The Top 11 Best Moments in Final Fantasy 7- Number 1

And so, we cap off this list with the BEST moment in Final Fantasy 7. This is a moment that needs no introduction: The final boss fight against Sephiroth.

The Top 11 Best Moments in Final Fantasy 7- Number 2

When a villain does a deed so horrible that the only acceptable fate for him/her is a cruel, painful death, there is an element of catharsis in seeing such a thing come to pass. Of course, in a video game, the player might feel cheated that he/she wasn't the one to deal that finishing blow. After all, the point of a video game is to be an interactive experience! But of course, in an RPG, though the story is second to gameplay, the story is STILL one of the most important parts of the game. So, if you're going to take something away from the player for the sake of story, it damn well better be good. Well, that's today's moment: Sephiroth kills President Shinra.

The Top 11 Best Moments in Final Fantasy 7- Number 3

TV Tropes calls it the "Moral Event Horizon", a line that, once crossed, there is no coming back. In this case, we're talking about an action so vile, so horrifying, so evil, that it leaves no doubt in anyone's mind that the perpetrator is beyond any redemption. Final Fantasy 7 has no shortages of these types of actions; most of them done by Sephiroth himself. But it was Shinra, not Sephiroth, who committed the most heinous act in the game. That act is the third best moment of the game: the destruction of Sector 7.

The Top 11 Best Moments in Final Fantasy 7- Number 4

The year was 1997. The computer was JUST starting to become the most important part of animation; Toy Story had been released a year prior to critical acclaim, ReBoot and Beast Wars were two of the most popular shows for children, and Toonami was just starting to come out. Likewise, video games were graphically improving, impressing gamers with the use of CGI cutscenes. Final Fantasy 7 owes a good part of its success to the use of CGI, and today's moment may be the BEST example of its use throughout the whole game: WEAPON's attack on Junon.

The Top 11 Best Moments in Final Fantasy 7- Number 5

There are two scenes in Final Fantasy 7 that are truly iconic. The first, Aeris' death, was already discussed on this countdown. The second scene is the one we'll be discussing today. This is a scene that has been redone and retold no less than three times; once on an OVA, once on a PSP game, and of course, once in the upcoming remake. The fifth best moment in Final Fantasy 7 is "Sephiroth destroys Nibelheim."

The Top 11 Best Moments in Final Fantasy 7- Number 6

The world map, a staple of classic RPG's dating back to the original Dragon Quest. Often with peppy, adventurous music, always inspiring in the notion that "the world is just huge." Well, Final Fantasy 7 is no exception to this rule; the world map does a well enough job to paint the world as being appropriately large (though surprisingly empty, all things considered). But unlike most games, who give you access to the world map at the first hour, FF7 waits five to six hours before it lets you out of Midgar and into the world. And that first step out of Midgar makes its way to the sixth spot of the best moments in Final Fantasy 7.

The Top 11 Best Moments in Final Fantasy 7- Number 7

Final Fantasy 7 is undoubtedly Cloud's story. However, many other characters also get the spotlight now and then; from Cid's dream of going to space, to Red XIII coming to terms with what happened to his father. But I have reasons to believe that Barret's story arc is one that deserves an observation, considering how relatively muted it is. And though his story arc has a few key moments that demonstrate his depth as a character, there is one moment that truly encompasses Barret's character. The seventh entry on this list, and one that may be surprising to you readers, is "Barret versus Dyne."

The Top 11 Best Moments in Final Fantasy 7- Number 8

When it comes to RPG's, I have a set of rules to how they should be made. One of these rules says: "If I'm not wowed in the first thirty minutes of the game, then the game will not be good." The first 30 minutes or hour should be used to give the player a feel for how the game will be, and should include at least the first dungeon,a couple of battles, and one boss fight. There should also be some inkling to what kind of story the game will tell. Does Final Fantasy 7 follow this rule? Oh, does it ever. Today's moment is precisely that: the first mission of the game. "AVALANCHE destroys the Sector 1 reactor."

The Top 11 Best Moments in Final Fantasy 7- Number 9

How do you introduce a villain? Some people choose to do so by having them perform a heinous act; like in Suikoden 2, where Luca Blight is introduced laughing about slaughtering a platoon of child soldiers from his country. Sometimes, a bit of deception helps set the mood, like in Final Fantasy 10, where Seymour is introduced saving Luca Stadium from a fiend attack. But sometimes, an understated entrance is the most effective. This is what Final Fantasy 7 went for in introducing one of its villains, President Shinra, and our ninth entry on this list.

The Top 11 Best Moments in Final Fantasy 7- Number 10

Today's moment is one that needs to be explained in more than one level. From a narrative stand point, it's a rescue mission that lasts for a few minutes and then leads on to the of the most shocking moments in the game. From a gameplay level, it's a scavenger hunt. Yet on a meta level, it's an unforgettable scene. The tenth best moment in the game is "Cloud cross dresses to save Tifa from Don Corneo."

The Top 11 Best Moments in Final Fantasy 7- Number 11

We kick this countdown off with the biggest spoiler in gaming since "Samus is a girl": Aeris dies. Yes, every gamer worth their salt knows this plot twist, how at the end of the first disc of the game, Aeris bites the bullet. This scene has been parodied, mocked, dissected, analyzed to hell and back, to the point that it seems almost pointless to even bother discussing it. And yet, it's still one of the most brilliant moments in the game.