Ryan Marin
Central Bureau Chief
Video games have always been an important part of my life. Getting a PS3 for my sixth birthday transformed my childhood, as I spent hundreds of hours playing games. These games that allowed me to shut out the world and what was going on around me, which was something I really needed at the time. The game that had the biggest impact on me was Final Fantasy VII. I’ve played through that game at least five times, and it’s my favorite game of all time. As I’ve grown up, I developed more responsibilities and had less time for video games; I had forgotten how much I loved gaming. However, When I learned that a remake of Final Fantasy VII was released in 2020, I jumped to buy a PS5 so I could play it.
The premise of the game is that you are Cloud Strife, a mercenary hired by Avalanche to destroy mako reactors. Avalanche is an organization of eco-terrorists who want to save the planet from the Shinra Electric Company. Shinra is draining the planet of mako, the liquid version of the planet’s life stream, to use as an energy source. This is slowly killing the planet, so Avalanche works to stop Shinra and save the planet through any means necessary.
There are so many parts of Final Fantasy VII that I love. The amazing characters, such as Cloud, Tifa, Barrett, and the menacing villain Sephiroth, that I would grow to know and care about. The iconic locations such as Midgar and the Gold Saucer that I have memorized in my head. The inspiring message it provides about the environmental impact of humans and how we are killing our planet. However, what always set Final Fantasy 7 apart for me was the music. Final Fantasy VII’s music was composed by Nobuo Uematsu, one of the greatest video game composers of all time. The original Final Fantasy VII came out in 1997, and the remake came out in 2020. The remake took the 2D game and turned it into a 3D world. Uematsu also remade the original soundtrack, providing a new take on classic songs. Hearing new renditions of songs that defined my childhood was an amazing experience, and none more than the track “Tifa’s theme.”
In the beginning of the game, Avalanche destroys a mako reactor. After the hard mission you return to Seventh Heaven, a bar and the base of operations for this small part of Avalanche. In the background, the song “Tifa’s theme” is playing. It’s meant to incite feelings of reassurance and warmth, like you are returning home from a long day of work to a hot meal and loving family. This beautiful song made me feel like I was reuniting with a group of friends I hadn’t seen since my childhood, and they were welcoming me back with open arms.
That moment helped me rekindle my love of video games. Seeing all those characters together with “Tifa’s theme” playing in the background made me feel like a child again. I wouldn’t trade that moment for anything, and it will stick with me for a long time. It was a profound moment that led me to thinking about the impact video games has had on my and many others’ lives.
Video games are an escape from our harsh reality. For a few hours, we can forget about our stresses and responsibilities and exist in another world. Players can go on a journey to explore new places, meet new people, and do incredible things. Most importantly, they can affect our emotions. We grow attached to characters, and we care about what is happening to them. Whether it’s happiness, sadness, anger, or nostalgia, video games can make you feel something. Video games are a special medium that I will always love, and “Tifa’s Theme” helped remind me of that.
marir34@mail.broward.edu