Is FF7 a Good entry level RPG?

[Sgt.Backpack]

Would you consider Final Fantasy VII a good game to get someone into RPGs or just the Series in general?

I would like to hear why in the comments.

[SpacePlayez]

Network Card connection type options has unchecked option.

I had same problem Last Night.

[Electric Cupcake]

JRPGs, yes. But I would start the FF franchise either at the beginning with 1 or with FFIV.

[NBOX21]

Of course it is! Not only is it very accessible to newcomers due to the fact that there's plenty of tutorials to help you understand the game's mechanics, but also for experienced players on repeat playthroughs due to the fact that all these tutorials are optional.

Not to mention how great the story is even to this day, how much fun the mini-games are and also features what is easily my favourite soundtrack of all time.

[SinonSnipe]

yes because its some peoples favorite FF game including me

[SinonSnipe]

its a good one to start and the only other one I can think of off the top of my head is Pokemon

[Alzakiel]

And once your done and if you are wishing for a better challenge. New Threat 2.0 mod is there for you.

[Teratus]

For older JRPG's yes.
Some of the older JRPG's are much harder than FF7 so getting familiar with FF7's style of combat will help a lot if you decide to go back to older JRPG's in this series.

[Deadbeat_Hero]

I'd say this is a good game to get familiar with JRPGs with. Either this or FFX would be my suggestion for a newcomer. The story is stellar for its time and the gameplay gives back as much as you put into it (like how you can make Tifa into a unstoppable god of war by mid-game with the right combination of weapons and materia).

Also the biggest reason is FF7 is not a grind fest. Just fight every battle as it comes and your golden.
You don't need to spend hours grinding levels in order to comfortably beat bosses. Even the superbosses aren't that bad, especially compared to later games superbosses like Yiazmat in FF12 (that game does not respect your time) .

[timpejohn45]

i started way back when the graphics was still cheese. but back then it was state of the art. of course they have done a lot of upgrades on many of them. i have them all the way down to 3. but if i was going to introduce some one to final fantasy i would go with 5

[SaN]

No because they are a lot of things that only very experienced players will understand on the first run and a lot of hidden stats and mechanics.

For example characters doesnt have classes/jobs.

So you have to realise by yourself wich role is the best for them and what stats you have to maximise on them. Most materias can modify stats and a lot of items have hidden stats bonus.

Aeris, Cloud, Vincent and Caith Sith in this order have the strongest magical power.

Cloud, Barret, Cid in this order have the strongest physical power.

Yuffie, Tifa and Red 13 have stats to be better as supports/switch.

FF7 is absolutely not a game for newcomers, that dont mean its an hard game to beat but its a very hard game to mastery and his mechanics are not accessible for newcomers.

Thats why i cant recommend FF7 for newcomers even if is a great RPG and still the best Final Fantasy.

I recommend FF9 because its a very similar game that is a lot more accessible for a new player.

[NBOX21]

Originally posted by San Goku:

For example characters doesnt have classes/jobs.

So you have to realise by yourself which role is the best for them and what stats you have to maximise on them. Most materia can modify stats and a lot of items have hidden stats bonus.

Aeris, Cloud, Vincent and Caith Sith in this order have the strongest magical power.

Cloud, Barret, Cid in this order have the strongest physical power.

Barret also have the best hp pool. Making him the second better character after Cloud.

Yuffie, Tifa and Red 13 have stats to be played as supports.

In a way, that's actually the beauty of the materia system and where that comes into play - while certain characters are better at certain things than others, you can actually make them whatever you want. You can make Cloud a white mage, Barret a black mage or Tifa a thief if you really want. You can even mix and match different "jobs/classes" for the same character to make them however you want them to be. Just setup the materia according to your play style and see what works for you.

The materia is your job system in this game. Even if it takes a little getting used to, you will get the hang of it surprisingly quickly and there are plenty of tutorials to help you better understand how it works. Even if one setup doesn't work out, there are countless others you can try. Not that you should struggle that much with FF7 considering it's also one of the easier games in the series.

Originally posted by San Goku:

Thats why i cant recommend FF7 for newcomers even if is a great RPG and still the best Final Fantasy.

I recommend FF9 because its a very similar game that is a lot more accessible for a new player.

FF7 may have more depth to its mechanics, but it's also a lot more fun to experiment and play however you want. While FF9 may be more simple, it's also more limited. I can't make Garnet use black magic or teach her thieving skills since she's the white mage, nor can I make Zidane use healing magic since he's the thief, which greatly limits my options, which I'd argue makes 9 even less accessible to newcomers.

Case in point, near the end of disc 1, Garnet is the only white mage you get at that point, but she and Steiner temporarily leave your party to travel together on their own, which means you don't get a white mage or a knight for the rest of disc 1. As a result, you'll have to rely on other means of healing up or attack capabilities.

Compare this to FF7 - even during situations where Aeris (who could be considered the healer of the group) cannot join the party, I can easily give my healing magic to someone else simply by swapping out the corresponding materia. Similarly, if I make Tifa the thief and she cannot join the group, I can make anyone else a thief simply by swapping out their materia. The possibilities are endless.

[SaN]

I agree, possibilities are almost endless and materia system is superb and that make the game great but not accessible to newcomers.

Speaking about stealing. The best thief depends on how you play the game. If you are crushing the game fast without grinding you can meet Yuffie when you are around level 12 and she will be level 17.
Steal is about level difference between you and the monster you want to steal from. Making Yuffie by far the best thief.
But if you are taking your time and leveling the best thief will be your fastest character.

But its even a lot more effective to have a steal materia on everybody.

You can do all you want but the best way to use Barret I know is as a "paladin" by giving him HP Plus materias(100%hp max) a cover materia and counter attack materias(x8max) that makes him the best healer with White Wind ennemy skill and best damage dealer with ???? ennemy skill, and the best tank in the same time until post game. Giving him the best physical armor you have and good resistancies. For example Ziedrich + Ribbon accessory is so OP.

[Electric Cupcake]

I much prefer Final Fantasy 5's customization possibilities. It's actually my favorite in the franchise, but I usually recommend FF1 or FF4 for someone just getting into it, since 4 is where it really found it's footing and established all the standard elements. And a beautiful love story and musical score to boot.

[Krescendo]

yea

[Your Mom's Oshi]

Yes. My list for games to get into the 90's JRPG genre would be FF6, FF7, Pokemon gen. 1, Phantasy Star 4 and Crono Trigger.