Final Fantasy 7 For PS-X?! |
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In an absolute jolt that shook the gaming world to its core, news emerged last month that Nintendo had lost Square and its groundbreaking Final Fantasy VII to Sony. Along with Dragon Quest creator Enix, Square Co. commands the market in the field of RPGs, with their Final Fantasy series selling well over 10 million copies. FF games have become a staple for NES and Super NES consoles, however following the release of JPN-only Treasure Hunter G in April, Square will end all publishing of titles for Nintendo. According to Hironobu Sakaguchi, President of Square, the Nintendo 64 and its cartridge-based storage system was too limiting for its future endeavors. "It is the volume of data needed to portray this information which is an indispensable element... We have concluded that at the moment there is nothing else but the PlayStation." Final Fantasy VII, then, will be an exclusive game for the PS-X, due for release in Japan this December at 5800 yen (roughly $55 USD, or half of what is charged for FF III in Japan). Veterans within Square like Yoshinori Kitasei and Composer Nobuo Uematsu will return to lead the new entry. Its leading stars will be rendered with two types of models, one for the overworld and another, more detailed version for use in-battle. These marvelously shaded characters include the leader Cloud, a staff-wielding heroine named Aerith, and a buff gunman called Bullet. All three will be controlled in one party as they traverse stunning rendered landscapes and background environments which scroll as you move. As for the battling system, its mechanics utilize turn-based combat in a manner seen in FF III. Except, of course, that it is entirely real-time 3-D. |
Finally, the Fantasy Comes to the PlayStation! |
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Very little is known about the story of FF VII, but here is what we've gathered from our sources so far. The bulk of the plot will unfold in the central city of Midgar, an absolutely breathtaking and fantastical industrial metropolis. Its dark and foreboding appearance does suggest something is amiss in this land - an overabundance of pollution, perhaps. The screenshots shown in the below slots are actual game graphics depicting various scenes from a dungeon. Real graphics - not FMV! This game is, in fact, so large that Square stated it will use 2 discs! We can only imagine the potential - a plethora of captivating cutscenes with computer-rendered graphics, as well as Mr. Uematsu's brilliant musical compositions. More so, Square officials have confirmed the animation will generate at 15 frames-per-second, while all action taking place inside the console window will move alone at 60 frames. If true, this will certainly allow for exceptionally precise and silky-smooth battle scenes. |
Dank Inner-Workings of a Midgar Dungeon - Freakishly Cool! |
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Moving beyond this monumental (and damn cool) next-generation Final Fantasy title, Square intends on releasing 20 PlayStation games before the end of 1997 for the PlayStation. To be clear, this is no small feat, as the studio has published a total of 20 games for the Super Famicom over its five-year lifespan. Nothing official is yet announced on that front regarding specifics, but we expect sequels for staple series like Secret of Mana, Romancing SaGa, and Front Mission. Perhaps a Chrono Trigger 2 is in the cards as a 32-Bit upgrade? Keep it tuned right here for the latest coverage as the new gen blossoms forth. |
 [Article from the May 1996 Issue of PPM] |
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