A former soldier turned mercenary, Cloud Strife can
instantly be pegged by his trademark spiky hair. His
immense popularity is the result of many factors,
including his evolution from arrogant sword-for-hire to
benevolent world saver, and his repeated encounters
with his even cooler arch-enemy.CLASSIC HERO
H
ow did Sony muscle into the
console market and dethrone
industry vanguards Nintendo
and Sega at the first time of
asking? Final Fantasy VII had a lot to
do with it. With the role-playing series
already established as a system seller
on Nintendo’s platforms, Sony swiped
the franchise away from its former
home thanks to its decision to pursue
disc media for its shiny new console.
Square knew that its ambitions for
Final Fantasy’s future couldn’t be met
on Nintendo’s cartridge format, so it
jumped ship to PS1 – and millions of
fans in the east followed.
That Final Fantasy VII would be a
runaway success in the west wasn’t
always a given as Japanese RPGs hadn’t
always taken hold overseas. But its
50+ hour length, deep combat systems,
gigantic world and breathtaking cut-
scenes soon converted millions of
newcomers into fans of the genre.
Indeed, its cast and save-the-world
plot carved a legacy so strong that fans
clamoured for a remake for years. Two
decades on, Square Enix’s upcoming
Final Fantasy VII Remake is one of the
most hotly anticipated games of all.