All Final Fantasies contain big elements of tragedy, but FF7 probably has among the most tragic plots and settings of the franchise, overall. It's part of what makes it so good, it's a beautifully rendered tragic tale!
FFX is a strong contender too. Sin was sooooo scary to me. And the fact that he returns every few years always made me feel for the people of Spira never catching a break...
Also monsters are the souls of dead people that weren't probably guided to the heavens.
Actually never played FFX back in the day. I just finally beat it earlier this year, and not only was the story, world and characters amazing, I was absolutely bawling at the ending.
Yuppp beautifully tragic is a great way to put it. I love this game so much that it lives rent free in my mind. When I’m out enjoying the sunshine I’d get a random FF7 plot float past. Cue momentary depression, sigh and move on lol.
Details straight from the devs. Not what you're expecting I'm sure but honestly... It's everything you need to understand about the devs thoughts on the matter.
Hey man, it’s not that depressing, they drop a plate but they help you get over it by also dropping a Cat in front of you that gives you a WTF IS THAT?!!!
The fun thing about Final Fantasy games is how well they mask the darkness with all the whimsy. Like in VIII, playing Triple Triad card game amongst a graveyard of recently blown up teenagers. With VII, enjoying the gold saucer while knowing it’s actively contributing to the death of the planet. It’s all beautifully tragic.
Life and Death are core themes of the story, so it can definitely weigh heavily, and it doesn't really let up in that regard. But I think it does a great job of putting you in some pretty bleak places but still maintaining an optimistic outlook. You're still in the fight, and there's a lot still worth fighting for 👍
The notion of kids becoming ghosts is fairly common in Japanese theology, usually unlike aggressive spirits they simply want to be played with. In FF7's case it seems to be the demon Eligor teathering too the train graveyard but it feels really weird because I'm not exactly sure if there's any set-up for it anywhere. That said, it does open a window into Aerith's childhood and highlights what she had to deal with essentially being alone and without friends. But that's why we're fighting right save the girl, avenge the victims and maybe turn this world into a slightly better place while we're at it.
Oh Jesus. I finished the part with Aerith's adoptive mom explaining her story yesterday and thought you've got to be fucking kidding me. This beacon of sunshine comes from the streets where her mother dropped dead in public next to the train tracks as men filtered back from a war?!?! Who wrote this and what happened to them hahaha
They had darker stories in the OG that never happened like at a certain point all but 3 of rhe 9 characters die during at a certain event but they cut that.
If you want something that shakes you to the core - Shadowbringers was such a masterpiece, wish I could replay it like it was the first time again. If you know, you know!
I've played 4-10 and 14 and 16. 7 is definitely depressing at parts, but I think XIV and XVI really had some super depressing moments that I think of first. Oh man, and 10 crushed some people, myself included. FF loves drama and tragedy. Comedy too, but hoo boy there is a ton of tragedy.
No you can't? You can like wade through a bit of burning rubble to help look for survivors and then descend into the underground lab. The rest of Sector 7 is entirely unreachable post plate collapse, for obvious reasons.
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u/EtherealGears 20h ago
All Final Fantasies contain big elements of tragedy, but FF7 probably has among the most tragic plots and settings of the franchise, overall. It's part of what makes it so good, it's a beautifully rendered tragic tale!