The 20 most innovative games ever made

20 titles that changed video gaming forever

#14: Final Fantasy VII



Platform: PlayStation

Year: 1997

Original review score: 5 out of 5 Stars

Always a trailblazing series, Final Fantasy hit its creative and cultural peak with the deeply emotional, hugely popular Final Fantasy VII. FFVII is so influential that its name alone is instantly synonymous with the RPG genre, while its characters and gameplay set the standards and stereotypes for countless future games in the role-playing genre.

Why It Was Innovative:

It's more than just big swords and spiky hair. Final Fantasy VII was a rare game that pushed each of its separate components - music, story, graphics, and character building - to soaring new heights. The story was a multi-disc novel that touched on serious concepts such as death and rebirth, while the graphics stunned players with an elegant combination of 3D action and steampunk-inspired cityscapes. Top all that off with an unforgettable cast of characters, including one of the most famous villains in video game history, and you've got a classic that touched an entire genre of gaming....and an entire generation of gamers. Furthermore, there's a fair argument that Final Fantasy VII's status as an early PlayStation One exclusive gave Sony the edge it needed to compete in and eventually dominate the video game industry.

20 of 21
VIEW ALL THUMBNAILS

Most Popular

Call of Duty: Black Ops II Uprising DLC coming to PS3 and PC on May 17
What's the difference between an Intel Core i3, i5 and i7?
Laser vs. inkjet printers: which is better?
Samsung’s 2013 Smart TVs: everything you need to know
How do I connect my TV to the Internet?

Best Deals on PCWorld

Printers & ScannersView all »
NotebooksView all »
TabletsView all »
Mobile PhonesView all »
Networking, Wireless & VoIPView all »

Plan Comparison

Prev Next
Loading...
Deals powered by WhistleOut

rhs_login_lockSign up to PC World Today for the latest news, reviews and galleries from PC World Australia.