Amidst all the modern remakes and side stories that players have access to these days, love for the original Final Fantasy 7 remains strong for many, as one fan has proven by hand-crafting every one of Cloud's weapons from that first game. The creator clearly bears a lot of fondness for Final Fantasy 7, as the level of detail and polish on the finished products is extraordinary.
The famed JRPG series' seventh entry achieved a level of success that brought with it a slew of sequels, prequels and spin-offs, which were ravenously devoured, or criticized, by passionate fans. That collection of games is referred to as the Compilation of Final Fantasy 7, telling the wider story of the world and its beloved cast of characters. Now, as Square Enix reboots the Final Fantasy 7 mythos, the remakes are taking bits and pieces of the compilation and adding them more smoothly into the retelling. But despite the many spin-offs and modern re-imaginings, the original game from 1997 remains deeply entrenched in the minds of many players.
One such fan has taken their passion for the game and crafted some impressive works of art. Instagram user mugicoarts has recreated all 16 of Cloud's weapons from the original Final Fantasy 7, and the results are impressive. The swords, rendered in the iconically chunky PS1-era graphical style, manage to display a polished definition despite limitations that the replicas are emulating.
Each of the weapons wielded by Cloud Strife are posed with the protagonist's action figure, which displays the same blocky detail - though it's worth noting that the Cloud figure is specifically designed in the style of the in-game battle screen rendering, which is distinctly higher quality than the character's over-world visage. Each sword (or in one case, bat) is crisp and detailed, with rich coloring and nice definition, more so than their in-game counterparts in fact. The purple blade of the Crystal Sword, for example, is translucent, as one might expect of a weapon made from such a material.
Mugicoarts specializes in creating retro figurines of PS1 and N64-era characters in their low-poly designs. Most of their work appears to be of characters who have seen multiple iterations or remakes over the years, like Lara Croft, Mario, or Cloud, but their style never strays from the characters' original blocky look. This graphical era comes with heaps of nostalgia for many gamers, to the point where the style is seeing a renaissance, especially with horror games that use PS1 graphics. Clearly, the look is forever tied with feelings of terror for many players, whose young minds may have been forever scarred by the likes of Silent Hill or Resident Evil.
Though that console generation certainly holds fond memories for many, memory often distorts quality. When the games themselves are actually played nowadays, it can be jarring to say the least. Still, art like this allows gamers to experience those memories in the best possible way: with rose-colored glasses.
Final Fantasy 7 is available on Android, iOS, PC, PS1, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
