Did you finish this yet? It's easily among my favourite game of all time, and as an impressionable 10 year old when I first played it, it was one of the most impactful things on my development.
The materia system is indeed awesome and I don't think any of the other systems they have had in the other Final Fantasy games have topped it. There's just so much customisation you can do with it.
Not yet, still hacking away at it. I just got the submarine, to put things into perspective, so my guess is that I am more than halfway through the game. So far im really enjoying it. Great story too, cant wait to see how everything pans out with Sephiroth and Shinra. I cant say that the game will have the same impact on me, since im not 10 years old anymore, but certainly it is one of the funner RPGs ive ever played (not like im a big gamer or anything). I admit that I had to reference a guide a few times to figure out what to do next, but otherwise it isnt too hard.
One of my favorite games of all time growing up was Super Mario RPG. In retrospect it was incredibly linear and not too difficult at all, but I find it to be one of the best Mario games ever, and I absolutely loved the story.
I know I've said otherwise in this thread but I replayed FF7 about a year ago and it's admittedly a bit dated. Even so, I still love the story and I'm not sure if "pathetic" is the term I'd use for Cloud as a character. Maybe something more along the lines of having a complete lack of identity. *spoilers alert* Being a failed Sephiroth "clone" who underwent mako experimentation has got to mess with your head. I felt like that added to his mystique.
No doubt that it is dated. Just look at those ugly ass 3D graphics, cheesy animations, and awkward pre-rendered landscapes. I dont think ive ever played a game with uglier art/animation, but admittedly I like stuff like this. And from what ive seen from modern RPGs vs the old school style, this game seems like the turning point of modern gaming (I can see why this game is controversially considered 'overrated' by some gamers). But seeing as the storytelling and gameplay is mostly excellent, I can forgive the game for it's poorly aged aesthetic.
As for Cloud, I think pitiful would be a better description. At first he comes across as being some valiant badass from Soldier, trying to battle down some evil organization, all proud of himself and shit, and it turns out that he was never good enough to actually be in Soldier and gets used to the point of handing his enemy their trump card. He ends up making an ass of himself because it turns out that he wasnt the badass that he claimed he was, and has a mental breakdown. It's almost like watching someone brag about this awesome skateboard trick they can do, but when they go to show you they break their wrist or their arm and start crying like a bitch. Embarrassing. Though since he regains his true memory, and therefore his identity, I guess you can say that he redeems himself after all (I havent seen the ending, but I imagine that he fights the odds against him).
I actually dont consider Cloud to be a clone since it is revealed that he was actually a real human before he was experimented on. He doesnt truly lack an identity because he does actually exist as a human being beneath the manipulation. Simply calling him a clone was more of Sephiroth/Shinra's way of trying to further manipulate him even after he has realized that something wasnt quite right.
I respect the amount of backstory and complexity involved in designing his character, but personality wise he does seem a bit childish and angsty. Still a well designed character in my book, I guess the rest of the story will show how he proceeds from here.
