Pretty much everyone has heard of the legend that is Final Fantasy 7 at this point. The game is a masterpiece that combines the classic gameplay loop of a JRPG along with a unique modern fantasy setting that engrossed players to no end. Exploring the city of Midgar in its entirety and witnessing this industrial nightmare made for a great start to the game that eased players into the massive open world that would open up soon after.

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The game is so popular that multiple versions of the title exist, including a Remake that covers the first few hours of the adventure while also setting the stage for multiple sequels that will flesh out the story even more. As a result, it's only a given that players who want to experience this masterpiece for themselves may be confused about which release to check out if they want to experience the game in its entirety.

Updated on March 6, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: The legend of Final Fantasy 7 is pretty apparent at this point. The game broke new ground for the JRPG genre, ushering in the golden era of these games on the PlayStation and turning the franchise into one of the biggest names in the West. The fact that a mainline Final Fantasy 7 game is still relevant in modern times shows just how much of an impact this incredible game had. Featuring a cast of memorable characters and one of the most intimidating villains in video game history, it's easy to see why fans of Final Fantasy 7 want to check out each and every version of this title, remake or otherwise.

7 Final Fantasy 7

The Original PC Release That Was Broken Beyond Belief

The initial release of Final Fantasy 7 on PC is notorious for being one of the most broken ports in JRPG history. The game was made using an early alpha build, leaving the developers out of the loop as they were forced to put a band-aid on most of the issues plaguing this game while also trying to make it run properly on the platform. This resulted in a bunch of issues and bugs that made the game downright unplayable for most players on this platform.

The characters have mouths in this version that are broken, making their models look pretty goofy at times. The music is also presented in a MIDI format, making it sound notably worse than it should in every way, which is a huge problem for players who love the series for its amazing music. The battle UI also runs at 15 FPS, which is a common problem that plagues most ports of the PlayStation Final Fantasy games. However, the worst thing this PC port does is crash when players reach the Chocobo Racing minigame, with this bug coming during a time when players simply didn't have access to fast internet. As a result, the experience was ruined for many players who had to drop the game more than halfway through the experience!

6 Final Fantasy 7

A Mobile Port That's Mediocre At Best

The mobile ports for most Final Fantasy games have been abysmal, and Final Fantasy 7 is no exception to this trend. Despite being Square's biggest title, it's a shame how poorly the mobile port of this title has been handled. For starters, the control scheme for this game is horrible, making it pretty much mandatory for players to experience this game using a controller instead if they don't want to get frustrated by the poorly implemented touch controls.

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The game also introduces a litany of new bugs to the series, including regular crashes, some vehicles being inaccessible, and certain puzzles being downright impossible to complete. It's a shoddy port, and players who are experiencing this game for the first time are better off checking out another version instead.

5 Final Fantasy 7

A Re-release That Fixes Most Problems, With Mods Taking Care Of The Rest

Given how popular Final Fantasy 7 is, Square Enix decided to re-release the popular game on modern platforms. These include the PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and a PC version that wasn't a completely abysmal mess this time. However, despite being a decent port in its own way, the re-release still faced its share of problems that made it a sub-optimal way to experience the game.

For starters, the re-release came with its fair share of bugs and glitches that frustrated players to no end who decided to play this version upon release. While some of these issues were patched out, the fact that they even existed in the first place served as a source of great frustration for players who were tired of not being able to experience the best version of this masterpiece even after so many years! That being said, the game came with its fair share of QoL fixes and cheats that allowed players to skip the grind and any other unnecessary frustrations, making it somewhat accessible...although it was still far from perfect.

4 Final Fantasy 7 Remake

A Worthy Retelling Of The Original Story That Focuses Solely On Midgar

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a bold step forward for the franchise, serving as a reimaging of the story instead of a faithful remake of the original that has divided fans down the line. It doesn't help that the majority of additional content in the game feels more like filler than anything else, which lengthens a section of the original game that wasn't even a quarter of the full experience!

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However, the modernization of the combat system coupled with the amazing graphics certainly helps the Remake stand out in its own right, despite the problems it has. The original Final Fantasy 7 can always be checked out if players want an authentic experience, with this Remake being a great way for existing fans to check out a fresh new take on the franchise.

3 Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade

An Updated Release Of The Remake With Better Gameplay, Technical Performance, And More Content

Final Fantasy 7 Remake looked excellent on the PS4 but came with some issues that fans found hard to ignore. Some of the texture work was ridiculously bland and the locked 30 FPS make this game annoying for action game players used to more responsive gameplay.

All of these complaints were addressed in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, which is easily the best version of this game to check out. The title features the best version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake's gameplay along with a side story where players control fan-favorite Yuffie.

2 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Improved The Combat System Featured In The Remake With A Heightened Focus On Exploration

The release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was widely anticipated, and fans are glad to see the second chapter in this remake trilogy finally see the light of day. As long as long-time fans are okay with the changes in the plot, this title will prove to be everything they wanted and more.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth features amazing cinematics, incredible combat, and a wealth of ways to experiment. The filler content in this title can be a bit too much to handle sometimes, but it's a small price to pay to see one of the parts of Final Fantasy 7's story come to life in the best way possible.

1 Final Fantasy 7

The Original Release That Cemented This Game's Reputation As One Of The Very Best JRPGs Of All Time

The original release of Final Fantasy 7 on the PlayStation continues to be the best way to experience this amazing game. The title was groundbreaking for its time, being a massive hit that propelled the franchise to new heights and made the Western releases of the games in this series just as common as the Japanese ones.

To this day, many people feel like Final Fantasy 7 is the reason why Squaresoft became one of the biggest developers around, with the current iteration of the company still being a major player in the industry despite the many missteps it has made in recent times. This title is a magical experience that is a blast to play through in every way, and it's easy to see why expectations are high for the new Final Fantasy 7 games to live up to the legacy of the original.

Final Fantasy 7

Platform(s)

PlayStation (Original) , PC , iOS , Android , Nintendo Switch , Xbox One , PS4

Released

January 31, 1997

Developer(s)

Square Enix

Genre(s)

RPG