15 Years of Gaming, Part 3 (1997, Part 2)

 1997, Part 2

Apparently I reached some sort of limit on the last post, necessitating this second part.


Final Fantasy VII
Release Date: September 7, 1997.
Platform: PlayStation
ESRB Rating: T
Developer/Publisher: SquareSoft
GameRankings: 92.1%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 9.6/10 (Legendary)

There was a time, two or three years ago, when I would have said that FFVII was, unequivocally, my favorite game in existence. While this isn't the case anymore, that doesn't mean that my love for FFVII had diminished in any way. Final Fantasy VII was the first primarily story based game, as well as the first RPG that I ever completed. FFVII might not be the best Final Fantasy, but that is in no way a bad thing. Every FF before 2003 could easily be considered one of the best games in the year it came out in. FFVII was for me, as it was for a lot of Americans, the first "hardcore" game I ever played (by this I mean a long, story based game that takes more than 20 hours to complete). While the story may not break any new ground for the Final Fantasy series (corrupt corporation/government and "villain wants to achieve Godhood" aren't exactly new for FF), it told it's story well and memorably, with beautiful cutscenes, distinct characters and a still unique (for FF) steampunk edge.

Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
Release Date: October 9, 1997.
Platform: PC
ESRB: T
Developer/Publisher: LucasArts
GameRankings: 87%
Completely Arbitrary Personal Score: 8.2/10 (Good)

 

The first Dark Forces, while very fun, was not much more than a Doom clone with a Star Wars finish. The second, however, was easily the first GOOD Star Wars game I'd ever played. Not only was it a solid FPS, but it was the first Star Wars game to effectively use the lightsaber. Not only was it an effective weapon, but it was also a useful light source in the game's darker levels, and a good defense against incoming blaster fire. The force powers in the game added another level of ingenuity, and offered one of the first morality bars in an action game, complete with separate endings. The music was authentic, and the live action cutscenes were the first newly filmed live action Star Wars footage since Return of the Jedi. Added to all of this was a genuinely fun multiplayer mode, and you have the first Star Wars game that actually felt like Star Wars.