Having covered the music of Final Fantasy VI just last week in the first part of this five part series, it’s now time to talk about the title that many of you would have been waiting for, Final Fantasy VII.
Final Fantasy VII features some of the most memorable moments in the series. And many of these were elevated by the music of composer Nobuo Uematsu.
Read More: The Music of Final Fantasy VI – An Introspective Look
Final Fantasy VII was the first JRPG many, including myself, experienced. FF7 was the first game where I truly felt invested in the story and character development, and the first game to ever make me cry.
Whispers of the Past
While I was just a kid at the time, this investment and emotional connection combined with the incredible music of Final Fantasy VII completely blew my mind.
My cousin Kirk gifted me his copy of FF7 after his girlfriend bought it for just £1.50. How she bought it for so cheap is beyond me. But another man’s loss is another man’s gain as they say, and I’ve taken good care of it ever since.
It may seem funny now, but those polygons felt so lifelike and believable. Especially in a particular scene that would go down as one of the most brutal moments in gaming history. And yet, despite having spoiled this crucial moment of the plot for myself, it still hit me like a truck when I finally played to that moment.
Read More: How PlayStation Launched JRPGs in the West
But that’s character development for you, and a testament to how incredibly deep and rich the narrative was.
Music to my Ears
And part of that sense of emotional weight and immersion was fostered by the music of the game. Composer Nobuo Uematsu infused many of the game’s moments with music that when listened to in isolation still stir up the corresponding emotion and tone.
Birth of a God
Up first is the one track I always end up humming when I think of Final Fantasy VII – Birth of a God.
With its immediately upbeat and punchy drums, it instantly puts you in the mood to kick some serious butt. It’s incredibly catchy, easy to remember and will keep you humming for weeks on end.
Without giving too much away, Jenova is a serious threat in the original Final Fantasy VII and this is just one of her three tracks. Favouritism really went a long way here.
Nobuo Uematsu has always been ahead of his time, and to this day, there really isn’t another track like this. It’s fantastic.
Jenova Absolute
In second place, we have yet another of Jenova’s battle themes. This time it’s Jenova Absolute.
Out of every Final Fantasy title to ever release, the soundtrack to Final Fantasy VII is in a league of its own. With each and every track having its own unique identity, it’s incredibly easy to tell one song from another. Virtually every track of Final Fantasy VII is outstanding. Just maybe not the Chocobo themes – Kweh!?
I’d go so far as to say that not only does VII have the best tracks in the series, it has the highest number of memorable tracks to date. Squaresoft (now Enix) really went all out developing this. Not only was it the first 3D Final Fantasy to ever release, Final Fantasy 7 wasn’t even built on an engine. It is the engine.
Yea, it took me a little while to get my head around that one too, and explains why it took so long for modders to work out how to mod it.
One-Winged Angel
It was a close call between this and J-E-N-O-V-A, but with two of the three Jenova themes already taking the top spot, it was only fair to branch out a little, and so to close things off we have a first class track for a 1st class soldier – none other than One-Winged Angel, for the legendary 1st Class Soldier Sephiroth.
While I’d have likely been crucified had I not included this in my top 3, it’s well deserving of its place, and I know some of you would rate it even higher.
I was about 13 years old when I heard this for the very first time, and back then, the majority of computer game music was composed entirely using synthesisers and saved as MIDI’s (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). While MP3’s were a thing, they hadn’t yet been fully integrated into the gaming scene.
As technology advanced however, companies became less limited by space and really, the CD generation of games paved way for what we have today.
One-Winged Angel is ominous, powerful and foreboding. Hearing this for the first time, you knew you were in for trouble, and if not for this track, Sephiroth wouldn’t have been half as iconic as he is today.
To Conclude
Final Fantasy VII is up there with the best games of all time. If you’re yet to experience it and are a little put off by the now dated visuals, then I highly recommend the PC version. Modders have you covered with enough performance and visual enhancements to breathe new life into the game, and it’s old enough, even a ten year old PC can run it just fine.
I don’t know about you, but it sounds like a great way to pass the time as we (im)patiently wait for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth to drop this coming February.
If you liked this article and would love to share your first experiences of Final Fantasy VII with us, let us know in the comments below, or hit me up on Twitter/X @CaptainCortez.