gems into weapons and armor. Each gem grants spells or abilities. It’s functional. It’s not revolutionary.(Final Fantasy Fandom)
But it worked. And it worked well enough that it mattered less than what was happening on screen.
The disc format enabled something cartridges couldn’t: full-motion video cutscenes. Pre-rendered backgrounds. Massive scope compared to cartridge limits.(Wikipedia) The 3x CD-ROMs meant approximately 4.5 GB total across discs for FMVs, audio, and 3D models.(Wikipedia)(Final Fantasy Fandom)
The story—Cloud’s confusion about his own identity, Sephiroth’s reality-bending threat, the One-Winged Angel theme—all of it had weight. Not because the mechanics were perfect. Because the presentation made it feel important.
Main story playtime sits at 35–45 hours, with main plus extras around 80 hours.(Wikipedia) Completionist runs push 150+ hours for Materia grinding, Chocobo breeding, and Ultimate Weapons.(Wikipedia)
The Moment It Changed Everything
Famitsu scored it 37/40 in 1997.(Wikipedia) EGM averaged 38.5/40 for North America.(Wikipedia) Edge in the UK gave it 9/10.(Wikipedia) Metacritic aggregate sits at 92/100. It was universally acclaimed for story, graphics, music—genre-defining.(Wikipedia)
But the critical acclaim matters less than what happened after the critical acclaim.
Video game characters appeared on magazine covers. Cloud Strife was recognizable to people who didn’t play video games. The soundtrack was performed at concerts. Gaming wasn’t a niche hobby anymore—it was entertainment that mainstream audiences paid attention to.
The PC port came June 25, 1998.(Wikipedia)(Final Fantasy Fandom) The International edition added extra Materia content.(Final Fantasy Fandom) Later ports came to PSN (2009), mobile (2015), and modern platforms (PS4/Switch/Xbox/PC).(Wikipedia)(Final Fantasy Fandom)
Why This Game Wasn’t The “Best” But Was The Most Important
Here’s the historian part: Final Fantasy VI is arguably a better game. The story is tighter. The character development is more sophisticated. The emotional impact is stronger.
Final Fantasy IV introduced the ATB system that defined JRPG combat for decades. Final Fantasy V perfected the job system. These were genuine innovations that shaped the genre.
Final Fantasy VII’s innovation was being mainstream. It proved that JRPGs could be entertainment that normal people cared about. That’s not a mechanical innovation. That’s a cultural one.
I spent years defending Sega against Super Nintendo’s dominance. I watched the Genesis lose to the SNES. I saw the Dreamcast die while PlayStation thrived. I understand what it means for a platform to win through software excellence rather than hardware superiority.
Final Fantasy VII was PlayStation’s software excellence. The game that justified buying the console. The title that proved CD-ROM technology could deliver experiences that cartridges couldn’t.
Does It Hold Up Outside The Hype?
Yes. The 3D graphics are dated—blocky character models and pre-rendered backgrounds that don’t always blend seamlessly. The story occasionally gets convoluted in ways that don’t pay off cleanly. The dialogue is stiff in places. The difficulty occasionally spikes arbitrarily.
But the core remains solid. The character work is stronger than people remember. The world feels genuinely lived-in. The boss design escalates meaningfully. The Materia system, while not revolutionary, provides genuine flexibility.
And most importantly: the story still works. The plot twist about Cloud’s identity still resonates. Aerith still matters. Sephiroth still feels like a threat. The ending still carries emotional weight.
That’s the test I apply as a historian: does this game explain why people cared? Final Fantasy VII passes that test.
Why I Don’t Apologize For Valuing Historical Impact
I’m a teacher. I think about how things changed what came after. Final Fantasy VII changed what everyone believed was possible in gaming. It proved:
- JRPGs could reach mainstream audiences
- Console CD technology could deliver comparable experiences to arcade quality
- Video game stories could matter to people who didn’t play video games
- A single game could justify purchasing an entire console platform
Those aren’t small accomplishments. Those are industry-altering decisions.
Is it the best game on the Final Fantasy hub? No. Samuel’s right about VI. Timothy’s right about V. Marcus’s engineering analysis of IV is correct.
But VII mattered in a way those games didn’t. It changed the industry. It changed what publishers believed was possible. It changed what Western audiences expected from JRPGs.
That’s why I defend it.
Rating: 8/10 – The game that proved JRPGs could be mainstream
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Joe’s a history teacher who treats the console wars like actual history. A lifelong Sega devotee from Phoenix, he writes with passion, humor, and lingering heartbreak over the Dreamcast. Expect strong opinions, bad puns, and plenty of “blast processing.”
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