Nearly 30 Years Later, Is This Really Gaming’s Most Important JRPG?

Launching January 31, 1997, in Japan before it made the leap to global audiences, calling Final Fantasy VII a massive success feels like a huge understatement. The Square Enix JRPG reinvented the entire genre, with countless other developers setting out to replicate that success with their own adventures. The story of Cloud Strife has endured now for multiple generations of players, with younger players finding the character across crossover titles and remakes.

It’s been nearly thirty years since FFVII hit the stands, and it remains a special entry in the history of not just the RPG space but gaming as a whole. It’s easy to even suggest that gaming as a whole was changed by the success of Final Fantasy VII, even outside the JRPG genre. Looking back, here are the ways that Square Enix’s massive hit reshaped the entire gaming ecosystem.

RPGs Were Different After Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII was far from the first entry in the series, but the impact it had on the larger gaming industry is impossible to ignore. While there had been JRPGs released on a global scale, FFVII was a massive hit almost as soon as it launched. The 3D graphics, cutting-edge for the time and a far cry from the more 2D stylized approach of earlier games in the series, highlighted the shift in production that was happening in the industry. The use of FMV cutscenes wasn’t an original concept to the game, but these cinematic sequences, used to bring some of the plot’s biggest moments to life, still stand out as some of the most undeniable imagery in gaming.

Moments like Aerith’s death have reverberated for decades, with countless other shocking deaths in games trying to replicate that sudden and heartbreaking twist. Narrative storytelling in gaming was changed after Final Fantasy VII, with a greater emphasis on a cinematic feel and sweeping stories driven by specific character arcs. Other franchises molded their formulas to replicate that effect, and the Final Fantasy series has spent the intervening thirty years trying to replicate the alchemy that made Final Fantasy VII so special. While other JRPGs have been as impactful on developers (like Chrono Trigger or Dragon Quest), Final Fantasy VII reinvented the formula for a new generation and turned it from a niche genre into one of the defining styles of games of its era. In terms of tone and style, gaming shifted after Final Fantasy VII made the RPG one of the biggest mainstream hits of its generation.

Final Fantasy VII Helped Solidify The Idea Of AAA Gaming

Even beyond the impact it had on narrative-centric games or the RPG genre in particular, Final Fantasy VII‘s development and budget cemented it as a game-changer in the industry. In an era where game development was as tight as possible, Final Fantasy VII embraced a massive budget to full effect. This allowed the developers to use the best graphics at the time, expand the world in plenty of ways, and infuse it all with a full soundtrack and well-deployed art team. The game was massive, with multiple discs containing the full adventure. The game development budget was roughly $40 million at the time, with an even larger budget for marketing.

This approach was unheard of at the time, making it one of the most expensive game productions ever. The industry was still smarting after the near collapse of the market the previous decade, and game developments didn’t typically go that massive. However, Final Fantasy VII used that budget to make something that felt wholly unique and powerfully cinematic for the time. The subsequent widespread success of the game turned a lot of heads and led to increased budgets for other titles to try and compete. This laid the groundwork for the AAA-led industry that we have today, a space that can put intense pressure on developers but also help them deliver their ideal product.

Final Fantasy VII Is One Of Gaming’s Most Important Successes

Final Fantasy VII isn’t just one of the most important JRPGs of all time; it’s arguably one of the most influential games of the modern era. Generations of gamers grew up with the title, whether they realized it or not. The impact of Cloud on gaming led to countless anime-stylized heroes that could match him blade for blade and hairstyle for hairstyle. The sprawling fantasy adventure became a more common setting. Games increasingly incorporated more romantic subplots and character choices in their games, reflecting the ways Final Fantasy VII quietly set up a love triangle that is still debated decades later.

More than anything, Final Fantasy VII codified the cinematic gaming experience that plenty of titles still try to replicate today. Final Fantasy VII impacted the gaming culture and the development of new titles in ways that are still being felt decades later, even beyond the numerous spin-offs, sequels, and remakes the game has received. Not only does Final Fantasy VII remain an important title in the RPG genre, but it also remains one of the most influential games of all time.