“Words Aren’t The Only Thing That Tell People What You’re Thinking.”

Final Fantasy VII is my second entry in the series, after having played and finished everything Final Fantasy XV had to offer.

I knew that I would like this game, but my god I did not expect to be this happy to play it. It felt like a moment everythings occurred with a smooth flow from the beginning to the end, while being an ambitious open world.
I only knew one thing beforehand, being the most iconic death scene in the media that I could not escape being spoiled.

The rest is magnificent, this game amaze me because story wise it’s deep, I was not ready to see this much care into something that mostly children were going to experience. The relation between the entire cast is something that needs an article of its own to respectfully embrace the density of the work. But a few iconic moments that resonate with me must be noted, first the truth about Nanaki’s father, a very compelling backstory even if it’s obvious from a mile away. Then Valentine’s quest alongside Lucrecia where everything unfolds before our wetted eyes. And finally Barrett's moment before losing his arm, even if I found it a bit rushed at the end.

Nevertheless FF VII lives up to expectation story wise and surpasses them in terms of gameplay, seriously the action sequences in this game being enhanced by the 3D, the soundtracks or the cinematics are truly something that defined future video games. It demonstrates to the world how to tell a story without words only through gameplay, cutscene or characters behavior.

Moreover, FF VII has the nerve to put you in a number of surprising moments, such as the meeting with Zack's parents, Shinra president's final moment, or dialogue in the form of a Turk with a crush on Tifa. Little things that add a lot to the game world and character.

Then comes the characters that surprised me the most, first Sephiroth. He is the epitome of badassery, he's presented as a god before we even catch a glimpse of him, and when we do, it's always memorable.
Aerith is the purest human I've seen in a video game, truly a character that can soften any burden and any heart, whether inside or outside the game world. I knew about that scene, but it still broke my heart.
And Tifa managed to prove to me that she was going to be one of my favorite female characters in video games. She's got a hell of development, she's badass, a loving bird and her relationship with Cloud is a plus even though I haven't really liked Cloud as a character since the beginning of the game.

Finally, I understand now how this game came to be a PS1 classic, that’s being revisited on the fifth generation console through remakes.

The sorrow of a thousand thousand worlds weighs heavy, and yet, you can walk on.

Endwalker is a tale of loss, of fire, and faith, a journey of self discovery and enlightment, teaching us to value life and to find joy even in the deepest and darkest of despair.

What people live for ? What give their lives... meaning ?

From time immemorial, Man had always tried to answer this question. But a single and simple answer it seems not to be, so when striken by sorrow, rage, despair or hatred, Man faced harsh reality and came to curse life itself. Overwhelmed by negative feelings, he deemed the pursuit of power, only to become the architect of his own demise. Indeed, doomed by the failure of finding happiness, he seek deliverance in death or conflict with others.

Our existence seem pointless, life is fleeting and hardships are an inescapable part of it.

Yet I have faith in Mankind's potential. As long as he believes in himself, there is naught he cannot achieve, so I will not give up on him. On us.

But there is so much more that life has to offer. It's because we have known death, failure and frustration that we have learned and grown from them. That we might find love, friendships, ambition and hope. No happiness is without its shadows, each and every single one of us abideth pain within but by offering understanding and acceptance, we can forge ahead in the darkness and becoming a light to guide others.

We too are miracles, each and every one of us. Born of the warm breath of life that traverses the heavens, swirling through eternity.

Never a game as poured that much of love onto us, lifting us up everytime we faltered. The boundless love of mankind that transpires from the overall message of the story is particularly vibrant nowadays looking at certain circumstances. All of us are worthy to exist and our fate remains ours to shape.

.. Here, at the end of all stars, engulfed in despair, despite all that I've done, would you still take my hand.. ?

There, Beneath the light of a new dawn, where the hopes and dreams of our friends shapes the path to follow, despite all that I've done, Would you still be my friend ?

For those we have lost, for those we can yet save.
For those whose dreams were unfulfilled, those whose prayers were unheard, those whose labors were unrewarded.

Y O U A R E N O T A L O N E

Has your journey been good ? Has it been worthwile ?

It was the best one, I can't deny that.