In his FINAL form, Kefka is way more awesome than Sephiroth. But prior to that, he's just a weird clown.

So, I got a little passionate last week and decided to slay the sacred cow that is Final Fantasy VII. To summarize, I concluded that it’s a good game, and maybe even a great game, but hardly the greatest game of all time. (I’ll tell you what that is next week.)

But in talking about FF VII, I realized that one of the reasons it’s so popular is because people don’t realize that there are many other RPGs that are just as good, if not better, than FF VII. Oddly enough, none of them are recent titles, and all of them predate FF VII or were in development when it was in its heydey. And, just to make things fun, I’m going to set my handicap to “only Square Enix titles.” That means I can’t bring up Shadow Hearts: Covenant, Lunar or Lunar 2: Silver Star Story, Grandia, Suikoden II, or The Legend of Dragoon, all of which were great RPGs. I’ll also restrict myself to leaving out other Final Fantasy titles, since VII is generally considered the best of the series. (That assessment is incorrect, by the way; VI and XII are far superior in terms of actual gameplay, and VI’s only downside is the peculiar nature of its villain, a clown named Kefka, who just can’t manage to be as badass as Sephiroth despite the fact that he destroys civilization halfway through the game and rebuilds it with himself as its god.)

If there are any games on the following list that you have not played, do yourself a favor and track them down, if you can. Each of them is an amazing experience.

Arguably one of the greatest RPGs ever made.

Chrono Trigger is the obvious first choice, since it is arguably the best game that Square has ever created. One of the most compelling pieces of evidence for Chrono Trigger’s greatness can be seen in the recent re-release on the Nintendo DS, which, unlike the recent re-releases of Final Fantasy I, II, III and IV, barely adds anything to the orginal game, other than a couple of new dungeons and the animated cutscenes that were included in the PSX edition. The developers simply didn’t have to monkey with this game, because it was nearly perfect when it first debuted. And unlike a lot of old games from the 16-bit era, it really holds up.

If you’re not aware of the game, here’s the basic idea: a boy named Crono goes to a fair celebrating the thousandth anniversary of his local kingdom, and he runs into a tomboyish girl named Marle who’s wearing a strange pendant. When Crono’s inventive friend, Lucca, shows off her brand new teleportation device, Marle’s pendant reacts with the machine and sends her back in time 400 years. Crono and Lucca rush off into the past, but their adventures lead them to discover the frightening truth about their world: in the year 1999, a creature called Lavos will rise up and destroy everything, leaving a handful of pitiful survivors in its wake. As Crono and his friends travel in time, they discover that Lavos’s rise to power has been engineered by an ancient race far more technologically advanced than any other people in history. And as they fight their way through the past, present and future of their world, they discover that the only way to stop Lavos is to travel to 1999 on “The Day of Lavos” and destroy him before he destroys their world.

Chrono Trigger was very unique at the time of its release because it eschewed random battles in favor of location-based combat. It was much simpler than the Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy games because it didn’t force gamers to spend a lot of time upgrading equipment and stats, allowing the game to focus on the fun of battling enemies. In addition to a location-based combat system, it featured unique combination techniques that blended the powers of two or three characters together to form a more powerful attack.

But perhaps the best remembered aspect of Chrono Trigger is its tightly-plotted story, where even the most seemingly insignificant encounters can have an effect on the storyline due to the effects of time travel. One of the most stunning moments in the game occurs when Crono is killed by Lavos as he attempts to save his friends. It’s possible to complete the game without him, but it’s much more fun to put your time machine to good use and to rescue him at the last possible second. Depending upon your choice, you’ll get a different ending; these represent just two of the thirteen possible endings for the game.

I can’t say enough good about this game; it’s one of the best titles ever created. And if you’d like to meet the designers, there’s even a way to do that — simply complete the game, then start a “New Game +” and go beat Lavos immediately. You’ll be whisked away to the end of time, and given the opportunity to talk to the people who made the game. Normally, an easter egg like that would irritate me, but in a game like Crono Trigger, it’s quite an honor.

Good luck finding this game for less than $100...

Valkyrie Profile is one of those games that many people have heard of, but that few people have actually played. That’s too bad, because it’s one of the best games Enix ever published prior to their merger with Square. The game takes place in the realm of Norse mythology, and the main character, a valkyrie named Lenneth, is sent by Freya to gather up heroes in preparation for Ragnarok, the final battle. Though the game is an RPG through and through, it doesn’t play like a traditional one; dungeons are actually explored through a side-scrolling set of levels that almost feel like they’re taken from a platform game, and the missions themselves are fairly nonlinear.

With that said, Valkyrie Profile has an amazing and brutal story, with characters you grow to care about and a combat system that’s really fun to play around with. The graphics are gorgeous, and the game is incredibly polished. The one drawback of the game is its maddening difficulty; I’m hard-pressed to name a harder RPG, aside from maybe Final Fantasy II. Another drawback used to be the near-unattainability of the title (it goes for upwards of $100 on Ebay), but a PSP port has helped to make this game accessible to the masses once again.

Man, I miss the SNES...

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is one of those games that really shouldn’t have been good, because the idea of it is so ridiculous. Platformers and RPGs don’t seem like they should mix, since RPGs are about strategy, planning, and leveling while platformers are about reflex and repetition. What’s more, the colorful world of Mario and Luigi doesn’t seem like a natural choice for a genre that’s generally about killing things with swords and magic.

But what can I say? Square not only pulled it off, but they made one of the best games in the entire SNES libary in the process. What I really liked about Super Mario RPG was that you had an ability to dodge attacks by jumping over them or to hit your enemies harder by hitting the appropriate buttons at the right time. If this sounds a lot like the Paper Mario games on the N64, Gamecube and Wii or the Mario and Luigi games on the Gameboy Advance and Nintendo DS, it’s because they borrowed the mechanic from this game.

At the time of its release, one of the most talked-about features of the game was the fact that Bowser and Mario were fighting side-by-side against a brand new set of foes. It was odd, at first, to see Mario and his arch-enemy working together. But Square created a story that made it all work, and the game was just awesome. Plus, it remains one of the best-looking SNES titles ever made, and it still looks good even by today’s standards due to its pre-rendered graphics.

*Sigh* Thanks for nothing, Square.

Seiken Densetsu 3 never actually got released in the US, though it’s often referred to as “The Secret of Mana 2” by fans. It’s too bad, too, because this game is absolutely incredible. While The Secret of Mana is a nice hybrid between  traditional Japanese RPGs and action/adventure games like The Legend of Zelda, SD3 offers a whole lot more, like big, beautiful graphics, challenging enemies and bosses, and a roster of six fully-realized characters who can change classes (shifting to either the light side or dark side) at two different points in the game. Every character has an ending, too, which means you have to replay the game several times to see everything. Though the game’s story is nothing special, the gameplay itself is unforgettable.

How does one play this game, if it was never released in the US? Fortunately, some kind folks made a fan translation of the game that you can play on a SNES emulator. You can even use the emulator to play with two other friends online. It’s well worth the trouble, since the game is probably one of the best-looking and best-playing titles every developed for the SNES.

Man, this game is good. If you haven't played it, track it down. It's worth whatever you pay.

Xenogears is a great way to finish off this list, because it’s one of those games that many people have heard of, but never played. If you think Final Fantasy VII has a cool story, let me tell you — it pales in comparison to the plot that unravels in Xenogears. Sephiroth might seem like a cool villain, but he’s nothing compared to the bad guys in this game. The plot of Xenogears is so deeply rooted in religion and philosophy that the game almost didn’t make it to the US, and with good reason — the story gets so heretical that one of the characters, upon realizing that there is no god, decides to create one.

Xenogears starts off with a bang as a group of mecha (called “gears”) are in hot pursuit of an experimental gear called Weltall. It crashes into a village, where a young man named Fei Fong Wong climbs inside it and attempts to use the gear to protect the villagers. In the process, a dark side of him is released, and he winds up destroying the gears and the village in a blast of energy.

The few survivors of the village brand Fei an outcast, and he is forced into exile. But as he wanders, he finds himself getting drawn into a brutal war between the nations of Aveh and Kislev, and also discovers that he is being pursued by several different individuals and factions, each with a different reason for wanting to capture or kill him. To make matters worse, Fei c0ntinues to remember himself at the center of some terrible things… almost as if they took place in another life.

I’m going to stop summarizing there, because the less you know about Xenogears, the more impact the story will have on you. The game is often criticized for having too much story, but believe me, it’s well worth the trouble. And unlike the spiritual prequel series Xenosaga, Xenogears actually has some great combat and exploration to keep you busy amidst the anime cutscenes, in-game dialogue and exposition. Best of all, unlike Final Fantasy VII, Xenogears isn’t padded out with a bunch of goofy junk like Chocobo racing and cross-dressing. There is one point of the game where you’re a prisoner and battling in a gear arena circuit, but it’s directly related to the plot, and it’s actually fun.

Though Xenogears does have a couple of flaws (a janky camera and a few tedious puzzles that involve jumping on small ledges), they’re easily offset by all the good things about the game. I’d say it’s one of Square’s finest efforts, and it’s a shame they opted not to release more games in the series.

Chrono Cross: Speaking of fine efforts, this nearly perfect RPG would have gained wider acceptance had it not been tied to Chrono Trigger. As it turned out, gamers thought they were getting a direct sequel to a classic RPG when, in fact, they were getting a game about a sidestory set in the same world. Were it not for that connection, it probably would have been received better, because the game is absolutely awesome, with a fun combat system and a bunch of characters — though they’re not as well-realized as the cast of Chrono Trigger.

Are those antennae?

Vagrant Story is sometimes called “Medieval Gear Solid.” It’s part RPG, part sneaker, with a combat system that seems like an action game at first, but which plays out like a traditional RPG system while allowing you to target body parts. The game just oozes style, and the characters speak in comic-book-like bubbles as they converse about the game’s rather complicated plot. This game takes place in Ivalice, the setting of the next two games on this list…

Final Fantasy XII is a radical evolution on the conventions of Final Fantasy, removing turn-based combat and random battles and replacing it with a smoother, more elegant system that feels like an MMORPG. This is probably one of the best-looking RPGs ever created, with a fantastic and varied take on the world of Ivalice. When, at one point in the game, I was forced to walk all the way from the southern reaches to the Northern city of Archades, I realized how incredibly vast this game is. The characters are interesting too, though it’s hard to establish an emotional connection with them.

Final Fantasy Tactics melded Final Fantasy with the gameplay of Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre, resulting in a truly remarkable title. This was yet another game to take place in Ivalice, and it brought back the job system that was featured in Final Fantasy III and V. And though the game is almost entirely focused on turn-based battles, there’s so much depth that it’s fun to play over and over.

Oddly enough, the Japanese title is, "It's a Wonderful World." Weird, huh?

The World Ends With You is a recent release from Square-Enix on the Nintendo DS, and I have to say… it’s pretty cool. It takes place in the already-weird Shibuya district of Tokyo, and introduces a parallel world where the dead reside. By participating in the “Reaper’s Game,” the dead can come back to life… or to become Reapers themselves. Though the game looks a lot like Kingdom Hearts at first, it’s a lot more satisfying. I’d say this is one of the best games Square-Enix has produced in awhile.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII takes the convuluted prehistory of Final Fantasy VII and improves on it in every way possible. This game is really fun, allowing the player to take control of Zack and rise through the ranks of SOLDIER while facing off against two of Sephiroth’s cohorts, Genesis and Angeal, both of whom have been cloned in a mysterious experiment. Though the game has a rather tragic ending, the ride along the way is thrilling, and the combat system is fairly innovative despite being a bit unusual at first. If they remake FF VII like this one day, it might solve many of FF VII’s most glaring problems.

So, there you have it: a bunch of games as good as — or better than! — Final Fantasy VII. Next week, I’ll tell you what the best game ever made is, and I’m sure you’ll agree once you hear me out.

Cloud wielding his buster sword.

A friend recently talked me into picking up Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII for my Sony PSP. For those who don’t know, Crisis Core is the prequel to the game for the original Playstation, Final Fantasy VII, which bears the distinction of being one of the first Japanese role-playing game that many gamers ever played. As such, FF VII has achieved a sort of legendary status among gamers as being one of the best games ever made. There are even a significant number of people who know everything about the game – its story, its characters, its places, its goofy moments — without actually having played it.

As it turns out, Crisis Core is pretty good, and I’d say it’s one of the better games I’ve seen on the PSP. But playing through it has reminded me about my mixed feelings towards FF VII, which is a good game, and maybe even a great game, but surely one of the most overrated games of all time.

So why is this game so popular? Simply put, FF VII has some cool characters. The game stars Cloud, a spiky-haired blond guy with a giant sword that’s about as big as he is. He’s accompanied by:

• Barrett (a black guy with a gun mounted in his arm where a hand should be)
• Tifa (a busty young hand-to-hand fighter who wears a short miniskirt)
• Red XIII (a hyena-looking creature that can talk)
• Aerith (a girl who wears pink and mainly serves as a plot device)
• Vincent (a weird vampirish sort of character who can transform into a monster)
• Cid (an inventive engineer who swears gratuitously)
• Yuffie (an annoying young ninja girl whom most people hate)
• Cait Sith (some… weird… cat thing riding a marshmallow thing whom most people also hate)

The cast of FF VII - Cait Sith, Aerith, Vincent, Yuffie, Red XIII, Cloud, Cid, Tifa, Barrett

As the game progresses, the characters find themselves in a fight against a villain named Sephiroth, a guy who wears a black trenchcoat with no shirt underneath, who sprouts a black angel wing and who fights with a katana that’s at least six feet long. Sephiroth was once a heroic member of the Shin-Ra corporation’s SOLDIER task force, but he went crazy and became a villain four years before the game began. There are also other villains who are part of the Shin-Ra corporation — most notably the young president, Rufus, and the strange group of black-suit-wearing corporate agents known as the Turks.

One of the reasons the main characters (excluding Yuffie and Cait Sith) are so well-liked is because they’ve all got backstories and motivations. They’re not just adventurers looking for treasure; they’re people who live in a corrupt world where they’ve lost things, either to the evil Shin-Ra or to Sephiroth himself. Cloud is probably the most complex of any of the heroes in the Final Fantasy games, since he gets his identity tangled up with the memories of his best friend, Zack, and wanders around most of the game thinking he’s someone he’s really not. He’s also one of the most angsty heroes.

And that’s the other thing people really like about FF VII … the angst. The game starts off with a rebellion against the evil corporation, but it turns into a rush to save the planet. Everything seems very grand and important, despite the fact that the story itself has more questions than it does answers, and leaves most players wondering what happened during some key moments of the game. The sense of confusion, the impending doom, and the angsty characters make this game the reckless teenager of the Final Fantasy series.

That’s where some of my gripes come in. FF VII is the Final Fantasy game that brought the series into 3D, and it’s obvious that it had some growing pains. For one thing, the game’s maps consist of pre-rendered scenes that have some very spotty collision detection. In a recent replay of the game, I found myself getting stuck in pretty often. I also found myself wandering around in places, trying to remember how to get through an area because it wasn’t immediately obvious that I could jump across a chasm or climb a ladder. How frustrating.

FF VII also did this weird thing where it made your characters small and cute during non-combat, but tall and manga-styled during battles. It made for some very odd transitions in the story, and it also gave the game an odd feeling of scale. It was particularly jarring when a small and cute Sephiroth fell out of the air, plunging his sword towards my party, and then a cutscene fired up where a fully-grown Sephiroth killed off one of my characters. (’90s gamers weren’t used to characters being permanently killed off in games, so this only added to the angst.) The whole scene was sort of surreal.

Another annoying thing about the game was the way the camera moved around. FF VII was the first Final Fantasy game to render battles in 3D, and it had a camera that would swivel around and try to make the action of characters standing still and occasionally attacking look more exciting. Unfortunately, the camera often got caught at weird angles, and sometimes behind large bosses like the Demon Door. It wasn’t a deal-breaker, but it was certainly irksome. The overworld camera, too, could work to your disadvantage, swinging away from tiny changes in the land so you wouldn’t notice that you were about to get stuck.

One of the most infamous features of the game was its tedious use of animations for special spells called “summons.” Essentially, you’d call a monster in to help you, and the game would go through a very long animation as the monster appeared and attacked. It was novel the first time, but getting into a battle and having to sit through several summon animations got old, fast. Sadly, there was no way to skip them, but they were almost always necessary to use in major battles.

I've always wondered how Sephiroth manages to hit anything with that ridiculous katana.

The most lauded aspect of the game is probably its story, which begins in the futuristic slums of a city called Midgar and which eventually takes players all over the world of Gaea. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Midgar and its Shin-Ra corporation are Gaea the world by stealing energy from the planet. But at the same time, Sephiroth is running around saying that he’s going to destroy the world because of some strange relationship he has with his mother, a woman in a tank labeled JENOVA. Every character has some secret backstory to be uncovered, and some of them (such as Cloud’s) have had to be explained in more detail through Crisis Core and the original animated video Last Order because they left too many questions unanswered in the game.

Truthfully, I found FF VII’s story to be a confusing mess, a mishmash of a futuristic manga-style story and a fantasy game jammed into a single tale. I can say this because I’d cut my teeth on previous Final Fantasy games and my favorite Square title to date, Chrono Trigger, years before FF VII arrived. Final Fantasy IV and VI both had stronger stories than VII, but they lacked the edgy “cool” factor since they didn’t have buster swords, guys with guns in their arms, and women fighting in black miniskirts. Chrono Trigger did have a lot of cool stuff going for it, including an awesome story, but since it wasn’t a Final Fantasy game, it never quite achieved the popularity it deserved.

The fact that FF VII has had two prequel games (Crisis Core and Before Crisis), a prequel OAV (Last Order), a sequel CG film (Advent Children) and a quasi-sequel game (Dirge of Cerberus) just to flesh out the story of the core game shows what a tedious endeavor FF VII’s story can be. What’s more, I still couldn’t tell you what actually happened in Advent Children since character designer-turned-director Tetsuya Nomura decided it was time to ask even more questions instead of offering some solid answers.

What this all boils down to is this: FF VII, while a good game, is unfairly called “the greatest game of all time” by many people because of nostalgia, an affection for some of the characters, and the fact that it was many peoples’ first experience with the Japanese style of RPGs. It really doesn’t deserve this title, but as the years go by, it’s only going to grow more legendary due to its enormous fanbase. Those of us who feel that Final Fantasy VI and XII were the real best games in the series can go sit in the corner and grumble all we want, because VII is going to be the one that people continue to talk about… even if they’ve never actually played it.

But if you want to learn about some games published by Square-Enix that were superior to FF VII, be sure to check back next Wednesday, because I’ll have a list of five: all of which were RPGs, all of which were incredibly awesome.