Feminist
Pro-Queer
Anti-Racist
Gaming

Square's Final Fantasy VII introduced a new generation of gamers to the Final Fantasy series and to RPGs in general. Being a long time gamer, I'm always somewhat surprised by new RPG fans having only played VII and above. What isn't surprising to me, though, is the epic-level popularity enjoyed by this game. Certainly, it lived up to the expectations of both old-school and new-school RPGers in many ways.

Some felt that the graphics left a little to be desired. The graphic capabilities of the PSone did exceed the graphics in VII and I've heard complaints from gamers stating that they felt the images implied a kind of rush in publishing the game. After hearing this, I do notice a slightly unfinished feel. Regardless, the graphics were amazing to me when I first picked up the game and the soundtrack is unsurprisingly awesome ("One-Winged Angel is set as my ringtone).

From it's beginning in Midgar, a place which calls to my mind an eerie Orwellian world, the plot is engrossing and keeps you hooked in. Also, I feel that it also reflects a Marxist sentiment and a critique on capitalism and economic ethics. The side quests and the ultimate weapons added for the US version add significantly to the games replay value.
For these reasons, FFVII is still one of my favorite games.

Overall game-play: 4/5
Story:5/5
Graphics: 3/5
Soundtrack:5/5

The Feminist Critique of FFVII:

Given the popularity of Final Fantasy VII, it hardly needs another review. Largely, I wanted to do a Feminist Critique of this game. I chose to do this for several reasons but mostly it was because of its seemingly inclusive nature.

FFVII served as a kind of landmark as far as race in RPGs is concerned. Through the entire other history of RPGs, at least to my knowledge, this was the first to have a black character. Though the inclusion of Barrett can be seen as a positive step in the gaming industry, a negative step is simultaneously taken with his character development. Throughout the game, Barrett cusses with a frequency that could shame a sailor. While swearing is swell, the fact that his lines constitute well over half of the expletives in the game makes it quite clear that his race probably has somethin’ to do with it. In addition to this, he is, far more than any other character in the game (including the “bad guys” and gals), quick to anger and has a penchant for aggression unmatched by any of his light-skinned comrades.

Barrett and his comrades are predominantly men. This is never really news. It could be argued that the women that are present in FFVII are all Amazons. Tifa, for example, is arguably one of the strongest party members to bring into battle and the fact that she beats her enemies to a proverbial pulp with her near-bare hands is undeniably awesome. Her near-bare pixels, however, are perniciously under-protected (particularly while traipsing through a below-zero mountain). Add to this her Lara Croft proportions and stereotypically subservience that shines through with her dialogue and behavior (Oh, Cloud!) and you have another male-gaze maelstrom.

In general, portrayals of both race and gender in FFVII fall within the expected stereotypes: Barrett is portrayed as somewhat unintelligent and abrasive which wouldn’t necessarily be terrible if he weren’t the only black person in this game or any RPG before it…As it stands, the representation leaves little room for misinterpretation. Microscopiq gives him dishonorable mention The women PCs fall within neat categories as well: a subservient Tifa, the ultimate sacrificial caregiver, Aerith, and the mischievously fun girl, Yuffie. None of the women act anything but heterosexual. The player does have opportunities to have Cloud behave in non-hetero ways. Whether this is for comedic value alone or an expression of sexual fluidity, it’s difficult to tell. So in this respect, I leave the interpretation to the player.

The FC Score: 2.5 / 5
Overall, the inclusion of a larger-than-average diversity of characters is a plus, but the portrayal of these characters leaves much to be desired.