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There was a moment in the original Final Fantasy 7 that shattered the fourth wall, setting the tone for when FF7 was running outside of its heaviest theme.
With the excitement still high around last year Final Fantasy 7 remake and the rest of the project to come, many fans are returning to check out the original classic. There are a lot of major differences between the remake and the original. Final fantasy 7, but one thing has remained very consistent. Both versions of the game feature very heavy themes that are interspersed with less serious moments that help break the tension. A good example of this is a fun moment in the original. FF7 which breaks the fourth wall in order to explain some of the game mechanics and quality of life additions of the previous one Final fantasy Games.
As fans return to experience the whole Final Fantasy 7 compilation, whether as a nostalgic trip or a first experience, the age of some of the games is evident. FF7 was originally released over a decade and a half ago after all. As many games had to do at the time, many of the new features in the game (at the time) had to be explained. It can often be difficult to describe the mechanics that only exist in video games. FF7 decided to embrace the weirdness of this experience and break the fourth wall in a bizarre moment that helped set the comedic tone present throughout Final fantasy 7.
Breaking the 4th Wall in Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Especially around the time of the original game’s release, RPGs in general had a lot of mechanics that are now often run in the background like saving. And in the booming era of 3D gaming, a few small changes have been made to older games to help players stay focused on new worlds. FF7 mixed both his very ’90s comedy style and a new mechanic that answered exactly to that. At the start of the game, Cloud is free to explore Sector 7 for the first time, and the small location is full of items for players to discover or buy, NPCs to meet, and a fun encounter with a “coach. which explains some of the new mechanics right in the cloud.
Three-dimensional graphics were still in their infancy when FF7 was published and at the time, the use of static backgrounds was common. This approach would overlay the player-controlled pixel sprites on a background that could not be reoriented. This meant that the background art could be much more faithful than it would otherwise be, but could often become confusing for players. resident Evil was a great example of this approach, but FF7 used a simple fix to help players explore. Press Select on the PS1 controller (or the Options button while playing FF7 via Xbox Game Pass) would have a cartoon finger appear above the main character’s head.
FF7 well embraced the absurdity of this moment. Cloud reacts directly to seeing the finger appear above his head, breaking through the fourth wall. In this same scene, a bouncing save point appears in the room and speaks directly to Cloud. NPCs in the area also react to both incidents, comically addressing the subject matter and the absurdity of the moment. Final fantasy 7 is a game rich in lore, but part of what made the game so successful was a willingness to poke fun at itself and the game support in general. This moment does not appear in FF7 Remake given its new nature as a fully realized 3D world, but it’s a fun little relic from the bygone game that can still be laughed at today.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 is in development.
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