Final Fantasy 7 was always on the list of games I thought I'd get around to eventually, but we all know how that goes. The backlog grows faster than it shrinks, and “someday” quickly turns into “never.” But with the upcoming release of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the third entry in a major FF7 remake or something, I couldn't help but feel the overwhelming feeling that I should have missed my chance to be a part of something incredible.
After watching Summer Games Fest 2026 and seeing the buzz among the FF7 community as it prepared for the conclusion they had been waiting years for, I knew that if I was ever going to jump into FF7, now was the time. I didn't want to be an outsider watching the reaction to FF7 Revelation. I wanted to be a part of it.
The path to revelation begins here
With over six months to catch up, I was faced with the dilemma that all new FF7 players seem to face: do I play the original 1997 release or jump straight into the remakes? Naturally, rather than make up my own mind, I looked to strangers on the internet for an answer. Some fans argued that the original was necessary to appreciate the remakes, while others warned that the old original could turn off new players entirely.
Since some of my favorite games date back to the late 1990s and early 2000s, the thought of features that showed their age didn't scare me. However, I also thought that playing the remakes first would help me develop a deeper understanding of the original, rather than the other way around.
In the end, I decided on a messy compromise. I would play both. At the same time.
Trust me, I know this is not what anyone would recommend. But seeing the moments unfold side by side made for a fascinating comparison of the two versions of this story in real time. Of course, once I reach the end of Rebirth, I fully intend to finish the rest of the original before Revelation is released.
What makes almost 30 years of hype with the first play
When most of you sat down to play FF7 for the first time, you probably didn't know much about it beyond what you saw in the trailer or heard from word of mouth. In 2026, even if you're not actively looking for information about something, spoilers can find you.
Memes spread across social media, character deaths are plastered on every YouTube thumbnail, and in this case, the characters appear in games outside of their franchise. While I managed to avoid knowing the specifics of the story, I couldn't escape every detail or the millions of people screaming from every corner of the internet about how special FF7 is.
Despite it being nearly impossible, I still tried to make the first game as authentic as I could and was pleasantly surprised to see how much was still a mystery to me. I knew Cloud was the protagonist, Tifa was the lover, and Sephiroth was the villain. But I had no idea that Cloud wasn't the type of white knight hero I expected, that Tifa wasn't the only love, and that Sephiroth was someone Cloud looked up to.
For every detail I thought I knew about FF7, there were ten layers of mystery left to uncover. No, this wasn't the same experience I was able to have before the internet made everything common knowledge, and I don't think you can have a true first impression of this game anymore. But if anything, actively exposing some of my expectations made those moments stand out even more.
Most of that 'expectation' is that if I've never heard of that character, it's probably because they died quickly and weren't relevant. I can't tell you how sure I was that Barret disappeared during those first few missions. The community needs to mention him more often!
So while I think it's no longer possible to have a truly pristine first playthrough of Final Fantasy 7, I can say that it's still entirely possible to have a phenomenal first experience.
Final Fantasy 7 sorry for being late
After all these years, finally jumping into Final Fantasy 7 was weird, but in the best way. Instead of discovering something new, it was like I was finally filling in the gaps in a story I had only heard in passing.
That first close-up of Cloud's face in FF7 Remake gave me goosebumps. It was so obvious that this moment was purposely created to give fans of the original the breathtaking reintroduction they've been waiting decades for. And even without my own memories of Cloud, the feeling washed over me like a wave of borrowed nostalgia, and my excitement grew with each passing moment.
And then at some point during my play it clicked. I finally understood why Final Fantasy 7 lasted almost 30 years. Why Cloud, Tifa and Sephiroth became bigger than the FF franchise itself. And most importantly, how a world I had never experienced firsthand still managed to feel like home.
Each character was unique and perfectly fleshed out and I couldn't wait to learn more about them. I desperately needed to know Cloud's backstory and understand his connection to Sephiroth. I longed to meet Barret, Marlene's father, not just Barret, the watchman.
What was the start of Avalanche? What was Sephiroth's ultimate goal and how would they stop him? The questions never stopped and the more I discovered, the more I wanted to know. No amount of time with these characters felt like enough, and I began to dread how quickly the chapters flew by. The world kept growing and I never wanted to leave it.
I imagine that same feeling is why the community has worked together to keep it alive all these years. I may have arrived here 30 years late, carrying a bag full of spoilers, a bit off the mark about the characters, and a lot of second-hand gameplay advice, but Final Fantasy 7 still managed to surprise me in ways I didn't even think possible all this time.
I've seen firsthand that it's not just nostalgia that keeps this series alive. It's the care and passion that the few brilliant minds at Square Enix have put into every part of it. Now that Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is finally on the horizon, I can't wait to share this conclusion with the rest of the community that I should have listened to a long time ago.
