<s>
is	O
a	O
1997	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Square	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
console	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
seventh	O
main	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
story	O
follows	O
Cloud	O
Strife	O
,	O
a	O
mercenary	O
who	O
joins	O
an	O
eco-terrorist	O
organization	O
to	O
stop	O
a	O
world-controlling	O
megacorporation	O
from	O
using	O
the	B-Application
planet	I-Application
's	O
life	O
essence	O
as	O
an	O
energy	O
source	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Events	O
send	O
Cloud	O
and	O
his	O
allies	O
in	O
pursuit	O
of	O
Sephiroth	O
,	O
a	O
former	O
member	O
of	O
the	O
corporation	O
who	O
seeks	O
to	O
destroy	O
the	B-Application
planet	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
began	O
in	O
1994	O
,	O
originally	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
delays	O
and	O
technical	O
difficulties	O
from	O
experimenting	O
on	O
several	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
rendering	I-General_Concept
platforms	O
,	O
Square	O
moved	O
production	O
to	O
pre-rendered	O
video	O
,	O
necessitating	O
the	O
huge	O
capacity	O
of	O
the	O
format	O
and	O
therefore	O
departing	O
Nintendo	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Veteran	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
staff	O
returned	O
,	O
including	O
series	O
creator	O
and	O
producer	O
Hironobu	O
Sakaguchi	O
,	O
director	O
Yoshinori	O
Kitase	O
,	O
and	O
composer	O
Nobuo	O
Uematsu	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
use	O
full	B-Application
motion	I-Application
video	I-Application
and	O
3D	O
computer	O
graphics	O
,	O
superimposing	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
3D	O
character	O
models	O
over	O
pre-rendered	O
CGI	O
backgrounds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
introduced	O
more	O
widespread	O
science	O
fiction	O
elements	O
and	O
a	O
more	O
realistic	O
presentation	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
gameplay	O
systems	O
remained	O
largely	O
similar	O
to	O
previous	O
entries	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
new	O
elements	O
such	O
as	O
Materia	O
,	O
Limit	O
Breaks	O
,	O
and	O
new	O
minigames	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Assisted	O
by	O
a	O
large	O
promotional	O
campaign	O
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
and	O
received	O
universal	O
acclaim	O
,	O
selling	O
more	O
than	O
copies	O
worldwide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
won	O
numerous	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
awards	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
acknowledged	O
for	O
boosting	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
popularizing	O
console	O
role-playing	O
games	O
worldwide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
success	O
has	O
led	O
to	O
enhanced	O
ports	O
on	O
various	O
platforms	O
,	O
a	O
multimedia	O
sub-series	O
called	O
the	O
Compilation	B-Application
of	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
ongoing	O
multipart	O
high-definition	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
Remake	I-Application
,	O
the	O
first	O
installment	O
of	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
is	O
mostly	O
comparable	O
to	O
earlier	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
games	I-Application
and	O
Japanese	O
role-playing	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
its	O
grandest	O
scale	O
,	O
players	O
explore	O
the	O
entire	O
world	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
on	O
a	O
3D	O
world	O
map	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
characters	O
rest	O
at	O
an	O
inn	O
,	O
their	O
hit	O
points	O
and	O
mana	B-Application
points	I-Application
will	O
be	O
restored	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
any	O
abnormalities	O
contracted	O
during	O
battles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Characters	O
have	O
many	O
statistics	O
that	O
determine	O
their	O
effectiveness	O
in	O
battle	O
;	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
hit	O
points	O
determine	O
how	O
much	O
damage	O
they	O
can	O
take	O
,	O
and	O
magic	O
determines	O
how	O
much	O
damage	O
they	O
can	O
inflict	O
with	O
spells	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
also	O
features	O
powerful	O
,	O
character-specific	O
commands	O
called	O
Limit	O
Breaks	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
only	O
after	O
a	O
special	O
gauge	O
is	O
charged	O
by	O
enemy	O
attacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
defeated	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
game	B-Application
over	I-Application
and	O
the	O
game	O
must	O
be	O
restored	O
to	O
the	O
last	O
save	O
point	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
method	O
of	O
customizing	O
characters	O
in	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
Materia	O
may	O
be	O
added	O
to	O
equipment	O
to	O
provide	O
characters	O
with	O
new	O
magic	O
spells	B-Application
,	O
monsters	O
to	O
summon	O
,	O
commands	O
,	O
statistical	O
upgrades	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
benefits	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
on	O
a	O
world	O
referred	O
to	O
in-game	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
Planet	O
"	O
,	O
though	O
it	O
has	O
been	O
retroactively	O
named	O
"	O
Gaia	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
planet	I-Application
's	O
lifeforce	O
,	O
called	O
the	O
Lifestream	O
,	O
is	O
a	O
flow	O
of	O
spiritual	O
energy	O
that	O
gives	O
life	O
to	O
everything	O
on	O
the	B-Application
Planet	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
the	B-Application
Planet	I-Application
's	O
Lifestream	O
is	O
being	O
drained	O
for	O
energy	O
by	O
the	O
Shinra	O
Electric	O
Power	O
Company	O
( 神羅	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
world-dominating	O
megacorporation	O
headquartered	O
in	O
the	O
city	O
of	O
Midgar	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shinra	O
's	O
actions	O
are	O
weakening	O
the	B-Application
Planet	I-Application
,	O
threatening	O
its	O
existence	O
and	O
all	O
life	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Significant	O
factions	O
within	O
the	O
game	O
include	O
AVALANCHE	O
,	O
an	O
eco-terrorist	O
group	O
seeking	O
Shinra	O
's	O
downfall	O
so	O
the	B-Application
Planet	I-Application
can	O
recover	O
;	O
the	O
Turks	O
,	O
a	O
covert	O
branch	O
of	O
Shinra	O
's	O
security	O
forces	O
;	O
SOLDIER	O
,	O
an	O
elite	O
Shinra	O
fighting	O
force	O
created	O
by	O
enhancing	O
humans	O
with	O
Mako	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
Cetra	O
,	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Ancients	O
,	O
a	O
near-extinct	O
human	O
tribe	O
which	O
maintains	O
a	O
strong	O
connection	O
to	O
the	B-Application
Planet	I-Application
and	O
the	O
Lifestream	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
their	O
journey	O
,	O
they	O
meet	O
Aerith	O
Gainsborough	O
,	O
a	O
carefree	O
flower	O
merchant	O
and	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
last	O
surviving	O
Cetra	O
;	O
Red	O
XIII	O
,	O
an	O
intelligent	O
quadruped	O
from	O
a	O
tribe	O
that	O
protects	O
the	B-Application
planet	I-Application
;	O
Cait	O
Sith	O
,	O
a	O
fortune-telling	O
robotic	O
cat	O
controlled	O
by	O
repentant	O
Shinra	O
staff	O
member	O
Reeve	O
;	O
and	O
Cid	O
Highwind	O
,	O
a	O
pilot	O
whose	O
dream	O
of	O
being	O
the	O
first	O
human	O
in	O
outer	O
space	O
was	O
not	O
realized	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
main	O
antagonists	O
are	O
Rufus	O
Shinra	O
,	O
son	O
of	O
President	O
Shinra	O
and	O
later	O
leader	O
of	O
the	O
Shinra	O
Corporation	O
;	O
Sephiroth	O
,	O
a	O
former	O
SOLDIER	O
who	O
reappears	O
several	O
years	O
after	O
he	O
was	O
thought	O
dead	O
and	O
seeks	O
to	O
harm	O
the	B-Application
planet	I-Application
and	O
become	O
a	O
god	O
himself	O
;	O
and	O
Jenova	O
,	O
a	O
hostile	O
extraterrestrial	O
life-form	O
imprisoned	O
by	O
the	O
Cetra	O
2000	O
years	O
before	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
party	O
pursues	O
Sephiroth	O
across	O
the	B-Application
Planet	I-Application
,	O
with	O
now-President	O
Rufus	O
on	O
their	O
trail	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Finding	O
him	O
at	O
a	O
Cetra	O
temple	O
,	O
Sephiroth	O
reveals	O
his	O
intentions	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
Black	O
Materia	O
to	O
summon	O
"	O
Meteor	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
spell	B-Application
that	O
will	O
hit	O
the	B-Application
Planet	I-Application
with	O
a	O
devastating	O
impact	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
Aerith	O
's	O
prayer	O
to	O
the	B-Application
Planet	I-Application
for	O
help	O
,	O
Sephiroth	O
attempts	O
to	O
force	O
Cloud	O
to	O
kill	O
her	O
;	O
failing	O
,	O
he	O
kills	O
her	O
himself	O
before	O
fleeing	O
,	O
angering	O
Cloud	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sephiroth	O
summons	O
Meteor	O
and	O
seals	O
the	O
Crater	O
with	O
a	O
magical	O
barrier	O
;	O
Cloud	O
falls	O
into	O
the	O
Lifestream	O
,	O
the	O
party	O
is	O
captured	O
by	O
Rufus	O
,	O
and	O
several	O
giant	O
monsters	O
known	O
as	O
Weapons	O
emerge	O
to	O
defend	O
the	B-Application
planet	I-Application
from	O
harm	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cloud	O
accepts	O
his	O
past	O
and	O
reunites	O
with	O
the	O
party	O
,	O
who	O
learn	O
that	O
Aerith	O
's	O
prayer	O
to	O
the	B-Application
Planet	I-Application
had	O
been	O
successful	O
:	O
the	B-Application
Planet	I-Application
had	O
attempted	O
to	O
summon	O
Holy	O
to	O
prevent	O
Meteor	O
's	O
impact	O
,	O
but	O
is	O
undermined	O
by	O
Sephiroth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
party	O
descends	O
to	O
the	B-Application
Planet	I-Application
's	O
core	O
through	O
the	O
opening	O
in	O
the	O
Northern	O
Crater	O
and	O
defeats	O
both	O
Jenova	O
and	O
Sephiroth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Five	O
hundred	O
years	O
later	O
,	O
Red	O
XIII	O
is	O
seen	O
with	O
two	O
cubs	O
looking	O
out	O
over	O
the	O
ruins	O
of	O
Midgar	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
now	O
covered	O
in	O
greenery	O
,	O
showing	O
the	B-Application
planet	I-Application
has	O
healed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initial	O
concept	O
talks	O
for	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
began	O
in	O
1994	O
at	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
developer	O
Square	O
,	O
following	O
the	O
completion	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VI	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
the	O
previous	O
installment	O
,	O
series	O
creator	O
Hironobu	O
Sakaguchi	O
reduced	O
his	O
role	O
to	O
producer	O
and	O
granted	O
others	O
a	O
more	O
active	O
role	O
in	O
development	O
:	O
these	O
included	O
Yoshinori	O
Kitase	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
directors	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VI	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
next	O
installment	O
was	O
planned	O
as	O
a	O
2D	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
creating	O
an	O
early	O
2D	O
prototype	O
of	O
it	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
postponed	O
development	O
to	O
help	O
finish	O
Chrono	B-Application
Trigger	I-Application
for	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
resumed	O
discussions	O
for	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
in	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
took	O
the	O
riskier	O
option	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
3D	O
game	O
on	O
new	O
generation	O
hardware	O
,	O
with	O
their	O
main	O
choices	O
being	O
the	O
cartridge-based	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
or	O
the	O
CD-ROM-based	O
Sony	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
also	O
considered	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
console	O
and	O
Windows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Their	O
decision	O
was	O
influenced	O
by	O
two	O
factors	O
:	O
a	O
widely	O
successful	O
technology	O
demo	O
based	O
on	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VI	I-Application
using	O
the	O
new	O
Softimage	B-Device
3D	I-Device
software	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
escalating	O
price	O
of	O
cartridges	B-Protocol
which	O
had	O
already	O
limited	O
Square	O
's	O
audience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tests	O
were	O
made	O
for	O
a	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
version	O
,	O
which	O
would	O
use	O
the	O
planned	O
64DD	B-Device
floppy	B-Device
drive	I-Device
peripheral	O
though	O
Nintendo	O
had	O
not	O
yet	O
produced	O
64DD	B-Device
development	O
kits	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
prototype	O
's	O
changing	O
hardware	O
specifications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
version	O
was	O
discarded	O
during	O
early	O
testing	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
Behemoth	O
monster	O
's	O
2000	O
polygons	O
placed	O
excessive	O
strain	O
on	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
,	O
causing	O
a	O
low	O
frame	O
rate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
would	O
have	O
required	O
an	O
estimated	O
thirty	O
64DD	B-Device
disks	O
at	O
about	O
each	O
to	O
run	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
properly	O
with	O
the	O
data	O
compression	O
methods	O
of	O
the	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Faced	O
with	O
the	O
state	O
of	O
technology	O
,	O
and	O
impressed	O
by	O
the	O
increased	O
storage	O
capacity	O
of	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
when	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
cartridge	B-Protocol
,	O
Square	O
shifted	O
development	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
and	O
all	O
other	O
planned	O
projects	O
,	O
onto	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
with	O
pre-rendered	O
movies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
to	O
the	O
visuals	O
and	O
audio	O
,	O
the	O
overall	O
gameplay	O
system	O
remained	O
mostly	O
unchanged	O
from	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
V	I-Application
and	O
VI	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
a	O
researched	O
emphasis	O
on	O
player	O
control	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
proposed	O
the	O
Materia	O
system	O
to	O
provide	O
more	O
character	O
customization	O
than	O
previous	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Artist	O
Tetsuya	O
Nomura	O
contributed	O
to	O
the	O
gameplay	O
by	O
designing	O
the	O
Limit	O
Break	O
system	O
as	O
an	O
evolution	O
of	O
the	O
Desperation	O
Attacks	O
from	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VI	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
the	O
most	O
expensive	O
video	O
game	O
ever	O
produced	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
development	O
budget	O
estimated	O
between	O
and	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
art	O
director	O
was	O
Yusuke	O
Naora	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
previously	O
worked	O
as	O
a	O
designer	O
for	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VI	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Naora	O
later	O
defined	O
the	O
art	O
style	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
as	O
"	O
dark	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
weird	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
he	O
had	O
taken	O
a	O
prominent	O
role	O
in	O
earlier	O
entries	O
,	O
Amano	O
was	O
unable	O
to	O
do	O
so	O
for	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
due	O
to	O
commitments	O
at	O
overseas	O
exhibitions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
this	O
draft	O
for	O
the	O
planned	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
version	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
setting	O
was	O
envisioned	O
as	O
New	O
York	O
City	O
in	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Sakaguchi	O
,	O
his	O
mother	O
had	O
died	O
while	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
III	I-Application
was	O
being	O
developed	O
,	O
and	O
choosing	O
life	O
as	O
a	O
theme	O
helped	O
him	O
cope	O
with	O
her	O
passing	O
in	O
a	O
rational	O
and	O
analytical	O
manner	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Square	O
eventually	O
used	O
the	O
New	O
York	O
setting	O
in	O
Parasite	B-Application
Eve	I-Application
(	O
1998	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
planned	O
concept	O
was	O
dropped	O
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
still	O
marked	O
a	O
drastic	O
shift	O
in	O
setting	O
from	O
previous	O
entries	O
,	O
dropping	O
the	O
Medieval	O
fantasy	O
elements	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
a	O
world	O
that	O
was	O
"	O
ambiguously	O
futuristic	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Kitase	O
was	O
put	O
in	O
charge	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
he	O
and	O
Nomura	O
reworked	O
the	O
entire	O
initial	O
plot	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Scenario	O
writer	O
Kazushige	O
Nojima	O
joined	O
the	O
team	O
after	O
finishing	O
work	O
on	O
Bahamut	B-Application
Lagoon	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VI	I-Application
featured	O
an	O
ensemble	O
cast	O
of	O
numerous	O
playable	O
characters	O
that	O
were	O
equally	O
important	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
soon	O
decided	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
central	O
protagonist	O
for	O
VII	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nojima	O
was	O
charged	O
with	O
writing	O
the	O
scenario	O
and	O
unifying	O
the	O
team	O
's	O
ideas	O
into	O
a	O
cohesive	O
narrative	O
,	O
as	O
Kitase	O
was	O
impressed	O
with	O
his	O
earlier	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
mystery-like	O
Heracles	O
no	O
Eikō	O
III	B-Application
:	O
Kamigami	O
no	O
Chinmoku	O
,	O
an	O
entry	O
in	O
the	B-Application
Glory	I-Application
of	I-Application
Heracles	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
shift	O
from	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
to	O
the	O
next	O
generation	O
consoles	O
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
became	O
the	O
first	O
project	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
use	O
3D	O
computer	O
graphics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aside	O
from	O
the	O
story	O
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VI	I-Application
had	O
many	O
details	O
undecided	O
when	O
development	O
began	O
and	O
most	O
design	O
elements	O
were	O
hashed	O
out	O
along	O
the	O
way	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
,	O
with	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
the	O
developers	O
knew	O
from	O
the	O
outset	O
it	O
was	O
going	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
a	O
real	O
3D	O
game	O
"	O
,	O
so	O
from	O
the	O
earliest	O
planning	O
stage	O
,	O
detailed	O
designs	O
were	O
in	O
existence	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
shift	O
from	O
cartridge	B-Protocol
ROM	O
to	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
posed	O
some	O
problems	O
:	O
according	O
to	O
lead	O
programmer	O
Ken	O
Narita	O
,	O
the	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
had	O
a	O
slower	O
access	O
speed	O
,	O
delaying	O
some	O
actions	O
during	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
so	O
the	O
team	O
needed	O
to	O
overcome	O
this	O
issue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
decision	O
was	O
influenced	O
by	O
the	O
team	O
's	O
exposure	O
to	O
the	O
3D	O
character	O
models	O
used	O
in	O
Alone	B-Application
in	I-Application
the	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sakaguchi	O
decided	O
to	O
use	O
deformed	O
models	O
for	O
field	O
navigation	O
and	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
event	O
scenes	O
,	O
for	O
better	O
expression	O
of	O
emotion	O
,	O
while	O
realistically	O
proportioned	O
models	O
would	O
be	O
used	O
in	O
battles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
purchased	O
Silicon	O
Graphics	O
Onyx	B-General_Concept
supercomputers	O
and	O
related	O
workstations	O
,	O
and	O
accompanying	O
software	O
including	O
Softimage	B-Device
3D	I-Device
,	O
PowerAnimator	B-Device
,	O
and	O
N-World	B-Device
for	O
an	O
estimated	O
total	O
of	O
$21	O
million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
changed	O
with	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
in	O
which	O
environments	O
shift	O
with	O
camera	O
angles	O
,	O
and	O
character	O
model	O
sizes	O
shift	O
depending	O
on	O
both	O
their	O
place	O
in	O
the	O
environment	O
and	O
their	O
distance	O
from	O
the	O
camera	O
,	O
giving	O
a	O
sense	O
of	O
scale	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
the	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
effects	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
an	O
explosion	O
near	O
the	O
opening	O
,	O
were	O
hand-drawn	O
rather	O
than	O
computer	O
animated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
major	O
events	O
in	O
development	O
was	O
when	O
the	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
graphics	O
were	O
synchronized	O
to	O
computer-generated	O
full	B-Application
motion	I-Application
video	I-Application
(	O
FMV	O
)	O
cutscenes	O
for	O
some	O
story	O
sequences	O
,	O
including	O
an	O
early	O
sequence	O
where	O
a	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
model	O
of	O
Cloud	O
jumps	O
onto	O
an	O
FMV-rendered	O
moving	O
train	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
this	O
was	O
not	O
a	O
new	O
technique	O
,	O
the	O
increased	O
power	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
enabled	O
a	O
more	O
elaborate	O
version	O
of	O
this	O
effect	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
biggest	O
issue	O
with	O
the	O
3D	O
graphics	O
was	O
the	O
large	O
memory	O
storage	O
gap	O
between	O
the	O
development	O
hardware	O
and	O
the	O
console	O
:	O
while	O
the	O
early	O
3D	O
tech	O
demo	O
had	O
been	O
developed	O
on	O
a	O
machine	O
with	O
over	O
400	O
megabytes	O
of	O
total	O
memory	O
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
only	O
had	O
two	O
megabytes	O
of	O
system	O
memory	O
and	O
500	O
kilobytes	O
for	O
texture	O
memory	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
features	O
two	O
types	O
of	O
cutscenes	O
:	O
real-time	B-General_Concept
cutscenes	O
featuring	O
polygon	O
models	O
on	O
pre-rendered	O
backgrounds	O
,	O
and	O
computer-generated	O
imagery	O
(	O
CGI	O
)	O
FMV	O
cutscenes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
FMVs	O
were	O
created	O
by	O
an	O
international	O
team	O
,	O
covering	O
both	O
Japan	O
and	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
involving	O
talent	O
from	O
the	O
gaming	O
and	O
film	O
industry	O
;	O
Western	O
contributors	O
included	O
artists	O
and	O
staff	O
who	O
had	O
worked	O
on	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
film	O
series	O
,	O
Jurassic	O
Park	O
,	O
Terminator	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Judgment	I-Application
Day	I-Application
,	O
and	O
True	B-Application
Lies	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
CGI	O
FMV	O
sequences	O
total	O
around	O
40	O
minutes	O
of	O
footage	O
,	O
something	O
only	O
possible	O
with	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
extra	O
memory	O
space	O
and	O
graphical	O
power	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
musical	O
score	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
composed	O
,	O
arranged	O
,	O
and	O
produced	O
by	O
Nobuo	O
Uematsu	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
served	O
as	O
the	O
sole	O
composer	O
for	O
the	O
six	O
previous	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Uematsu	O
then	O
decided	O
that	O
the	O
higher	O
quality	O
audio	O
was	O
not	O
worth	O
the	O
trade-off	O
with	O
performance	O
,	O
and	O
opted	O
instead	O
to	O
use	O
MIDI-like	O
sounds	O
produced	O
by	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
internal	O
sound	O
sequencer	O
,	O
similar	O
to	O
how	O
his	O
soundtracks	O
for	O
the	O
previous	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
on	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
were	O
implemented	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Super	B-Application
NES	I-Application
only	O
has	O
eight	O
sound	O
channels	O
to	O
work	O
with	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
has	O
twenty-four	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
include	O
a	O
track	O
with	O
high-quality	O
digitized	O
vocals	O
,	O
"	O
One-Winged	O
Angel	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
accompanies	O
a	O
section	O
of	O
the	O
final	O
battle	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
track	O
has	O
been	O
called	O
Uematsu	O
's	O
"	O
most	O
recognizable	O
contribution	O
"	O
to	O
the	O
music	O
of	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
series	O
,	O
which	O
Uematsu	O
agrees	O
with	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Square	O
released	O
the	O
main	O
soundtrack	O
album	O
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
Original	O
Soundtrack	O
,	O
on	O
four	O
Compact	O
Discs	O
through	O
its	O
DigiCube	O
subsidiary	O
in	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
single-disc	O
album	O
of	O
selected	O
tracks	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
three	O
arranged	O
pieces	O
,	O
titled	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
Reunion	O
Tracks	O
,	O
was	O
also	O
released	O
by	O
DigiCube	O
in	O
1997	O
,	O
reaching	O
#20	O
on	O
the	O
Japan	O
Oricon	O
charts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
third	O
album	O
,	O
Piano	O
Collections	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
by	O
DigiCube	O
in	O
2003	O
,	O
and	O
contains	O
one	O
disc	O
of	O
piano	O
arrangements	O
of	O
tracks	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
40-minute	O
symphony	O
in	O
three	O
movements	O
consisting	O
of	O
music	O
from	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
premiered	O
in	O
2013	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Final	O
Symphony	O
concert	O
series	O
and	O
was	O
recorded	O
a	O
year	O
later	O
by	O
the	O
London	O
Symphony	O
Orchestra	O
at	O
Abbey	O
Road	O
Studios	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
in	O
February	O
1996	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
early	O
screenshots	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
playable	O
demo	O
was	O
included	O
on	O
a	O
disc	O
giveaway	O
at	O
the	O
1996	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
,	O
dubbed	O
Square	O
's	O
Preview	O
Extra	O
:	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
&	O
Siggraph	O
'	O
95	O
Works	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
disc	O
also	O
included	O
the	O
early	O
test	O
footage	O
Square	O
created	O
using	O
characters	O
from	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VI	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
playable	O
demo	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
included	O
with	O
Squaresoft	O
's	O
Tobal	B-Application
No	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
January	O
31	O
,	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
re-release	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
based	O
on	O
its	O
Western	O
version	O
,	O
titled	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
International	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
October	O
2	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
International	O
version	O
was	O
re-released	O
as	O
a	O
physical	O
disc	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
25th	O
Anniversary	O
Ultimate	O
Box	O
Japanese	O
package	O
on	O
December	O
18	O
,	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
struggles	O
against	O
Nintendo	O
and	O
Sega	O
's	O
home	O
consoles	O
,	O
lobbied	O
for	O
the	O
publishing	O
rights	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Europe	O
following	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VIIs	I-Application
transfer	O
to	O
PlayStation	B-Device
—	O
to	O
further	O
persuade	O
Square	O
,	O
Sony	O
offered	O
a	O
lucrative	O
royalties	O
deal	O
with	O
profits	O
potentially	O
equaling	O
those	O
Square	O
would	O
get	O
by	O
self-publishing	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Square	O
was	O
uncertain	O
about	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
success	O
,	O
as	O
other	O
Japanese	O
RPGs	O
including	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VI	I-Application
had	O
met	O
with	O
poor	O
sales	O
outside	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Beginning	O
with	O
a	O
television	O
commercial	O
by	O
TBWA	O
\Chiat\Day	O
that	O
ran	O
alongside	O
popular	O
shows	O
including	O
Saturday	O
Night	O
Live	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Simpsons	I-Application
,	O
Late	O
Night	O
with	O
Conan	O
O'Brien	O
,	O
and	O
Prime	O
Time	O
Sports	O
,	O
the	O
campaign	O
included	O
numerous	O
articles	O
in	O
both	O
gaming	O
and	O
general	O
interest	O
magazines	O
,	O
advertisements	O
in	O
comics	O
from	O
publishers	O
such	O
as	O
DC	O
Comics	O
and	O
Marvel	O
,	O
a	O
special	O
collaboration	O
with	O
Pepsi	O
,	O
media	O
events	O
,	O
sample	O
discs	O
,	O
and	O
merchandise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
its	O
predecessors	O
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
did	O
not	O
have	O
its	O
numeral	O
adjusted	O
to	O
account	O
for	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
a	O
Western	O
release	O
for	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
III	B-Application
,	O
and	O
V	O
—	O
while	O
only	O
the	O
fourth	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
was	O
released	O
outside	O
Japan	O
,	O
its	O
Japanese	O
title	O
was	O
retained	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
on	O
November	O
14	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
continental	O
Europe	O
on	O
November	O
17	O
,	O
becoming	O
the	O
first	O
main-line	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
game	I-Application
to	O
be	O
released	O
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
Western	O
consumers	O
did	O
not	O
own	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
and	O
Square	O
's	O
deal	O
with	O
Sony	O
did	O
not	O
prohibit	O
such	O
a	O
port	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Consequently	O
,	O
programmers	O
faced	O
problems	O
such	O
as	O
having	O
to	O
unify	O
the	O
original	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
version	O
's	O
five	O
different	O
game	O
engines	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
delays	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC	O
version	O
came	O
with	O
a	O
license	O
for	O
Yamaha	O
Corporation	O
's	O
software	B-Application
synthesizer	I-Application
S-YXG70	O
,	O
uniformly	O
delivering	O
high-quality	O
sequenced	O
music	O
to	O
a	O
chaotic	O
hardware	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eidos	O
Interactive	O
,	O
whose	O
release	O
of	O
Tomb	B-Application
Raider	I-Application
had	O
turned	O
it	O
into	O
a	O
publishing	O
giant	O
,	O
agreed	O
to	O
market	O
and	O
publish	O
the	O
port	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC	O
version	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
December	O
1997	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
Eidos	O
's	O
exclusivity	O
deal	O
for	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Europe	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
though	O
the	O
port	O
was	O
rumored	O
to	O
happen	O
as	O
early	O
as	O
December	O
1996	O
,	O
even	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
's	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Localization	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
handled	O
internally	O
by	O
Square	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
also	O
faced	O
several	O
technical	O
issues	O
due	O
to	O
programming	O
practices	O
which	O
took	O
little	O
account	O
of	O
subsequent	O
localization	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
dealing	O
with	O
a	O
fixed-width	O
font	O
and	O
having	O
to	O
insert	O
kanji	O
through	O
language	B-Device
input	I-Device
keys	I-Device
to	O
add	O
special	O
characters	O
(	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
vowels	O
with	O
diacritics	O
)	O
to	O
keep	O
the	O
code	O
working	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Honeywood	O
,	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
in	O
the	O
West	O
encouraged	O
Square	O
to	O
focus	O
more	O
on	O
localization	O
quality	O
;	O
on	O
future	O
games	O
,	O
Square	O
hired	O
additional	O
translators	O
and	O
editors	O
,	O
while	O
also	O
streamlining	O
communication	O
between	O
the	O
development	O
and	O
localization	O
teams	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
International	O
version	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
(	O
PSN	B-Device
)	O
as	O
a	O
PSOne	O
Classic	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
April	O
10	O
,	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
version	O
was	O
compatible	O
with	O
both	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
with	O
support	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
TV	I-Device
coming	O
later	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
later	O
released	O
as	O
a	O
PSOne	O
Classic	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
Europe	O
,	O
and	O
Australia	O
on	O
June	O
2	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
would	O
later	O
be	O
released	O
via	O
Steam	B-Application
on	O
July	O
4	O
,	O
2013	O
,	O
replacing	O
the	O
version	O
available	O
on	O
Square	O
Enix	O
's	O
North	O
American	O
and	O
European	O
online	O
stores	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
release	O
for	O
iOS	B-Application
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
PC	O
version	O
and	O
adjusted	O
for	O
mobile	O
devices	O
by	O
D4	O
Enterprise	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
August	O
19	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
with	O
an	O
auto-save	O
feature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC	O
version	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
on	O
December	O
5	O
,	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
DotEmu	O
developed	O
the	O
PS4	B-Operating_System
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
version	O
for	O
Android	B-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
July	O
7	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
version	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Classic	I-Device
was	O
released	O
on	O
December	O
3	O
,	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
version	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
was	O
released	O
worldwide	O
on	O
March	O
26	O
,	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
commented	O
that	O
"	O
never	O
before	O
have	O
technology	O
,	O
playability	O
,	O
and	O
narrative	O
combined	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
in	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
"	O
,	O
expressing	O
particular	O
favor	O
toward	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
graphics	O
,	O
audio	O
,	O
and	O
story	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
GamePro	O
and	O
Official	O
U.S.	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Magazine	O
(	O
OPM	O
)	O
said	O
the	O
ATB	O
system	O
gives	O
battles	O
a	O
tension	O
and	O
urgency	O
not	O
usually	O
seen	O
in	O
RPGs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGNs	O
Jay	O
Boor	O
insisted	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
graphics	O
were	O
"	O
light	O
years	O
beyond	O
anything	O
ever	O
seen	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
"	O
,	O
and	O
regarded	O
its	O
battle	O
system	O
as	O
its	O
strongest	O
point	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
calling	O
the	O
graphics	O
"	O
bar	O
none	O
the	B-Device
best	I-Device
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
has	O
ever	O
seen	O
"	O
,	O
Next	O
Generation	O
said	O
of	O
the	O
story	O
that	O
"	O
while	O
FFVII	B-Application
may	O
take	O
a	O
bit	O
to	O
get	O
going	O
,	O
as	O
in	O
every	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
moments	O
of	O
high	O
melodrama	O
are	O
blended	O
with	O
scenes	O
of	O
sheer	O
poetry	O
and	O
vision	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Edge	O
noted	O
that	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
had	O
come	O
close	O
to	O
being	O
an	O
interactive	B-Application
movie	I-Application
in	O
playable	O
form	O
,	O
praising	O
its	O
combination	O
of	O
a	O
complex	O
story	O
that	O
went	O
against	O
Western	O
graphic	O
adventure	O
trends	O
and	O
"	O
excellently	O
orchestrated	O
chip	O
music	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
has	O
also	O
received	O
some	O
negative	O
criticism	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
complained	O
that	O
the	O
music	O
quality	O
suffered	O
on	O
PC	O
sound	B-Device
cards	I-Device
and	O
Next	O
Generation	O
Magazine	O
found	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
pre-rendered	O
backgrounds	O
significantly	O
less	O
impressive	O
than	O
those	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
three	O
magazines	O
concluded	O
by	O
praising	O
the	O
technically	O
flawed	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
summarized	O
that	O
,	O
while	O
"	O
Square	O
apparently	O
did	O
only	O
what	O
was	O
required	O
to	O
get	O
its	O
PlayStation	B-Device
game	O
running	O
under	O
Windows	O
,	O
[	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
is ]	O
still	O
a	O
winner	O
on	O
the	O
PC	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
demo	O
included	O
with	O
Tobal	B-Application
No	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
1	O
helped	O
push	O
that	O
game	O
to	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
the	O
Japanese	O
sales	O
charts	O
,	O
selling	O
752,000	O
copies	O
to	O
become	O
Japan	O
's	O
eighth	O
best-selling	O
video	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	I-Application
1996	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
weeks	O
leading	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
in	O
January	O
1997	O
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
consoles	I-Device
had	O
sold	O
out	O
across	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
had	O
a	O
high	O
attach	O
rate	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
having	O
an	O
install	B-Operating_System
base	I-Operating_System
of	O
around	O
in	O
Japan	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
a	O
killer	O
app	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
with	O
Computing	O
Japan	O
magazine	O
noting	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
largely	O
responsible	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
global	O
installed	B-Operating_System
base	I-Operating_System
increasing	O
from	O
10	O
million	O
units	O
sold	O
by	O
November	O
1996	O
to	O
16	O
million	O
units	O
sold	O
by	O
May	O
1997	O
(	O
an	O
increase	O
of	O
60%	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
helped	O
push	O
PlayStation	B-Device
sales	O
ahead	O
of	O
the	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
after	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
Saturn	B-Device
had	O
been	O
very	O
close	O
in	O
Japan	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
debut	O
weekend	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
more	O
than	O
330,000	O
copies	O
were	O
sold	O
and	O
grossed	O
(	O
adjusted	O
for	O
inflation	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
higher	O
than	O
any	O
video	O
game	O
(	O
surpassing	O
Star	B-Application
Fox	I-Application
64	I-Application
at	O
300,000	O
sales	O
)	O
and	O
most	O
Hollywood	O
blockbuster	O
movies	O
to	O
date	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
reportedly	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
sell	O
copies	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
during	O
its	O
first	O
week	O
of	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
helped	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
break	O
a	O
long	O
spell	B-Application
of	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
dominance	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
;	O
the	O
game	O
topped	O
the	O
monthly	O
sales	O
chart	O
and	O
entered	O
the	O
top	O
three	O
on	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
rental	O
chart	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Device
title	O
entered	O
the	O
top	O
five	O
after	O
months	O
of	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
games	O
dominating	O
the	O
rental	O
charts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Business	O
analyst	O
Edward	O
Williams	O
(	O
from	O
Monness	O
,	O
Crespi	O
,	O
Hardt	O
&	O
Co	O
.	O
)	O
commented	O
that	O
"	O
Sony	O
redefined	O
the	O
role-playing	O
game	O
(	O
RPG	O
)	O
category	O
and	O
expanded	O
the	O
conventional	O
audience	O
with	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
held	O
the	O
North	O
American	O
opening	O
weekend	O
sales	O
record	O
up	O
until	O
Resident	B-Application
Evil	I-Application
2	I-Application
(	O
1998	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
highest-grossing	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
game	I-Application
in	O
North	O
America	O
until	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XV	I-Application
(	O
2016	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
set	O
sales	O
records	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
,	O
where	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
two	O
days	O
of	O
release	O
it	O
had	O
sold	O
48,000	O
copies	O
and	O
grossed	O
or	O
,	O
faster	O
than	O
any	O
video	O
game	O
previously	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
Saturn	B-Device
,	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
or	O
PC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Worldwide	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
best-selling	O
video	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	I-Application
1997	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
sold	O
more	O
than	O
copies	O
by	O
1998	O
,	O
becoming	O
the	O
best-selling	O
PlayStation	B-Device
game	O
up	O
until	O
then	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
sell	O
copies	O
worldwide	O
by	O
1999	O
,	O
and	O
units	O
by	O
March	O
2003	O
,	O
including	O
3.9	O
million	O
units	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
5.44	O
million	O
units	O
abroad	O
(	O
with	O
over	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
over	O
in	O
Europe	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
made	O
it	O
the	O
highest-selling	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
game	I-Application
and	O
the	O
best-selling	O
Square	O
Enix	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2006	O
,	O
158,458	O
copies	O
of	O
The	O
Bests	O
bargain	O
reissue	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
been	O
sold	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
and	O
63,770	O
units	O
of	O
the	O
2006	O
Ultimate	O
Hits	O
release	O
were	O
sold	O
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
2007	O
,	O
bringing	O
total	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
version	O
to	O
more	O
than	O
10	O
million	O
copies	O
worldwide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
than	O
100,000	O
downloads	O
were	O
sold	O
of	O
the	O
PSN	B-Device
version	O
during	O
its	O
first	O
week	O
of	O
release	O
in	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
August	O
2015	O
,	O
more	O
than	O
11	O
million	O
units	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
PC	O
versions	O
had	O
been	O
sold	O
worldwide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Steam	B-Application
Spy	O
estimated	O
more	O
than	O
1.2	O
million	O
downloads	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
as	O
of	O
April	O
2018	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
later	O
Steam	B-Application
leak	O
estimating	O
it	O
had	O
1.14	O
million	O
players	O
on	O
the	O
platform	O
as	O
of	O
July	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
has	O
had	O
more	O
than	O
100,000	O
downloads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
given	O
numerous	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
awards	O
in	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Awards	O
)	O
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
won	O
in	O
the	O
categories	O
of	O
"	O
Console	O
Adventure	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Console	O
Role	O
Playing	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
"	O
Interactive	O
Title	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Console	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Outstanding	O
Achievement	O
in	O
Art/Graphics	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Outstanding	O
Achievement	O
in	O
Interactive	O
Design	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
awarded	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
by	O
magazines	O
including	O
Game	O
Informer	O
,	O
GamePro	O
,	O
and	O
Hyper	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
awarded	O
the	O
"	O
Readers	O
 '	O
Choice	O
All	O
Systems	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Readers	O
 '	O
Choice	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Readers	O
 '	O
Choice	O
Role-Playing	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
by	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
(	O
EGM	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
gave	O
it	O
Editors	O
 '	O
Choice	O
Awards	O
for	O
"	O
Role-Playing	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Best	O
Graphics	O
"	O
(	O
plus	O
a	O
runner-up	O
slot	O
for	O
"	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
also	O
gave	O
it	O
awards	O
for	O
"	O
Hottest	O
Video	O
Game	O
Babe	O
"	O
(	O
for	O
Tifa	O
Lockhart	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
Most	O
Hype	O
for	O
a	O
Game	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Best	O
Ending	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Best	O
Print	O
Ad	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digitiser	O
ranked	O
it	O
the	O
second	O
best	O
game	O
of	O
1997	O
(	O
after	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
64	I-Application
)	O
and	O
RPGFan	O
awarded	O
it	O
Best	O
Overall	O
RPG	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
1997	O
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
has	O
been	O
selected	O
by	O
many	O
game	O
magazines	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
top	O
video	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
,	O
listed	O
as	O
21st	O
in	O
EGMs	O
"	O
100	O
Best	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
"	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
,	O
91st	O
in	O
EGMs	O
2001	O
"	O
100	O
Best	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
"	O
,	O
tenth	O
in	O
Game	O
Informers	O
2001	O
"	O
Top	O
100	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
"	O
list	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
fourth	O
in	O
Retro	O
Gamers	O
"	O
Top	O
100	O
Games	O
"	O
in	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
included	O
in	O
"	O
The	O
Greatest	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
"	O
list	O
by	O
GameSpot	O
in	O
2006	O
,	O
and	O
ranked	O
as	O
second	O
in	O
Empire	O
2006	O
"	O
100	O
Greatest	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
"	O
,	O
76th	O
in	O
IGN	O
2007	O
"	O
Top	O
100	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
"	O
list	O
,	O
as	O
third	O
in	O
Stuffs	O
"	O
100	O
Greatest	O
Games	O
"	O
in	O
2008	O
,	O
and	O
as	O
15th	O
in	O
Game	O
Informers	O
2009	O
"	O
Top	O
200	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
"	O
list	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
has	O
often	O
placed	O
at	O
or	O
near	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
many	O
reader	O
polls	O
of	O
all-time	O
best	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
voted	O
the	O
"	O
Reader	O
's	O
Choice	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Century	O
"	O
in	O
an	O
IGN	O
poll	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
games	O
in	O
2000	O
,	O
and	O
placed	O
second	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
Top	O
100	O
Favorite	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
"	O
by	O
Japanese	O
magazine	O
Famitsu	O
in	O
2006	O
(	O
it	O
was	O
also	O
voted	O
as	O
ninth	O
in	O
Famitsu	O
2011	O
poll	O
of	O
most	O
tear-inducing	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2008	O
,	O
readers	O
of	O
Dengeki	O
magazine	O
voted	O
it	O
the	B-Device
best	I-Device
game	O
ever	O
made	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
ninth	O
most	O
tear-inducing	O
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
2021	O
poll	O
conducted	O
by	O
TV	O
Asahi	O
,	O
polling	O
over	O
50,000	O
Japanese	O
users	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
voted	O
the	O
third	O
best	O
console	O
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
,	O
below	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
:	I-Application
Breath	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Wild	I-Application
and	O
Dragon	B-Application
Quest	I-Application
V	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2007	O
,	O
Dengeki	O
PlayStation	B-Device
gave	O
it	O
the	O
"	O
Best	O
Story	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Best	O
RPG	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Best	O
Overall	O
Game	O
"	O
retrospective	O
awards	O
for	O
games	O
on	O
the	O
original	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamePro	O
named	O
it	O
the	B-Device
best	I-Device
RPG	O
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
in	O
2008	O
,	O
and	O
featured	O
it	O
in	O
its	O
2010	O
article	O
"	O
The	O
30	O
Best	O
PSN	B-Device
Games	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2018	O
,	O
GamesRadar+	O
rated	O
"	O
The	O
25	O
best	O
PS1	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
"	O
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
ranked	O
in	O
12th	O
place	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
inspired	O
an	O
unofficial	B-Application
version	I-Application
for	O
the	O
NES	O
by	O
Chinese	O
company	O
Shenzhen	B-Application
Nanjing	I-Application
Technology	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
port	O
features	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
game	O
scaled	O
back	O
to	O
2D	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
side	O
quests	O
removed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
popularity	O
and	O
open-ended	O
nature	O
also	O
led	O
director	O
Kitase	O
and	O
scenario	O
writer	O
Nojima	O
to	O
establish	O
a	O
plot-related	O
connection	O
between	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
and	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
X-2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
character	O
Shinra	O
from	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
X-2	I-Application
proposes	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
extracting	O
the	O
life	O
energy	O
from	O
within	O
the	B-Application
planet	I-Application
Spira	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nojima	O
has	O
stated	O
that	O
Shinra	O
and	O
his	O
proposal	O
are	O
a	O
deliberate	O
nod	O
to	O
the	O
Shinra	O
Company	O
and	O
that	O
he	O
envisioned	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
X-2	O
as	O
a	O
prequel	O
to	O
those	O
in	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
advances	O
in	O
technology	O
used	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
FMV	O
sequences	O
and	O
computer	O
graphics	O
for	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
allowed	O
Sakaguchi	O
to	O
begin	O
production	O
on	O
the	O
first	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
film	O
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
:	O
The	O
Spirits	O
Within	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
introduced	O
a	O
particular	O
aesthetic	O
to	O
the	O
series	O
—	O
fantasy	O
suffused	O
with	O
modern-to-advanced	O
technology	O
—	O
that	O
was	O
explored	O
further	O
in	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VIII	O
,	O
The	O
Spirits	O
Within	O
,	O
and	O
XV	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Re-releases	O
of	O
Square	O
games	O
in	O
Japan	O
with	O
bonus	O
features	O
would	O
occur	O
frequently	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
International	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
games	O
that	O
would	O
be	O
re-released	O
as	O
international	O
versions	O
include	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
X	O
and	O
other	O
follow-ups	O
from	O
the	O
franchise	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
characters	O
from	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
have	O
made	O
cameo	O
appearances	O
in	O
other	O
Square	O
Enix	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
fighting	O
game	O
Ehrgeiz	B-Application
and	O
the	O
popular	O
Final-Fantasy-to-Disney	O
crossover	O
series	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
fighting	O
video	O
game	O
Dissidia	B-Application
Final	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
includes	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
characters	O
such	O
as	O
Cloud	O
and	O
Sephiroth	O
,	O
and	O
allows	O
players	O
to	O
fight	O
with	O
characters	O
from	O
throughout	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
series	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
follow-up	O
,	O
Dissidia	B-Application
012	I-Application
,	O
included	O
Tifa	O
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cloud	O
is	O
also	O
a	O
playable	O
character	O
in	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
Tactics	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2015	O
,	O
Cloud	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
a	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
character	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
crossover	O
fighting	O
games	O
Super	B-Application
Smash	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
for	I-Application
Nintendo	I-Application
3DS	I-Application
and	I-Application
Wii	I-Application
U	I-Application
,	O
along	O
with	O
a	O
stage	O
based	O
on	O
Midgar	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
returned	O
in	O
the	O
2018	O
sequel	O
,	O
Super	B-Application
Smash	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Sephiroth	O
was	O
added	O
to	O
Ultimate	O
as	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
in	O
December	O
2020	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Fighters	O
Pass	O
Vol	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
2	O
lineup	O
,	O
alongside	O
9	O
additional	O
music	O
tracks	O
from	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
three	O
additional	O
Mii	O
Costumes	O
based	O
on	O
Aerith	O
,	O
Barret	O
and	O
Tifa	O
,	O
thirteen	O
new	O
Spirits	O
themed	O
around	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
,	O
and	O
a	O
new	O
stage	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Northern	O
Cave	O
,	O
the	O
final	O
area	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
television	O
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
parodied	O
in	O
the	O
second	O
season	O
of	O
Robot	O
Chicken	O
in	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
is	O
credited	O
as	O
having	O
the	O
largest	O
impact	O
of	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bill	O
Loguidice	O
and	O
Matt	O
Barton	O
listed	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
among	O
the	O
25	O
most	O
influential	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Samuel	O
Roberts	O
of	O
Retro	O
Gamer	O
,	O
writing	O
for	O
GamesRadar	O
,	O
called	O
FFVII	B-Application
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
important	O
and	O
influential	O
RPGs	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
"	O
in	O
January	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2018	O
,	O
The	O
Strong	O
National	O
Museum	O
of	O
Play	O
inducted	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
to	O
its	O
World	O
Video	O
Game	O
Hall	O
of	O
Fame	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Role-playing	O
video	O
games	O
were	O
a	O
niche	O
genre	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
up	O
until	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
introduced	O
the	O
genre	O
to	O
a	O
mainstream	O
audience	O
there	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
main-line	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
game	I-Application
to	O
have	O
been	O
released	O
in	O
Europe	O
,	O
where	O
its	O
success	O
generated	O
mainstream	O
interest	O
in	O
RPGs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Gene	O
Park	O
of	O
The	O
Washington	O
Post	O
,	O
FFVII	B-Application
"	O
single-handedly	O
put	O
role-playing	O
video	O
games	O
on	O
the	O
global	O
map	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
boosted	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
original	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
,	O
and	O
demonstrated	O
the	O
advantages	O
of	O
CD-ROM	B-Device
media	O
over	O
ROM	B-Protocol
cartridge	I-Protocol
media	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Sony	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
founder	O
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
architect	O
Ken	O
Kutaragi	O
,	O
FFVII	B-Application
was	O
"	O
a	O
driving	O
force	O
that	O
propelled	O
gaming	O
forward	O
"	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
contributed	O
to	O
growing	O
global	O
awareness	O
of	O
Japanese	O
popular	O
culture	O
along	O
with	O
anime	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Matt	O
Alt	O
,	O
FFVII	B-Application
injected	O
"	O
a	O
megadose	O
of	O
Japanese	O
sensibilities	O
"	O
into	O
the	O
American	O
mainstream	O
,	O
including	O
"	O
big-eyed	O
bushy-haired	O
anime	O
"	O
characters	O
,	O
manga-style	O
melodrama	O
,	O
"	O
androgynous	O
heroes	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
the	O
very	O
idea	O
that	O
video	O
games	O
could	O
be	O
meditative	O
explorations	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
thrill	O
rides	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FFVII	B-Application
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
video	O
games	O
produced	O
at	O
a	O
blockbuster	O
(	O
AAA	O
)	O
scale	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
set	O
a	O
benchmark	O
for	O
video	O
game	O
graphics	O
,	O
full	B-Application
motion	I-Application
video	I-Application
,	O
cinematic	O
CGI	O
production	O
values	O
,	O
and	O
movie-like	O
presentation	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
its	O
innovative	O
blend	O
of	O
gameplay	O
with	O
dynamic	O
cinematic	O
camerawork	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
set	O
a	O
benchmark	O
for	O
orchestral	O
video	O
game	O
music	O
,	O
with	O
"	O
Aerith	O
's	O
Theme	O
"	O
appearing	O
on	O
the	O
Classic	O
FM	O
Hall	O
of	O
Fame	O
at	O
16th	O
place	O
in	O
2012	O
,	O
and	O
with	O
Elizabeth	O
Davis	O
of	O
Classic	O
FM	O
(	O
UK	O
)	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
famous	O
pieces	O
of	O
video	O
game	O
music	O
ever	O
written	O
"	O
and	O
stating	O
that	O
FFVII	B-Application
helped	O
introduce	O
"	O
a	O
whole	O
generation	O
to	O
the	O
magic	O
of	O
orchestral	O
music	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
stated	O
that	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
was	O
"	O
the	O
RPG	O
that	O
would	O
influence	O
every	O
role-playing	O
game	O
that	O
would	O
follow	O
"	O
after	O
it	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
its	O
cinematic	O
approach	O
to	O
storytelling	O
was	O
widely	O
adopted	O
by	O
later	O
RPGs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
Limit	O
Break	O
gameplay	O
mechanic	O
became	O
a	O
core	O
mechanic	O
in	O
subsequent	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fable	O
creator	O
Peter	O
Molyneux	O
considers	O
FFVII	B-Application
to	O
be	O
the	O
RPG	O
that	O
"	O
defined	O
the	O
genre	O
"	O
for	O
him	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
BioWare	O
founder	O
Greg	O
Zeschuk	O
cited	O
FFVII	B-Application
as	O
"	O
the	O
first	O
really	O
emotionally	O
engaging	O
game	O
"	O
he	O
played	O
and	O
said	O
it	O
had	O
"	O
a	O
big	O
impact	O
"	O
on	O
BioWare	O
's	O
work	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Black	O
Isle	O
Studios	O
cited	O
FFVII	B-Application
as	O
an	O
inspiration	O
for	O
Planescape	B-Application
:	I-Application
Torment	I-Application
(	O
1999	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Maciej	O
Miszczyk	O
of	O
Hardcore	O
Gaming	O
101	O
,	O
FFVIIs	B-Application
spell	B-Application
animations	O
and	O
character	O
quests	O
may	O
have	O
influenced	O
Western	O
computer	O
RPGs	O
such	O
as	O
Planescape	B-Application
:	I-Application
Torment	I-Application
and	O
BioWare	O
's	O
Baldur	B-Application
's	I-Application
Gate	I-Application
II	I-Application
(	O
2000	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Media	O
Molecule	O
's	O
Constantin	O
Jupp	O
credited	O
FFVII	B-Application
with	O
getting	O
him	O
into	O
game	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tim	O
Schafer	O
cited	O
FFVII	B-Application
as	O
one	O
of	O
his	O
favorite	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thatgamecompany	O
founder	O
Jenova	O
Chen	O
cited	O
FFVII	B-Application
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
biggest	O
influences	O
on	O
his	O
work	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
that	O
inspired	O
his	O
adopted	O
name	O
(	O
from	O
the	O
character	O
Jenova	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grinding	O
Gear	O
Games	O
designer	O
Chris	O
Wilson	O
cited	O
the	O
Materia	O
system	O
of	O
FFVII	B-Application
as	O
an	O
influence	O
on	O
Path	B-Application
of	I-Application
Exile	I-Application
(	O
2013	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
noted	O
for	O
its	O
cyberpunk	O
themes	O
,	O
with	O
GamesRadar+	O
calling	O
it	O
one	O
of	O
the	B-Device
best	I-Device
games	O
of	O
the	O
genre	O
,	O
and	O
Harry	O
Mackin	O
of	O
Paste	O
Magazine	O
comparing	O
its	O
cyberpunk	O
city	O
of	O
Midgar	O
to	O
Akira	O
and	O
Blade	B-Application
Runner	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Aja	O
Romano	O
of	O
The	O
Daily	O
Dot	O
and	O
Philip	O
Boyes	O
of	O
Eurogamer	O
cited	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
as	O
an	O
example	O
of	O
dieselpunk	O
,	O
a	O
genre	O
similar	O
to	O
steampunk	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Stephen	O
K	O
.	O
Hirst	O
of	O
Ars	O
Technica	O
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
inspired	O
a	O
generation	O
of	O
climate	O
activists	O
,	O
including	O
senior	O
members	O
of	O
Greenpeace	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
is	O
noted	O
for	O
its	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
unreliable	O
narrator	O
literary	O
concept	O
,	O
drawing	O
comparisons	O
to	O
later	O
films	O
such	O
as	O
Fight	B-Application
Club	I-Application
(	O
1999	O
)	O
,	O
The	O
Sixth	O
Sense	O
(	O
1999	O
)	O
,	O
American	O
Psycho	O
(	O
2000	O
)	O
and	O
Memento	O
(	O
2000	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Patrick	O
Holleman	O
and	O
Jeremy	O
Parish	O
argue	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
takes	O
the	O
unreliable	O
narrator	O
concept	O
a	O
step	O
further	O
,	O
with	O
its	O
interactivity	O
establishing	O
a	O
connection	O
between	O
the	O
player	O
and	O
the	O
protagonist	O
Cloud	O
,	O
setting	O
FFVII	B-Application
apart	O
from	O
films	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
other	O
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Holleman	O
,	O
"	O
no	O
RPG	O
has	O
ever	O
deliberately	O
betrayed	O
the	O
connection	O
between	O
protagonist	O
and	O
player	O
like	O
FFVII	B-Application
does	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jack	O
Ridsdale	O
of	O
PCGamesN	O
argues	O
that	O
Cloud	O
is	O
a	O
deconstruction	O
of	O
the	O
hero	O
archetype	O
and	O
toxic	O
masculinity	O
,	O
and	O
compares	O
the	O
plot	O
twist	O
about	O
his	O
true	O
identity	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
Fight	B-Application
Club	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Gene	O
Park	O
of	O
The	O
Washington	O
Post	O
,	O
with	O
its	O
"	O
cyberpunk	O
story	O
about	O
personal	O
delusions	O
,	O
mental	O
illness	O
,	O
climate	O
change	O
and	O
class	O
warfare	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
Blade	B-Application
Runner	I-Application
for	O
millennials	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pat	O
Holleman	O
's	O
book	O
Reverse	O
Design	O
:	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
(	O
2018	O
)	O
examines	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
themes	O
and	O
topics	O
in	O
detail	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jessica	O
Howard	O
of	O
GameSpot	O
says	O
that	O
relationships	O
,	O
motherhood	O
,	O
politics	O
and	O
identity	O
are	O
central	O
themes	O
in	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
and	O
that	O
it	O
is	O
"	O
an	O
extremely	O
punk	O
game	O
,	O
abundant	O
with	O
political	O
sentiments	O
and	O
messages	O
regarding	O
the	O
distribution	O
of	O
power	O
,	O
our	O
treatment	O
of	O
the	O
environment	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
evil	O
found	O
in	O
complicity	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
world	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
is	O
explored	O
further	O
in	O
the	O
Compilation	B-Application
of	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
games	O
,	O
animated	O
features	O
,	O
and	O
short	O
stories	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Compilation	O
is	O
the	O
mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
Before	B-Application
Crisis	I-Application
:	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
a	O
prequel	O
focusing	O
on	O
the	O
Turks	O
 '	O
activities	O
six	O
years	O
before	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
CGI	O
film	O
sequel	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
:	O
Advent	O
Children	O
,	O
set	O
two	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
installment	O
announced	O
but	O
the	O
second	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Special	O
DVD	O
editions	O
of	O
the	O
film	O
included	O
Last	O
Order	O
:	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
an	O
original	O
video	O
animation	O
that	O
recounts	O
the	O
destruction	O
of	O
Nibelheim	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dirge	B-Application
of	I-Application
Cerberus	I-Application
:	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
and	O
its	O
mobile	O
phone	O
counterpart	O
,	O
Dirge	B-Application
of	I-Application
Cerberus	I-Application
Lost	O
Episode	O
:	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
are	O
third-person	O
shooters	O
set	O
one	O
year	O
after	O
Advent	O
Children	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dirge	O
focuses	O
on	O
the	O
backstory	O
of	O
Vincent	O
Valentine	O
,	O
whose	O
history	O
was	O
left	O
mostly	O
untold	O
in	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
next	O
game	O
is	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
game	O
Crisis	B-Application
Core	I-Application
:	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
an	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
that	O
centers	O
on	O
Zack	O
's	O
past	O
that	O
takes	O
place	O
seven	O
years	O
before	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
initial	O
marketing	O
campaign	O
in	O
early	O
1997	O
,	O
numerous	O
merchandise	O
related	O
to	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
were	O
produced	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
's	O
UFO	O
Catcher	O
arcade	O
crane	O
machines	O
also	O
contained	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
character	O
keyrings	O
and	O
toys	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1997	O
,	O
Studio	O
BentStuff	O
wrote	O
the	O
game	O
guide	O
book	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
Kaitai	O
Shinsho	O
,	O
which	O
sold	O
over	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1998	O
,	O
the	O
Official	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
Strategy	O
Guide	O
was	O
licensed	O
by	O
Square	O
Soft	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Brady	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Releases	O
not	O
under	O
the	O
Compilation	O
label	O
include	O
Maiden	O
Who	O
Travels	O
the	B-Application
Planet	I-Application
,	O
which	O
follows	O
Aerith	O
's	O
journey	O
in	O
the	O
Lifestream	O
after	O
her	O
death	O
,	O
taking	O
place	O
concurrently	O
with	O
the	O
second	O
half	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
Snowboarding	O
is	O
a	O
mobile	O
port	O
of	O
the	O
snowboard	O
minigame	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
,	O
featuring	O
different	O
courses	O
for	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
tackle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2009	O
Jason	O
P	O
.	O
Blahuta	O
,	O
Michel	O
S	O
.	O
Beaulieu	O
Wiley	O
created	O
"	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
and	O
Philosophy	O
:	O
The	O
Ultimate	O
Walkthrough	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
eBook	O
is	O
a	O
philosophical	O
guide	O
as	O
to	O
why	O
and	O
how	O
players	O
use	O
certain	O
characters	O
in	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
series	O
,	O
explains	O
how	O
gamer	O
's	O
perception	O
of	O
a	O
character	O
's	O
weapon	O
and	O
clothing	O
designs	O
can	O
change	O
how	O
they	O
use	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
G-Bike	O
is	O
a	O
mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
released	O
for	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
in	O
December	O
2014	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
motorbike	O
minigame	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2007	O
,	O
Square	O
Enix	O
published	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
10th	O
Anniversary	O
Ultimania	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
book	O
is	O
an	O
in-depth	O
compilation	O
of	O
FFVII	B-Application
story-line	O
and	O
artwork	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2018	O
,	O
the	O
Universal	O
Studios	O
Theme	O
Park	O
in	O
Japan	O
changed	O
their	O
Space	O
Fantasy	O
roller	O
coaster	O
into	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
ride	O
based	O
around	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
with	O
characters	O
from	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
is	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
Trading	O
Card	O
Game	O
,	O
making	O
an	O
appearance	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
Opus	O
I	O
set	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
has	O
made	O
additional	O
appearances	O
in	O
opuses	O
II	O
,	O
III	B-Application
,	O
IV	O
,	O
VI	O
,	O
VII	O
,	O
VIII	O
,	O
IX	O
,	O
X	O
,	O
XI	O
,	O
XII	O
,	O
XIII	O
,	O
and	O
XIV	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
announcement	O
and	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
Compilation	B-Application
of	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
speculation	O
spread	O
that	O
a	O
remake	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
would	O
be	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
conjecture	O
was	O
sparked	O
by	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
a	O
video	O
featuring	O
the	O
opening	O
sequence	O
of	O
FFVII	B-Application
recreated	O
using	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
's	O
graphical	O
capabilities	O
at	O
E3	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
planned	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
over	O
three	O
installments	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
first	O
part	O
being	O
released	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
on	O
April	O
10	O
,	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
follow	O
up	O
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
Rebirth	I-Application
,	O
is	O
set	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
Q4	O
2023/Q1	O
2024	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Crisis	B-Application
Core	I-Application
:	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
Reunion	O
,	O
a	O
remaster	O
of	O
Crisis	B-Application
Core	I-Application
:	I-Application
Final	I-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
December	O
2022	O
,	O
is	O
also	O
considered	O
a	O
prequel	O
to	O
the	O
larger	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
Remake	I-Application
project	O
.	O
</s>
