Final Fantasy VII not done yet?
In 1997 Square-Enix (then called Squaresoft) released Final Fantasy VII on the Playstation and revolutionized the Role-Playing Game genre.
Originally FF7 was intended to be released on the SuperNintendo game console when it began production in 1994, but as the game evolved it went from starting on the SNES, then to being developed for the Nintendo 64. But just like before not even the Nintendo 64 could handle the size of the game and upon finding that Nintendo’s cartridge system was still to small Squaresoft moved the entire project and have it released on Sony’s PlayStation instead.
The Story of Final Fantasy VII is easily considered a complex one. The stage is set in the world of “Gaia” where magic and science exist in a world where a considerably technological advanced city called “Midgar” thrives by sucking energy from the planet, known as “Mako” (could simply be considered the planets blood), as fuel for its de-facto industrial metropolis. The game opens with the main character Cloud Strife as a mercenary for hire working for “AVALANCHE”, a resistance group considered terrorists by everyone but them, in a series of raids against Midgar’s Mako reactors. As the game progresses Cloud and his group encounter Sephiroth, former soldier for Shinra (the company that build and runs Midgar) who upon finding out his origins went on a murder spree and disappeared, and the group becomes engulfed with the sole desire to stop Sephiroth from destroying the world so he can absorb the Mako energy it creates and become a god.
No one could have predicted the shock wave that went though the gaming community when it was released, but shortly after its release Final Fantasy VII became one of the most coveted and influential games in gaming history, and from its release until now Final Fantasy VII was a commercial hit and has sold more than 9.8 Million copies world wide, and is considered by fans of the “Final Fantasy” series to be the best game the series has to offer to date.
In September 2003 Square-Enix announced “The Compilation of Final Fantasy VII” which was to be a series of games and animated features that helped explore, add upon, and flesh out the mythology of Final Fantasy VII. With its announcement of the movie sequel Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children in 2003 (later released in 2005) the compilation has gone on to now have 4 games spanning over the Playstation 2 and Playstation Portable systems and cell phones, as well as having 2 animated films within itself.
A year after the release of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children a directors cut dubed “Advent Children Complete” was announced to be in production in the Blu-Ray format with, and after multiple times getting its production postponed its finally being released April 2009. While some speculated this to be the end of the compilation the movie’s director, Tetsuya Nomura stated otherwise.
On March 25th IGN reported that even with Advent Children Complete being the final edition of the movie, Tetsuya Nomura stated that because of adding in what was previously taken out he now has some new ideas on another installment of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.
Since the announcement fans have speculated what this new installment could be. The long awaited remake of the original game seems to be what fans want the most, but from the subtle (and even direct) hints within the Compilation itself a direct and true sequel seems more likely.
However, the complications future is as of right now all up to sepecualtion until the release of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete and the newly added (and highly secretive) after the credits clip sheds more light on the subject.
