Among the series' many entries, Final Fantasy 7 has endured the longest in players' memories. In fact, this entry has remained so beloved over the decades that developer Square Enix announced that they would be revisiting the game with the aptly named Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and fans are already comparing the two versions of the game. However, recent reports indicate that the game might be losing its widespread appeal.
In a survey by Japan's public broadcasting channel NHK, over 400,000 Japanese fans listed Final Fantasy X as their favorite game. While X is also beloved by Final Fantasy fans (and its Nintendo Switch remaster received critical acclaim), its victory might come as a surprise to devotees of the series' classic entries.
While Final Fantasy 7 took second place in NHK's overall popularity poll, the game's cast easily took first place in two of the other three categories. Iconic protagonist Cloud Strife topped the charts as the series' most popular character, while 7's Knights of the Round won the most popular boss/summon category. However, Final Fantasy X's soundtrack clinched the music survey, with the beloved song "To Zanarkland" taking the lead.
Although these survey results might seem surprising to some, a closer analysis of the data reveals why Final Fantasy X ultimately won. Final Fantasy 7 was more popular with older fans, with 47.9% of its voters being 30-39 years old, and 23% of its fans being even older. However, Final Fantasy X was ultimately more beloved by younger fans, as 35.3% of its voters were 20-29 year old. This popularity also extended to 7's core audience. 35.1% of X's voters were also 30-39 years old. Ultimately, despite the nostalgia behind Final Fantasy 7, X's wider appeal ultimately allowed it to achieve victory.
It will be interesting to see how Final Fantasy 7's remake will shape its perception and popularity with future audiences. However, the game's second-place position does not discount its current cultural impact. To this day, fans are still talking about Final Fantasy 7's strongest and weakest elements. The fact that such discussions exist for the game after over 20 years demonstrates that the game is not going to be forgotten anytime soon.
Source: NHK