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 game kicks off in a train station. Our hero, Cloud Strife, flips off the roof of a train and kills two soldiers single handedly, one blow each. Not even a minute into the game and already the main character is impressing!
Cloud is introduced to the player as a bad ass character. During his first introduction, he is then shown as a cold character. "I don't care about your names, I'm just here to do my job." His very first line in the game. As the gate to the Sector 1 reactor is opened, the camera pans down towards Cloud, overlooking the reactor.
A little exposition later, and it's stated that the Planet is "dying" because of the Mako reactors. For this reason, AVALANCHE is taking action.
Once inside, Cloud (and by extension the player) is informed on what's going to happen: this place is going to be blown up to smithereens, and Cloud (the player) will be the one to set the bomb. Once the bomb is set, a robot guard attacks Cloud and Barret (who was accompanying him to make sure he did his job). A boss fight later, and the two have to escape the reactor. They have 10 minutes to do so, and that's in REAL TIME! Once the party escapes the reactor, they see it explode in a glorious, awe inspiring blaze.
Cloud walks through the city, seeing the people of Midgar in a panic. Moments later, the player can find out that hundreds died from the explosion...
This moment is fantastic for various reasons. First off, it follows ALL the rules of First Impressions. The player is given control of the main character, is given a taste of the battle system, and even has to fight a boss, all in the first thirty minutes of the game. From a gameplay perspective, the destruction of the Sector 1 reactor delivers.
From a character stand point, this is also a brilliant scenario. The player is given a fantastic introduction to both Cloud and Barret. In the first scene of the game (after the intro), the player sees five characters. The first is Biggs, who performs a judo throw on a guard, knocking him out. The second is Jessie, who kicks the other guard, knocking him unconscious too. The third is Wedge, who just jumps out of the train. Next is Barret, who merely signals the fifth character to join the attack. And finally, Cloud himself, flipping from the roof of the train and then battling two soldiers, solo. All you need to know about these five characters, done in less than two minutes. Biggs is a fighter, and is the muscle of the team. Jessie is the girl of the team, but is by no means a slouch. Wedge isn't much for action. Barret is in charge. And Cloud? Cloud is the bad ass of the crew.
From a visual stand point, this scene is brilliant. There's the completely industrial atmosphere, but the presence of neon lights help underscore that this is a cyberpunk inspired work. The main plot might not have to do with computers, but the spirit of the work is clearly inspired by cyberpunk. The brightly colored Mako energy helps maintain a level of fantasy, but the presence of billowing smoke stacks, armed police, and trains helps paint a familiar picture. You've seen this type of atmosphere before, like in the game Shadowrun or the film Blade Runner.
And of course, there's the many breath taking cinematic moments, such as the train's arrival, or of course the explosion itself. It not only helps demonstrate that Final Fantasy 7 was going to be a very cinematic game, but it also showed just what the PS1 could do. Remember, this game was released in 1997; the Playstation was two years old at the most, and had yet to get the Killer Apps it needed to DOMINATE the gaming industry. Final Fantasy 7 was its first Killer App, but not the last.
But most importantly, there's the absolute brilliance from a narrative stand point. The player has committed a terrorist act. There were consequences, and the player sees just the tip of what he/she did. It really shows that Final Fantasy 7 was NOT going to be a typical RPG; the heroes will be doing many morally questionable acts, and nothing is as clear cut as it appears to be. The player will be told that what they are doing is for "the Planet." Minutes later, they will see that their actions had consequences.
That's what makes this moment so brilliant: it sets up what kind of game Final Fantasy 7 would be. Challenging from a gameplay AND narrative point of view, the first thirty minutes of the game promise the player an unforgettable experience. And the game, in my opinion, delivers.
An act of terrorism, the eighth best moment in Final Fantasy 7.
The game kicks off in a train station. Our hero, Cloud Strife, flips off the roof of a train and kills two soldiers single handedly, one blow each. Not even a minute into the game and already the main character is impressing!
Cloud is introduced to the player as a bad ass character. During his first introduction, he is then shown as a cold character. "I don't care about your names, I'm just here to do my job." His very first line in the game. As the gate to the Sector 1 reactor is opened, the camera pans down towards Cloud, overlooking the reactor.
A little exposition later, and it's stated that the Planet is "dying" because of the Mako reactors. For this reason, AVALANCHE is taking action.
Once inside, Cloud (and by extension the player) is informed on what's going to happen: this place is going to be blown up to smithereens, and Cloud (the player) will be the one to set the bomb. Once the bomb is set, a robot guard attacks Cloud and Barret (who was accompanying him to make sure he did his job). A boss fight later, and the two have to escape the reactor. They have 10 minutes to do so, and that's in REAL TIME! Once the party escapes the reactor, they see it explode in a glorious, awe inspiring blaze.
Cloud walks through the city, seeing the people of Midgar in a panic. Moments later, the player can find out that hundreds died from the explosion...
This moment is fantastic for various reasons. First off, it follows ALL the rules of First Impressions. The player is given control of the main character, is given a taste of the battle system, and even has to fight a boss, all in the first thirty minutes of the game. From a gameplay perspective, the destruction of the Sector 1 reactor delivers.
From a character stand point, this is also a brilliant scenario. The player is given a fantastic introduction to both Cloud and Barret. In the first scene of the game (after the intro), the player sees five characters. The first is Biggs, who performs a judo throw on a guard, knocking him out. The second is Jessie, who kicks the other guard, knocking him unconscious too. The third is Wedge, who just jumps out of the train. Next is Barret, who merely signals the fifth character to join the attack. And finally, Cloud himself, flipping from the roof of the train and then battling two soldiers, solo. All you need to know about these five characters, done in less than two minutes. Biggs is a fighter, and is the muscle of the team. Jessie is the girl of the team, but is by no means a slouch. Wedge isn't much for action. Barret is in charge. And Cloud? Cloud is the bad ass of the crew.
From a visual stand point, this scene is brilliant. There's the completely industrial atmosphere, but the presence of neon lights help underscore that this is a cyberpunk inspired work. The main plot might not have to do with computers, but the spirit of the work is clearly inspired by cyberpunk. The brightly colored Mako energy helps maintain a level of fantasy, but the presence of billowing smoke stacks, armed police, and trains helps paint a familiar picture. You've seen this type of atmosphere before, like in the game Shadowrun or the film Blade Runner.
And of course, there's the many breath taking cinematic moments, such as the train's arrival, or of course the explosion itself. It not only helps demonstrate that Final Fantasy 7 was going to be a very cinematic game, but it also showed just what the PS1 could do. Remember, this game was released in 1997; the Playstation was two years old at the most, and had yet to get the Killer Apps it needed to DOMINATE the gaming industry. Final Fantasy 7 was its first Killer App, but not the last.
But most importantly, there's the absolute brilliance from a narrative stand point. The player has committed a terrorist act. There were consequences, and the player sees just the tip of what he/she did. It really shows that Final Fantasy 7 was NOT going to be a typical RPG; the heroes will be doing many morally questionable acts, and nothing is as clear cut as it appears to be. The player will be told that what they are doing is for "the Planet." Minutes later, they will see that their actions had consequences.
That's what makes this moment so brilliant: it sets up what kind of game Final Fantasy 7 would be. Challenging from a gameplay AND narrative point of view, the first thirty minutes of the game promise the player an unforgettable experience. And the game, in my opinion, delivers.
An act of terrorism, the eighth best moment in Final Fantasy 7.
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