Final Fantasy VII
Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy VII. This is the game that defined my childhood and made me the gamer that I am today, something I am sure can be said for many gamers of my generation, for it is one, if not the, most legendary game of all time (in my humble opinion—even to this day), whose value to me and my life cannot be overstated.
I remember when my mom first got me this game for Christmas. I was in the third grade, and the first time I played it, I maybe played for all of five minutes before I threw it back in the case, where it stayed for over a month. I remember thinking it was the weirdest, most boring game ever. But then, one day, I was really bored, and I had absolutely no desire to finish my chores that day, among these being washing the dishes, feeding the horses, etc. So, once again, I found myself popping the first disc of what was in total a three-disc game back into that OG PlayStation—only this time, I couldn’t seem to stop playing. I was hooked!
For some reason, this second attempt drew me in and had me immersed in a whole new world that would not only get me through some of the toughest years of my childhood while significantly contributing to my learning how to read, but also become instrumental to forging invaluable childhood friendships that I maintain to this very day. I do not believe I could be more grateful for another game on all of planet Earth so long as I live, with Halo: Combat Evolved being a close but distant second; though, Halo is most certainly a legend in its own right, unquestionably.
No one who isn’t a gamer will understand the sentimental value a game like this holds to one such as myself, and though my mom did not truly understand what she got her hands on at the time, if she hadn’t got me this game that one cold, third-grade Christmas, I honestly do not know what kind of person I would be today, and this is no exaggeration. I owe so much to this game, and also to my mother and father for making the sacrifices they had to make that year to provide us with a good Christmas. Happy anniversary, Final Fantasy VII! Thank you for all that you are and all that you continue to be!
