i’m not a huge JRPG fan; i just find it hard to sit down and play one all the way through. i’ve played a fair few and enjoyed them, but often times, i feel the combat isn’t all that fun, and the stories tend to drag. when i strive to finish one, i have a good time, but picking one up is an arduous task.

final fantasy VII is a damn good example of how this genre can shine, though. there was a fair share of grinding which i didn’t love (especially towards the end of the game), and the battles ended up dragging at times, but the story’s about as good as it gets. a winding story through finding who you really are, and saving the planet too. each character interacts with each other in really genuine ways, and their group evolves from a ragtag group of childhood friends to a massive family of misfits.

i think it’s an excellent story. but some of the gameplay, alongside the pc port being pretty awful without mods, kinda drags it down a bit.