Final Fantasy VII - The Greatest RPG of all time?

The Materia system is a brilliant concept. What most players don't remember (and some didn't even realise at the time) is that each character had a set of base stats that changed according on the Materia you equipped. It allowed you to transform Barrett into a magician if you so desired, and it symbolised a type of flexibility and customisation that we see everywhere these days.

In comparison to a later mechanic such as the Sphere Grid, the latter appeared to be simpler and more restrictive. Materia was multidimensional; you could construct each and every component, and once constructed, anyone could equip it. This may seem insignificant to some, but to the professionals out there, it is a tremendous benefit.

The storey is still being criticised to this day. You've got cynical detractors all over the place attempting to establish that the plot genuinely sucked, that it's riddled with holes, that the characters are stupid and dull, and so on. This is your typical knee-jerk reaction to the game's exalted standing. There are sure to be idiots who have to prove their own "genius" by proving that everyone else is incorrect whenever something is revered. Yes, the writing might have been improved. Back then, the dialogue was mediocre. However, the richness of the tale, the layers and dimensions on which it functions, and the pacing that appears to be just about perfect all combine to make a tremendously pleasant experience.

It has philosophical and psychological angles that few understand, and Sephiroth remains the greatest villain of all time for one major reason: he's sympathetic yet ruthless at the same time. Characteristics of any memorable villain.

The cast is full with interesting characters, even if not all of them are given a chance to shine. Have you ever seen a cast that is so appealing in so many ways? The writers also included side-stories for the majority of the characters, which was unusual at the time and greatly increased the game's emotional appeal.

Then there was the setting: I adored that universe. I have never seen a better globe map. It was as mysterious and varied as any interactive environment could be, from exploring the underwater depths in a submarine to zooming over the skies in an airship to riding around on a chocobo. Each town had its own style and demeanour, each location had its own charm, and how each character reacted to each region was equally essential.

The Materia system is a brilliant idea. What most players don't remember (and some didn't even know at the time) is that each character had a set of base stats that were tweaked dependent on the Materia you equipped. It allowed you to transform Barrett into a magician if you so desired, and it symbolised a type of flexibility and customisation that we see everywhere today.

In comparison to a later mechanic like the Sphere Grid, the latter appeared to be simpler and more restrictive. Materia was multidimensional; you could make each and every piece, and once built, anyone could equip it. This may seem insignificant to others, but to the professionals, it is a tremendous positive.

The storey is still being criticised to this day. You've got cynical detractors all over the place attempting to establish that the plot genuinely sucked, that it's riddled with holes, that the characters are stupid and dull, and so on. This is your typical knee-jerk reaction to the game's exalted standing. There are sure to be idiots who have to prove their own "genius" by proving that everyone else is incorrect whenever something is revered.

The idea is that those who recall Final Fantasy VI don't just remember the game as a whole. They recall specific events. They recall instances when they reacted to what they said, and the bottom line is that we continued to react throughout. Every new scene seemed to be worth remembering because it struck us in an entirely different and even profound way. You know that no matter what happens in gaming after this, you'll always remember these scenes. That is what distinguishes a unique game.

When you examine everything, including the age in which it was launched, I don't think there's any doubt: Final Fantasy VII is still the best RPG ever developed.