51| Final Fantasy VII
Released: September 7th, 1997
Definitive Version: PC; Also on: PSN for PS4, PSVita, PS3, and PSP, PS, iOS
It is impossible to understate just how dominate JRPGs were to the Japanese marketplace during the 1990s. They were a phenomenon in which huge swathes of the population would rush to the stores to purchase the latest entry in their favorite series. It is sort of similar to how first person shooters were all the rage, and arguably still are, in North America during late 2000s and early 2010s, where seemingly every child and adult rushed out to purchase the latest Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Halo. The appeal of the genre was very clear, they were essentially playable anime. They took the complicated role playing genre, and crafted it for the mast market, while putting in an engaging story and characters. It was the mix of the right amount of depth and simplicity to please audiences. Despite the genre being an seemingly unstoppable force in Japan, in the rest of the world the genre was very niche. JRPGs were very rarely released in the west, and even if they were released there tended to be very few copies available. On top of all that they were terribly translated to the point where Google Translator would do a better job than the "professionals" these companies hired. To sum up how JRPGs were treated in the western marketplace, I recall hearing a story from someone who stated that when they were young they went shopping for Sega Master System games. He saw Phantasy Star for over $120 a price that he was surprised by. When he asked the clerk about the game, the clerk responded "oh that game, it's priced so high because it is a RPG and these games never sell. I just mark it up until a collector comes by and buys it...eventually."
In 1997, the genre was the hotter than it ever would be in Japan. Final Fantasy VII was released and used the CD capabilities of the new Playstation console to their fullest extent. Sony saw the immense success of the game in Japan, and was determined to replicate that success in the West. So they devised a ingenious idea. Rather than marketing the game as role playing game or as an "anime comes to life",
they instead decided to market it as a blockbuster film. Pumping in $100 million for the U.S.. marketing budget alone, on top of its original $45 million development costs, Final Fantasy VII was truly the first AAA game that would be AAA by today's standards. Today this seems like standard fare, but back then it was insane. Well until Final Fantasy VII became one of the best selling games on the system. Final Fantasy VII not only became one of the Playstation's most prominent system sellers world-wide, but it also brought JRPGs into the main stream. Not only were JRPGs started regularly being released in the west in available quantities, but they were also reasonably translated.
Final Fantasy VII clearly has a strong legacy, but what of the actual game itself? Despite the game receiving a lot criticism over the years, it has actually aged extremely well, outside of its chunky and blocky characters.Despite being copied to hell and back, the game's world still feel very original and dark, while characters are likable and stand out. Despite being hailed as the first big "3D JRPG" the game is actually two dimensional for the most part. It uses painted backgrounds and puts 3D models over them to give an illusion of a 3D world. At times it works very well, however during close up shots, the characters really stick out like sore thumb. At times it makes one wish that the character's were pre-rendered in the same style of the backgrounds to keep consistency. What's impressive is that at times throughout the game the backgrounds will actually animate while the player walks around, some of these animations are actually really complex such as one scene requiring the player hop onto helicopter.
The game's graphics shine during the battle segments of the game. The Playstation's sweet processing power goes toward rending three characters and a few monsters. Character's look much more detailed and alive, and just makes one wish that this is how the game looked throughout the entire playthrough. One thing that has aged quite a bit are the cutscenes. Seen as cutting edge at the time, today they aren't too impressive. This is particularly with the characters as they are textureless and use basic lighting and shading. It leaves a lot more to be desired, however to be fair Squaresoft really brought their A game when it came to artstyle, graphics, and CG with their next Final Fantasy entry.
The story of the game is pretty complex. The best way I can describe it without going too much into detail is that it focuses on terrorism, environmentalism, clones, and classism. Sure, today it seems like the typical JRPG and anime "deep for the sake of deep" trope, but at the time it was extremely unique when most RPGs had Medieval settings and plot points. To its credit, the plot is still very good today and despite being a bit full of itself, is still very engaging. As said before though, the characters stand out at least as much as the story. There's Cloud the dickish hero, Barret the stereotypical angry black man, Tifa the badass female fighter, Aeris the kind hearted love interest, Red XIII the experimented creature, and many others. Again this sounds typical, but just like with the story, this was very unique at the time and even today the characters do well to stand out. I mean think about it, a black main character...in a JRPG!? Truly a radical idea if I've ever heard of one.
The battle system is your typical Final Fantasy battle system. It's active turn based where characters can attack, use a skill, an item, or possibly magic. It's all very standard, and while it isn't particularly bad, it isn't particularly good either. It merely gets the job done. There is also the materia system in which players can equip special crystal orbs to gain ability and up stats. It was pretty interesting at its time and has since become staple of The Legend of Heroes series. It brings much needed variety and strategy to the battle system.
What I feel makes Final Fantasy VII standout even more so than its setting and characters, is how smooth and quick plays. It's truly a game where you can go through a lot and make significant progress in a single sitting. While most RPGs, even today, take a significant amount of time for the player to achieve anything, in just an hour or two of playertime a significant chunk of Final Fantasy VII's world and characterization will be finished. The game is very well paced and does its best not to drag on. Part of this is due to the game often changing locations as you are never in one place for too long of a time. Another part of it is that the game always throws in various situations toward the player, whether they be serious or humorous, to keep things interesting. It's something that I feel that RPGs, both Japanese and Western, tend to lack and what often has me put them down after a few hours of playthrough. Building up a story and world is important, but it doesn't mean that things have to move along so slowly. This also lends Final Fantasy VII to be a very replayable game, especially since the game has a lot of hidden treasures and secrets, there are even party characters integral to the plot that the player may not have gotten during their first playthrough.
Final Fantasy VII is underrated. That's right underrated.While I do agree that back in the day the game was overblown in its quality of being "the undisputed greatest RPG of all-time", today things are a bit different. It seems that people just criticize this game solely because it is the most popular Final Fantasy game. While I can see others liking Final Fantasy VI, IX, and XII more, I think that VII gets too much hate. The game has aged extremely well over the years, and is still very fun to play. The characters are interesting, the world is engaging, its fun exploring the towns, and the game is paced very well. This may be controversial to say today, but in my opinion Final Fantasy VII is the best Final Fantasy game. Despite the game easily making this spot on its own merits, it also had a huge ripple effect on the industry. If it wasn't for Final Fantasy VII, we would have gotten so many Japanese developers to put their games out in the West. No Shin Megami Tensei, no Tales games, no Legend of Heroes, no Xenoseries, etc. Any fan of the genre should know the game's legacy and its effects on the industry.
50| Gunstar Heroes
Released: September 9th, 1993
Definitive Version: Sega Mega Drive; Also on: PC, Virtual Console for Wii U, eShop for 3DS, PSN for PS3, XBLA for Xbox 360, iOS
We have officially reached the latter half of this list. And due to the occasion I'm going to celebrate with a bang. Gunstar Heroes on the Sega Mega Drive is one of the best, if not the best, run and gun shooter of all-time. The origins of the game began when when a group of developers decided to pack up and leave Konami to start their own studio. This was the birth of the well renowned game developer Treasure. Their first game was going to also be a run and gun game, but this time for the Super Nintendo's rival platform the Sega Mega Drive. However, they wanted the game to differentiate itself from Contra. For starters the game was going to be a lot more bright and cartoony as it would take more influence from Japanese anime more so than dark and serious American cinema. Most of all, the game would be much faster paced and chaotic than Contra to take advantage of the Mega Drive's extra processing power. The result is one of the system's finest titles.
The game begins as one, but preferably two, player(s) start the game and select their weapon type. Initially the player(s) have the choice of a rapid fire weapon, a beam weapon that is slightly slower than the rapid fire weapon, a lock-on weapon that automatically hits any enemies but is very slow, and an extremely rapid fire, but limited range flamethrower. Being honest, only the rapid fire and beam weapons are useful in these initial forms. The player(s) can then select from four different stages. Each stage is different, so I'm going to start off by focusing on the first one. The first stage plays much like any other run and gun game at first. The player(s) run to the right side of the screen as enemies and the occasional platforms appear. Suddenly, something about the game becomes quickly obvious. There are a lot of enemies on screen, and when I mean a lot of them I mean A LOT. The game throws as many enemies on the screen as the player(s) can handle, the fact that they explode when "defeated" leaves the screen to be constantly covered in a shade of yellow, orange, and red. As the player(s) walk through the area they will see flying robots dropping orbs that look just like those in the weapon select menu, or with hearts on them that heal your health. When player(s) pick up these familiar orbs they power up their weapon. If they grab a rapid fire orb, their weapon will now fire even more rapidly, if they grab the beam orb than their current weapon will become "beamier", if they pick up the lock-on orb than their weapon will automatically lock onto enemies, and if they use the flame orb than their weapon will become a charged up flamethrower. If for whatever reason the player doesn't like this new addition, they can then cancel out one of the two orbs and use the default weapon. It may seem basic today, but it is pretty impressive that the game managed to incorporate all of these actions.
One thing that makes Gunstar Heroes stand out from other run and gun games is the sheer mobility the player(s) have. Not only do the characters run at a reasonable speed, but they are also very nimble, and can jump a considerable distance while being able to damage the enemy by body slamming them. On top of that the player(s) can also throw the enemy to damage them. In a way this gives the game pseudo-combos as the player(s) can technically shoot at the enemy, then body slam them, and finish them off with a throw.
Even as an introduction level, it is very varied. It doesn't take long before the player(s) come across the first boss of the game, which involves avoiding projectile cocoons from the sky, not long after starting to fight another wave of enemies, there is a large pyramid that need to be climbed. After reaching the peak, another boss fight is under way. When that boss is defeated the player(s) then slide down the pyramid as they dodge enemies and obstacles. After that there is another brief wave of enemies and then a large final boss. After such an exhausting level, it may seem that the game put most of its effort upfront to give players the best impression of the game. The reality is that this is by far and wide the most normal level in the entire game.
Gunstar Heroes biggest criticism is its lack of levels. There only the four initial levels to choose from in the stage select screen and a final boss level once all of the initial stages are completed. What Gunstar Heroes lacks in quantity it makes it up in variety. Besides the introductory stage, the one right next to it is a mine cart level in which the player(s) can ride the tracks both on the bottom and top of the screen as they mow down enemies on carts and trains. Very soon however, they quickly encounter a boss named "Seven Force." A very ambitious boss, especially for its time, Seven Force is a mechanical robot that transforms into seven different bosses while fighting it. It has a lot of health and takes some time to defeat, especially due to the player(s) having to memorize its patterns. But once it's defeated it gives off a huge sense of satisfaction.
Next in line, is a very vertical based level. Essentially a blimp is taking off and it is up to the player(s) to reach it in time. They are forced to climb up various platforms to hop on the blimp while taking out enemies. Eventually they will board the blimp and then fight a wave of baddies before encountering the boss. It is a pretty good level, but all in all is the least memorable one in the game. I feel that the developers should have played around more with the vertical aspect of it.
The last stage in the select screen's order, is probably the most unique one. It begins as a normal stage as the player(s) simply walk to the right side of the screen taking out enemies. After a few minutes they come across a room. A single dice is on the floor and the player(s) have miniature versions of themselves on a square of a board game that says "Start". At the end of the board is another square that reads "Boss". This section of the game requires the player(s) to roll the dice as they play a virtual board game to either progress through the board to get closer to the boss, fight a mid-boss, or possibly go all the way back to the beginning. This is, in my opinion, the most difficult level of the game as player(s) may be required to fight multiple bosses before the final boss. Just like Seven Force though, it is very satisfying once completed.
Once all four levels are completed, the player(s) are transported to the final stage. It starts off as a shoot-em-up, this becomes a very common thing for Treasure to do during the '90s, as the game literally changes genres to play just like horizontal shooter. Once the wave of enemies are defeated, the stage becomes boss rush stage. After beating Seven Force once again, the player(s) enter the enemy's base. Once there, the place is essentially a boss rush as it is literally half a dozen or so boss battles back to back. Eventually all the bosses are defeated giving the player a well deserved finish to an enjoyable but also tough game.
There is a reason why rather than saying "player" throughout this review I keep saying "player(s)". It's because this is game that really requires two players. Sure it is doable with one player, but not only is it much more difficult, but it is nowhere near as fun. It's not quite as chaotic with a single person, and not having anyone to share your success with or compete against is very detrimental to the overall experience. I'd personally go as far as to say if Gunstar Heroes was a single player only game, it probably wouldn't have made this list.
Before wrapping up this writeup, one can't talk about Gunstar Heroes without talking about its technical achievements. The game looks beautiful in motion as it is very bright and colorful. It is easily one of the Mega Drive's best looking games, and could compete against the Super Nintendo's higher end graphical games. The game also doesn't have any sort of slowdown, even amongst its most chaotic moments in two player mode. It is as much as a showcase to the Mega Drive's graphical capabilities as it is to its processing capabilities. This isn't to mention the game's
clear and fitting soundtrack. Treasure has always had a knack for pushing their platforms to their limits, and the Gunstar Heroes shows that they hit the ground running.
It's crazy to think this game was so close to not even being released in West. The only reason it came out of Japan was because a single producer at Sega of America demanded it to after a dozen others stated that they weren't interested in the game, primarily due to its small sprites. Lucky for him that the game he fought for turned out to be a gaming classic. Gunstar Heroes let Treasure flex their muscles early on, and quickly became one of the defining titles for the Mega Drive. Despite all of the modern technology to produce bullet hell shooters, hundreds of enemies on screen, giant bosses, and what not, there are still very few games that can match the fun and sheer chaos of 1993's Gunstar Heroes.
49| Fallout: New Vegas
Released: October 19th, 2010
Definitive Version: PC; Also on: Xbox 360, PS3
Fallout 3 sucked. It was a disappointment. Rather than being a deep and compelling WRPG, it was essentially an open world quasi-FPS with RPG elements. It was essentially STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl, only not as well designed. Fallout: New Vegas was announced and many were immediately skeptical. Some of that skepticism was lifted when it was revealed that Bethesda wouldn't be at the helm, but rather Obsidian.Obsidian had a history of developing deep and compelling WRPGs including Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, and the then hot on the shelves Alpha Protocol. People hoped that Fallout: New Vegas would follow the same path those other games did, in terms of having a game that focused on having a quality role playing experience first and foremost. It did.
Fallout: New Vegas is everything Fallout 3 was supposed to be. For starters it had a 3D open world where the the map was designed less to be a frontier for the player to explore, and more so to have the player encounter various hub towns and areas. In these towns and areas were locals in which many had a handful of quests for the player to complete. These quests weren't your typical "collect X amount of radioactive goat spleens and I'll give you a reward", but often intertwined the player with what was going on in the particular community. These objectives often had players choose sides under specific conflicts and were rarely morally black and white. They would often affect what the player would be able to do later and how the game would be played. Allies and enemies are frequently made due to how the player chooses to align during the various situations that are presented. Fallout: New Vegas truly made the player's choices matter.
Of course, role playing would only matter so much if one didn't care about the characters. I will admit, while the characters aren't the deepest, or even that appealing, they definitely are memorable.Throughout the game one will encounter: a genocidal Roman barbarian group, Elvis, servant robots, cowboys, a supreme being A.I., and many others. The player's allies are just as unique. I played the game with a cyborg dog and a grandma Supermutant as my companions. Say what you want about Fallout, but it truly branches out of the traditional Tolkien and SciFi trope characters, especially in this entry.
Presentation wise, the game looks just like Fallout 3. Looks can be a bit deceiving though. Despite having the same texture and similar artstyle to the first game, the theme has been altered a bit. Rather than being a 1950s version of the post-apocalyptic future, it instead is an 1850s version of it. Fallout: New Vegas takes the post-apocalyptic vision of the Fallout series, and adds some cowboy flavor. In the first five minutes of the game, it even presents the trope of shooting beer bottles on top of the wooden fence for target practice. This proceeds to set the tone for the rest of the game. The area that is the one exception that doesn't feel like the 1850s is the city of New Vegas. It is, as one might expect, a 1950s version of Las Vegas. This is complete with the bright lights, casinos, and the tacky decorate. In fact, it is one of the few places in the game that actually looks habitable...somewhat...not really, but still.
Combat in Fallout: New Vegas works just like Fallout 3. This is actually pretty good, as Fallout 3's combat was enjoyable. The VATS system is back and is more satisfying than ever. The game gives the player a variety of weapons from pistols, to energy guns, to rocket launchers. My only complaints is that while the combat looks flashy, it is fairly shallow. There is a long list of games that just did the quasi-real time battle system far better. To be fair though, the Fallout series always had mediocre combat.
In terms of the story, well I don't want to give much away, but it does manage to hold the player's interest. Like many WRPGs, the story begins with the player being near death as they recall being in some heavy shit. They miraculously survive their ordeal, and have inconveniently developed amnesia. They now roam the world as they try to pick up the pieces. Despite being cliche as all hell, the plot gets the job done as it gives the player an excuse to transverse the world and conversate with others. It isn't the best story out there, but like with most RPGs, the meat is in the journey not the destination.
Fallout: New Vegas is a game that seems to be part of a some sort of parallel universe where Fallout 3 actually did justice to the franchise. It took the Fallout series and expanded and refined it. It was part of a small wave of games in the dawn of the 2010s that were both ambitious and had deep role playing mechanics. With Fallout 4 being released and falling prey to the same potholes Fallout 3 tripped over, fans of the series are hoping for a repeat of when Obsidian would proceed to take the developer's chair to create their own entry. Only time will tell if this will occur, but at least the studio left fans with a quality game in the series that they could continue to replay.
