Editing Final Fantasy VII (section)

==Development==
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| footer            = Producer [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]] and director [[Yoshinori Kitase]], who together helped create the story and gameplay concepts for ''Final Fantasy VII''
| image1            = Hironobu Sakaguchi - Tokyo Game Show 2006.jpg
| alt1              = A 43-year-old Japanese man with neck-length black haired, speaking into a microphone and facing slightly to the camera's right.
| image2            = Square-enix dissidia yoshinori-kitase.jpg
| alt2              = A 42-year-old Japanese man with trimmed black hair, smiling directly at the camera.
| perrow            = 2
| total_width       = 360
}}
Initial concept talks for ''Final Fantasy VII'' began in 1994 at [[Square (video game company)|Square]] studio, following the completion of ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]''. As with the previous installment, series creator [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]] reduced his role to producer and granted others a more active role in development: these included [[Yoshinori Kitase]], one of the directors of ''FFVI''. The next installment was planned as a [[2D computer graphics|2D game]] for [[Nintendo]]'s [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (Super NES). After creating an early 2D prototype of it, the team postponed development to help finish ''[[Chrono Trigger]]''.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/> Once ''Chrono Trigger'' was completed, the team resumed discussions for ''Final Fantasy VII'' in 1995.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/><ref name="EdgeMaking">{{Cite magazine | date = May 2003 | title= The Making Of: Final Fantasy VII | url = http://www.next-gen.biz/features/making-final-fantasy-vii | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120509211345/http://www.edge-online.com/features/making-final-fantasy-vii | archivedate = May 9, 2012 | url-status=dead | magazine = [[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] | issue = 123 | pages=108–113 | publisher=[[Future plc]]}}</ref>

The team discussed continuing the 2D strategy, which would have been the safe and immediate path just prior to the imminent industry shift toward [[3D computer graphics|3D gaming]]; such a change would require radical new development models.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/> The team decided to take the riskier option and make a 3D game on new generation hardware but had yet to choose between the [[ROM cartridge|cartridge]]-based [[Nintendo 64]] or the [[CD-ROM]]-based [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] from [[Sony Computer Entertainment]].<ref name="PolygonRetro"/> The team also considered the [[Sega Saturn]] console and [[Microsoft Windows]].<ref>{{cite magazine|date=May 1996|title=Final Fantasy VII|magazine=Computer and Video Games|issue=174|pages=106–111|publisher=[[Future plc]]}}</ref> Their decision was influenced by two factors: a highly successful tech demo based on ''Final Fantasy VI'' using the new [[Softimage 3D]] software, and the escalating price of cartridge-based games, which was limiting Square's audience.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/><ref name="VIIinterviews">{{cite web|author=blackoak|url=http://shmuplations.com/ff7/|title=Final Fantasy VII – 1997 Developer Interviews|website=Shmuplations|accessdate=January 13, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923162806/http://shmuplations.com/ff7/|archivedate=September 23, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="levelmagazine"/> Tests were made for a Nintendo 64 version, which would use the planned [[64DD]] peripheral despite the lack of 64DD development kits and the prototype device's changing hardware specifications. This version was discarded during early testing, as the 2000 polygons needed to render the Behemoth monster placed excessive strain on the Nintendo 64 hardware, causing a low [[frame rate]].<ref name="PolygonRetro"/> It would have required an estimated thirty 64DD discs to run ''Final Fantasy VII'' properly with the data compression methods of the day.<ref name="EGM82"/> Faced with both technical and economic issues on Nintendo's current hardware, and impressed by the increased storage capacity of CD-ROM when compared to the Nintendo 64 cartridge, Square shifted development of ''Final Fantasy VII'', and all other planned projects, onto the PlayStation.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/> 

The ''Final Fantasy 7'' staff at one point were planning to use a first person camera for world map exploration with enemies visible on the world map terrain and also wanted up to 10 characters to be in your party at once in the battle scenes.<ref name="EGM82"/> In the final version, the overall gameplay system remained mostly unchanged from ''[[Final Fantasy V]]'' and ''VI'', but with an emphasis on player control.<ref name="VHSvii"/> The initial decision was for battles to feature shifting camera angles. Battle arenas had a lower polygon count than field areas, which made creating distinctive features more difficult.<ref name="VIIinterviews"/> The summon sequences benefited strongly from the switch to the cinematic style, as the team had struggled to portray their scale using 2D graphics.<ref name="CGVsakaguchi"/> In his role as producer, Sakaguchi placed much of his effort into developing the battle system.<ref name="FamVIIanniversaryB"/> He proposed the Materia system as a way to provide more character customization than previous ''Final Fantasy'' games: battles no longer revolved around characters with innate skills and roles in battle, as Materia could be reconfigured between battles.<ref name="VIIinterviews"/> Artist [[Tetsuya Nomura]] also contributed to the gameplay; he designed the Limit Break system as an evolution of the Desperation Attacks used in ''Final Fantasy VI''. The Limit Breaks served a purpose in gameplay while also evoking each character's personality in battle.<ref name="FamVIIanniversaryB">{{cite magazine|date=May 10, 2012|script-title=ja:「ファイナルファンタジー」25周年 — ファイナルファンタジーVII|magazine=[[Famitsu]]|issue=1224|publisher=[[Enterbrain]]}}</ref><ref name="VIIinterviews"/>

Square retained the passion-based game development approach from their earlier projects, but now had the resources and ambition to create the game they wanted. This was because they had extensive capital from their earlier commercial successes, which meant they could focus on quality and scale rather than obsessing over and working around their budget.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/> ''Final Fantasy VII'' was [[List of most expensive video games to develop|at the time one of the most expensive video game projects ever]], costing an estimated {{USD}}40 million, which adjusted for inflation came to $61 million in 2017.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Essential 50: Final Fantasy VII|work=[[1UP.com]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|url=http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-final-fantasy-vii|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120721091308/http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-final-fantasy-vii|archivedate=July 21, 2012|accessdate=March 22, 2011}}</ref><ref name="VIIretro">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-06-02-final-fantasy-7-retrospective|title=Final Fantasy 7 retrospective – The game that killed Squaresoft|last=Stanton|first=Rick|work=[[Eurogamer]]|publisher=Gamer Network|date=June 2, 2013|accessdate=May 5, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326001950/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-06-02-final-fantasy-7-retrospective|archivedate=March 26, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Development of the final version took a staff of between 100 and 150 people just over a year to complete. As video game development teams were usually only 20 people, the game had what was described as the largest development team of any game up to that point.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/><ref name="CGVsakaguchi"/> The development team was split between both Square's Japanese offices and its new American office in Los Angeles; the American team worked primarily on city backgrounds.<ref name="EGM82">{{cite magazine |title=Exclusive Preview! Final Fantasy VII |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=82 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=May 1996 |pages=78–79}}</ref>

===Art design===
[[File:FFVIInomuracastdesigns.JPG|thumb|left|Promotional artwork of the main cast. The main characters were designed by [[Tetsuya Nomura]]; ''Final Fantasy VII'' was his first role as character designer.<ref name="FamVIIanniversaryB"/><ref name="PolygonRetro"/>|alt=Nine people stand in a group against a white background; the group —made up of seven humans and two animal-like beings— wear a variety of clothing and the human characters carry different weapons.]]
The game's art director was [[Yusuke Naora]], who had previously worked as a designer for ''Final Fantasy VI''. With the switch into 3D, Naora realized that he needed to relearn drawing, as 3D visuals require a very different approach than 2D. With the massive scale and scope of the project, Naora was granted a team devoted entirely to the game's visual design. The department's duties included illustration, modeling of 3D characters, texturing, the creation of environments, visual effects, and animation.<ref name="NaoraLecture">{{cite AV media|date=February 26, 2015 |first=Yusuke |last=Naora |author-link=Yusuke Naora |url=http://www.twitch.tv/squareenixpresents/v/3839010 |title=SMU Guildhall: The Visual Evolution of Final Fantasy |medium=Video |accessdate=October 31, 2015 |format=[[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] |publisher=[[Square Enix]] |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031154803/http://www.twitch.tv/squareenixpresents/v/3839010 |archivedate=October 31, 2015}} [http://www.ffworld.com/2015/03/11/yusuke-naora-et-levolution-visuelle-de-final-fantasy/ Transcript in French] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118062029/http://www.ffworld.com/2015/03/11/yusuke-naora-et-levolution-visuelle-de-final-fantasy/ |date=January 18, 2017}}</ref> The Shinra logo, which incorporated a kanji symbol, was drawn by Naora personally.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://andriasang.com/comtqf/ff_type_zero_update/|title=Latest on Final Fantasy Type-0|last=Gantayat |first=Anoop|publisher=Andriasang.com|date=January 31, 2011|accessdate=February 21, 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303193203/http://andriasang.com/comtqf/ff_type_zero_update/|archivedate=March 3, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Promotional artwork, in addition to the logo artwork, was created by [[Yoshitaka Amano]], an artist whose association with the series went back to its inception.<ref name="USGamano">{{cite web|url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-final-fantasist-a-conversation-with-yoshitaka-amano|title=The Final Fantasist: A Conversation With Yoshitaka Amano|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|work=[[Eurogamer|USGamer]]|publisher=Gamer Network|date=May 14, 2016|accessdate=May 10, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512002508/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-final-fantasist-a-conversation-with-yoshitaka-amano|archivedate=May 12, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> While he had taken a prominent role in earlier entries, Amano was unable to do so for ''Final Fantasy VII'', due to commitments at overseas exhibitions.<ref name="FFVIIhistory">{{cite web|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2008/05/01/ign-presents-the-history-of-final-fantasy-vii|title=IGN Presents: The History of Final Fantasy VII|work=[[IGN]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|last=McLaughlin|first=Rus|date=April 30, 2008|accessdate=September 14, 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311183005/http://retro.ign.com/articles/870/870770p1.html|archivedate=March 11, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="USGamano"/> His logo artwork was based on Meteor: when he saw images of Meteor, he was not sure how to turn it into suitable artwork. In the end, he created multiple variations of the image and asked staff to choose which they preferred.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/04/27/the-art-that-shaped-final-fantasy-thoughts-from-famed-artist-yoshitaka-amano.aspx|title=The Art That Shaped Final Fantasy: Thoughts From Famed Artist Yoshitaka Amano|last=Juba|first=Joe|magazine=[[Game Informer]]|publisher=[[GameStop]]|date=April 27, 2016|access-date=May 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160429121511/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/04/27/the-art-that-shaped-final-fantasy-thoughts-from-famed-artist-yoshitaka-amano.aspx|archive-date=April 29, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The green coloring represents the predominant lighting in Midgar and the color of the Lifestream, while the blue reflected the ecological themes present in the story. Its coloring directly influenced the general coloring of the game's environments.<ref name="NaoraLecture"/>

Another prominent artist was Nomura. Having impressed Sakaguchi with his proposed ideas, which were handwritten and illustrated rather than simply typed on a PC, Nomura was brought on as main character designer.<ref name="FamVIIanniversaryB"/> Nomura stated that when he was brought on, the main scenario had not been completed, but he "went along like, 'I guess first off you need a hero and a heroine', and from there drew the designs while thinking up details about the characters. After [he'd] done the hero and heroine, [he] carried on drawing by thinking what kind of characters would be interesting to have. When [he] handed over the designs [he'd] tell people the character details [he'd] thought up, or write them down on a separate sheet of paper".<ref name="UOAnniversary">{{cite book |year=2007 |editor=Studio BentStuff |title=Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary |pages=8–13 |language=ja |publisher=[[Square Enix]] |isbn=978-4-7575-2560-3}}</ref> Something that could not be carried over from earlier titles was the chibi sprite art, as that would not fit with the new graphical direction. Naora, in his role as an assistant character designer and art director, helped adjust each character's appearance so the actions they performed were believable. When designing Cloud and Sephiroth, Nomura was influenced by his view of their rivalry mirroring the legendary animosity between [[Miyamoto Musashi]] and [[Sasaki Kojirō]], with Cloud and Sephiroth being Musashi and Kojirō respectively. Sephiroth's look was defined as "''kakkoii''", a Japanese term combining good looks with coolness.<ref name="VIIinterviews"/> Several of Nomura's designs evolved substantially during development. Cloud's original design of slicked-back black hair with no spikes was intended to save polygons and contrast with Sephiroth's long, flowing silver hair. However, Nomura feared that such masculinity could prove unpopular with fans, so he redesigned Cloud to feature a shock of spiky, bright blond hair. Vincent's occupation changed from researcher to detective to chemist, and finally to a former Turk with a tragic past.<ref name="FFVIIhistory"/><ref name="FamVIIanniversaryB"/>

===Scenario===
Sakaguchi was responsible for writing the initial plot, which was quite different from the final version.<ref name="IGNffviii">{{cite web |url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2007/06/04/ffvii-not-being-remade-nomura |title=FFVII Not Being Remade – Nomura |work=[[IGN]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=June 4, 2007 |accessdate=December 9, 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328074809/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/06/04/ffvii-not-being-remade-nomura|archivedate=March 28, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In this draft for the planned SNES version, the game's setting was envisioned as [[New York City]] in 1999. Similar to the final story, the main characters were part of an organization trying to destroy Mako reactors, but they were pursued by a hot-blooded detective named Joe. The main characters would eventually blow up the city. An early version of the Lifestream concept was present at this stage.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/><ref name="levelmagazine"/><ref name="IGNffviii"/> According to Sakaguchi, his mother had died while ''[[Final Fantasy III]]'' was being developed, and choosing life as a theme helped him cope with her passing in a rational and analytical manner.<ref name="CGVsakaguchi">{{cite journal|date=October 1997 |title=Final Fantasy VII: An Interview With Squaresoft |journal=[[Computer and Video Games]] |issue=191 |pages=53–59 |publisher=[[Future plc]] |url=https://archive.org/stream/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_191_1997-10_EMAP_Images_GB#page/n51/mode/2up |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311025933/https://archive.org/stream/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_191_1997-10_EMAP_Images_GB |archivedate=March 11, 2016}}</ref> Square eventually used the New York setting in ''[[Parasite Eve (video game)|Parasite Eve]]'' (1998).<ref name="levelmagazine">{{cite journal |title=Yoshinori Kitase interview |issue=25 |journal=LEVEL |language=sv |publisher=Reset Media |date=May 2008}}</ref> While the planned concept was dropped, ''Final Fantasy VII'' still marked a drastic shift in setting from previous entries, dropping the Medieval fantasy elements in favor of a world that was "ambiguously futuristic".<ref name="GTretro"/>

[[File:FFVIIsephirothkillsaeris.png|thumb|right|The cutscene of [[Sephiroth (Final Fantasy)|Sephiroth]] killing [[Aerith Gainsborough]]. This key story sequence has been called one of the most "shocking",<ref name="death"/> "cinematic",<ref name=mostcinematic/> and "genre-defining"<ref name= topmoments/> moments in video games.|alt=In an underground environment on top of an ancient altar, a silver-haired man in black clothing has just used his long sword to stab a brown-haired woman in red clothing through the chest and now withdraws it.]]
When Kitase was put in charge of ''Final Fantasy VII'', he and Nomura reworked the entire initial plot. Scenario writer [[Kazushige Nojima]] joined the team after finishing work on ''[[Bahamut Lagoon]]''.<ref name="FamVIIanniversaryB"/> While ''Final Fantasy VI'' featured an ensemble cast of numerous playable characters that were equally important, the team soon decided to develop a central protagonist for ''FFVII''.<ref name="VIIinterviews"/> The pursuit of Sephiroth that formed most of the main narrative was suggested by Nomura, as nothing similar had been done in the series before.<ref name="FamVIIanniversaryB"/> Kitase and Nojima conceived AVALANCHE and Shinra as opposing organizations and created Cloud's backstory as well as his relationship to Sephiroth.<ref name="IGNffviii"/> Among Nojima's biggest contributions to the plot were Cloud's memories and split personality; this included the eventual conclusion involving his newly created character of Zack.<ref name="FamVIIanniversaryB"/> The crew helped Kitase adjust the specifics of Sakaguchi's original Lifestream concept.<ref name="IGNffviii"/>

Regarding the overall theme of the game, Sakaguchi said it was "not enough to make 'life' the theme, you need to depict living and dying. In any event, you need to portray death".<ref name="gamemaestro">{{cite book |date=May 18, 2001|script-title=ja:ゲーム・マエストロ Vol.4 デザイナー/イラストレーター編|trans-title=Game Maestro Vol. 4: Designer/Illustrator Volume|language=ja|publisher=Mainichi Communications|isbn=978-4839903879}}</ref> Consequently, Nomura proposed killing off the heroine.<ref name="FamVIIanniversaryB"/><ref name="gamemaestro"/> Aerith had been the only heroine, but the death of a female protagonist would necessitate a second; this led to the creation of Tifa.<ref>{{cite book |date=July 31, 2000|script-title=ja:ファイナルファンタジーVII 解体真書 ザ・コンプリート|trans-title=Final Fantasy VII: Book of Deconstructions – The Complete|page=33|language=ja|publisher=Aspect|isbn=978-4-7577-0098-7}}</ref> The developers decided to kill Aerith, as her death would be the most devastating and consequential.<ref name="FamVIIanniversaryB"/><ref name="gamemaestro"/> Kitase wanted to depict it as very sudden and unexpected, leaving "not a dramatic feeling but great emptiness", "feelings of reality and not [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]]".<ref name="EdgeMaking"/> The script for the scene was written by Nojima. Kitase and Nojima then planned that most of the main cast would die shortly before the final battle; Nomura vetoed the idea because he felt it would undermine the impact of Aerith's death.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/> Several character relations and statuses underwent changes during development. Aerith was to be Sephiroth's sister, which influenced the design of her hair. The team then made Sephiroth a previous love interest of hers to deepen her backstory, but later swapped him with Zack.<ref name="UOAnniversary"/><ref name="FamVIIanniversary"/> Vincent and Yuffie were to be part of the main narrative, but due to time constraints, they were nearly cut and eventually relegated to being optional characters.<ref name="UOAnniversary"/>

Nojima was charged with writing the scenario and unifying the team's ideas into a cohesive narrative, as Kitase was impressed with his earlier work on the [[Mystery fiction|mystery-like]] ''Heracles no Eikō III: Kamigami no Chinmoku'', an entry in the ''[[Glory of Heracles (series)|Glory of Heracles]]'' series.<ref name="FamVIIanniversaryB"/> To make the characters more realistic, Nojima wrote scenes in which they would occasionally argue and raise objections: while this inevitably slowed down the pace of the story, it added depth to the characters. The graphical improvements allowed even relatively bland lines of dialogue to be enhanced with reactions and poses from the 3D character models.<ref name="CGVsakaguchi"/> Voice acting would have led to significant load times, so it was omitted.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=|first= |title=An Interview with Hironobu Sakguchi |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=22 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=October 1996|page=84}}</ref> [[Masato Kato]] wrote several late-game scenes, including the Lifestream sequence and Cloud and Tifa's conversation before the final battle. Initially unaffiliated with the project, Kato was called on to help flesh out less important story scenes. He wrote his scenes to his own tastes without outside consultation, something he later regretted.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mitsuda.cocoebiz.com/friends/kato.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612080900/http://mitsuda.cocoebiz.com/friends/kato.html |archivedate=June 12, 2011 |title=My Friends: Masato Kato |author=Mitsuda, Yasunori |date=November 1999 |work=Our Millennial Fair |publisher=Procyon Studio |accessdate=December 29, 2010 |authorlink=Yasunori Mitsuda |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Graphics===
With the shift from the SNES to the next generation consoles, ''Final Fantasy VII'' became the first project in the series to use [[3D computer graphics]].<ref name="EdgeMaking"/> Aside from the story, ''Final Fantasy VI'' had many details undecided when development began; most design elements were hashed out along the way. In contrast, with ''Final Fantasy VII'', the developers knew from the outset it was going to be "a real 3D game", so from the earliest planning stage, detailed designs were in existence. The script was also finalized, and the image for the graphics had been fleshed out. This meant that when actual development work began, storyboards for the game were already in place.<ref name="VIIinterviews"/> The shift from cartridge ROM to CD-ROM posed some problems: according to lead programmer Ken Narita, the CD-ROM had a slower access speed, delaying some actions during the game, so the team needed to overcome this issue.<ref name="CGVsakaguchi"/> Certain tricks were used to conceal load times, such as offering animations to keep players from getting bored.<ref name="EdgeMaking"/> When it was decided to use 3D graphics, there was a discussion among the staff whether to use sprite-based characters on 3D backgrounds or fully rendered polygonal models.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/things-are-much-different-for-the-creator-of-final-fant-1629514442|title=Things Are Very Different For The Creator Of Final Fantasy|last=Schreier|first=Jason|work=[[Kotaku]]|publisher=Gakwer Media|date=September 2, 2014|accessdate=January 13, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160824131428/http://kotaku.com/things-are-much-different-for-the-creator-of-final-fant-1629514442|archivedate=August 24, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> While sprites proved more popular with the staff, the polygon models were chosen as they could better express emotion. This decision was influenced by the team's exposure to the 3D character models used in ''[[Alone in the Dark (1992 video game)|Alone in the Dark]]''. Sakaguchi decided to use deformed models for field navigation and real-time event scenes, for better expression of emotion, while realistically proportioned models would be used in battles.<ref name="FamVIIanniversary">{{cite web|url=http://andriasang.com/con11g/ffvii15/|title=Nomura, Kitase and Nojima Discuss Final Fantasy VII's Development|last=Gantayat|first=Anoop|work=Andriasang |publisher=Andriasang.com|date=May 16, 2012|accessdate=January 13, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313202219/http://andriasang.com/con11g/ffvii15/|archivedate=March 13, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The team purchased Silicon Graphics [[SGI Onyx|Onyx]] supercomputers and related workstations, and accompanying software including Softimage 3D, [[PowerAnimator]], and [[N-World]] for an estimated total of $21 million. Many team members had never seen the technology before.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/>

[[File:FF7 background.gif|thumb|left|The pre-rendered backgrounds, such as this scene in Midgar, provided the developers with a choice of camera angle, giving a more cinematic experience.|alt=An internal industrial environment, with metal walls, girders and a pipework dominating the scene—a track is visible far below, and steam escapes rhythmically from two points within the area.]]
The transition from 2D graphics to 3D environments overlaid on pre-rendered backgrounds was accompanied by a focus on a more realistic presentation.<ref name="EdgeMaking"/> In previous entries, the sizes for characters and environments were fixed, and the player saw things from a scrolling perspective. This changed with ''Final Fantasy VII''; environments shifted with camera angles, and character model sizes shifted depending on both their place in the environment and their distance from the camera, giving a sense of scale.<ref name="VIIinterviews"/><ref name="CGVsakaguchi"/> The choice of this highly cinematic style of storytelling, contrasting directly with Square's previous games, was attributed to Kitase, who was a fan of films and had an interest in the parallels between film and video game narrative.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/> Character movement during in-game events was done by the character designers in the planning group. While designers normally cooperate with a motion specialist for such animations, the designers taught themselves motion work, resulting in each character's movements differing depending on their creators—some designers liked exaggerated movements, while others went for subtlety. Much of the time was spent on each character's day-to-day, routine animations. Motion specialists were brought in for the game's battle animations. The first characters the team worked with were Cloud and Barret.<ref name="VIIinterviews"/> Some of the real-time effects, such as an explosion near the opening, were hand-drawn rather than computer-animated.<ref name="NaoraLecture"/>

The main creative force behind the overall 3D presentation was Kazuyuki Hashimoto, the general supervisor for these sequences. Being experienced in the new technology the team had brought on board, he accepted the post at Square as the team aligned with his own creative spirit. One of the major events in development was when the real-time graphics were synchronized to computer-generated [[full motion video]] (FMV) cutscenes for some story sequences, notably an early sequence where a real-time model of Cloud jumps onto an FMV-rendered moving train.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/> The backgrounds were created by overlaying two 2D graphic layers and changing the motion speed of each to simulate depth perception. While this was not a new technique, the increased power of the PlayStation enabled a more elaborate version of this effect.<ref name="CGVsakaguchi"/> The biggest issue with the 3D graphics was the large memory storage gap between the development hardware and the console: while the early 3D tech demo had been developed on a machine with over 400 megabytes of total memory, the PlayStation only had two megabytes of system memory and 500 kilobytes for texture memory. The team needed to figure out how to shrink the amount of data while preserving the desired effects. This was aided with reluctant help from Sony, who had hoped to keep Square's direct involvement limited to a standard API package, but they eventually relented and allowed the team direct access to the hardware specifications.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/>

''Final Fantasy VII'' features two types of cutscenes: real-time cutscenes featuring polygon models on pre-rendered backgrounds, and FMV cutscenes.<ref name="CGVsakaguchi"/> The game's [[computer-generated imagery]] (CGI) FMVs were produced by [[Visual Works]], a then-new subsidiary of Square that specialized in computer graphics and FMVs creation. Visual Works had created the initial movie concept for a 3D game project.<ref name="FFVIIhistory"/> The FMVs were created by an international team, covering both Japan and North America and involving talent from the gaming and film industry; Western contributors included artists and staff who had worked on the ''[[Star Wars]]'' film series, ''[[Jurassic Park (film)|Jurassic Park]]'', ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'', and ''[[True Lies]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=April 1994 |title=You Should Know This Game: Final Fantasy VII |magazine=Computer and Video Games |issue=185 |page=88 |publisher=[[Future plc]] |url=https://archive.org/stream/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_185_1997-04_EMAP_Images_GB#page/n87/mode/2up |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317043635/https://archive.org/stream/Computer_and_Video_Games_Issue_185_1997-04_EMAP_Images_GB |archivedate=March 17, 2016}}</ref> The team tried to create additional optional CGI content which would bring optional characters Vincent and Yuffie into the ending. As this would have further increased the number of discs the game needed, the idea was discarded.<ref>{{cite book |date=July 31, 2000|script-title=ja:ファイナルファンタジーVII 解体真書 ザ・コンプリート|trans-title=Final Fantasy VII: Book of Deconstructions – The Complete|page=215|language=ja|publisher=Aspect|isbn=978-4-7577-0098-7}}</ref> Kazuyuki Ikumori, a future key figure at Visual Works, helped with the creation of the CGI cutscenes, in addition to general background design.<ref name="IkumoriLecture">{{cite AV media|date=March 20, 2015 |first=Kazuyuki |last=Ikumori |url=http://www.twitch.tv/squareenixpresents/v/3927230 |title=SMU Guildhall: The Cinematic Evolution of Final Fantasy |medium=Video |accessdate=December 6, 2015 |format=[[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] |publisher=[[Square Enix]] |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011224842/http://www.twitch.tv/squareenixpresents/v/3927230 |archivedate=October 11, 2015}} [http://www.ffworld.com/2015/05/24/dans-les-coulisses-de-visual-works-avec-kazuyuki-ikumori/ Transcript in French] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118062032/http://www.ffworld.com/2015/05/24/dans-les-coulisses-de-visual-works-avec-kazuyuki-ikumori/ |date=January 18, 2017}}</ref> The CGI FMV sequences total around 40 minutes of footage, something only possible with the PlayStation's extra memory space and graphical power. This innovation brought with it the added difficulty of ensuring that the inferiority of the in-game graphics in comparison to the FMV sequences was not too obvious. Kitase has described the process of making the in-game environments as detailed as possible to be "a daunting task".<ref name="EdgeMaking"/>

===Music===
{{Main|Music of the Final Fantasy VII series}}
[[Image:Nobuo Uematsu.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Nobuo Uematsu]] composed, arranged, and produced the entire soundtrack for ''Final Fantasy VII''.|alt=A 46-year-old Japanese man smiling directly into the camera. He has black hair going to gray around the temples and a graying mustache.]]
{{listen
| filename    = One-Winged_Angel_sample.ogg
| title       = "One-Winged Angel"
| description  = "One-Winged Angel", the theme used during a part of the final battle against Sephiroth, is recognized by many as one of Uematsu's best works. The track uses high-quality digitized voices, a first for the series.
}}
The musical score of ''Final Fantasy VII'' was composed, arranged, and produced by [[Nobuo Uematsu]], who had served as the sole composer for the six previous ''Final Fantasy'' games. Originally, Uematsu had planned to use [[Red Book (CD standard)|CD quality]] music with vocal performances to take advantage of the [[PlayStation technical specifications#Sound processing unit (SPU)|console's audio capabilities]] but found that it resulted in the game having much longer loading times for each area. Uematsu then decided that the higher-quality audio was not worth the trade-off with performance, and opted instead to use [[MIDI]]-like sounds produced by the console's internal [[sound chip|sound sequencer]], similar to how his soundtracks for the previous games in the series on the [[Super NES]] were implemented.<ref name="Hist of FF7">{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/05/01/ign-presents-the-history-of-final-fantasy-vii |title=IGN Presents: The History of Final Fantasy VII |page=1 |work=[[IGN]] |publisher=News Corporation |first=Rus |last=McLaughlin |date=April 30, 2008 |accessdate=January 11, 2017 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140128130134/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/05/01/ign-presents-the-history-of-final-fantasy-vii |archivedate=January 28, 2014}}</ref><ref name="RPGFOST">{{cite web | author1=Schweitzer, Ben | author2=Gann, Patrick | title=Final Fantasy VII OST | date=June 17, 2006 | publisher=RPGFan | url=http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff7ost/index.html | accessdate=July 28, 2008 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116214810/http://rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff7ost/index.html | archivedate=January 16, 2013 | url-status=live}}</ref> While the Super NES only had eight sound channels to work with, the PlayStation had twenty-four. Eight were reserved for sound effects, leaving sixteen available for the music.<ref name="VHSvii">{{cite AV media|author=[[Square Enix]]|year=1997|title=SquareSoft on PlayStation Collector's Video|language=ja|medium=[[VHS]]|asin=B004FD5BLQ|publisher=Square Enix}}</ref> Uematsu's approach to composing the game's music was to treat it like a film soundtrack and compose music that reflected the mood of the scenes, rather than trying to make strong melodies to "define the game", as he felt that approach would come across too strong when placed alongside the game's new 3D visuals. As an example, he composed the track intended for the scene in the game where [[Aerith Gainsborough]] is killed to be "sad but beautiful", rather than more overtly emotional, creating what he felt was a more understated feeling.<ref name="PolygonRetro">{{cite web |url=http://www.polygon.com/a/final-fantasy-7 |title=Final Fantasy 7: An oral history |last=Leone |first=Matt |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]] |date=January 9, 2017 |accessdate=January 11, 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170109201832/http://www.polygon.com/a/final-fantasy-7 |archivedate=January 9, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Uematsu additionally said that the soundtrack had a feel of "realism", which also prevented him from using "exorbitant, crazy music".<ref name="famitsu_interview">{{cite web |title= Nobuo Uematsu Interview |url= http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q3-2000/070800b.html |publisher= RPGamer |date= July 8, 2000 |accessdate= August 5, 2008 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120930075859/http://www.rpgamer.com/news/Q3-2000/070800b.html| archivedate= September 30, 2012 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all}}</ref>

The first piece that Uematsu composed for the game was the opening theme; game director [[Yoshinori Kitase]] showed him the opening cinematic and asked him to begin the project there. The track was well received in the company, which gave Uematsu "a sense that it was going to be a really good project". ''Final Fantasy VII'' was the first game in the series to include a track with high-quality digitized vocals, "One-Winged Angel", which accompanies a section of the final battle of the game. The track has been called Uematsu's "most recognizable contribution" to the music of the ''Final Fantasy'' series, which Uematsu agrees with.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/><ref name="DitL_interview">{{cite web |title= A Day in the Life of Final Fantasy's Nobuo Uematsu |last=Mielke |first=James |url= http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3166165 |website=1UP.com |date=February 15, 2008 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120716121043/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3166165 |archivedate=July 16, 2012}}</ref> Inspired by ''[[The Rite of Spring]]'' by [[Igor Stravinsky]] to make a more "classical" track, and by rock and roll music from the late 1960s and early 1970s to make an orchestral track with a "destructive impact", he spent two weeks composing short unconnected musical phrases, and then arranged them together into "One-Winged Angel", an approach he had never used before.<ref name="PolygonRetro"/>

Music from the game has been released in several albums. Square released the main soundtrack album, ''Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack'', on four Compact Discs through its [[DigiCube]] subsidiary in 1997. A [[special edition|limited edition]] release was also produced, containing illustrated liner notes.<ref name="RPGFOST"/> The regular edition of the album reached third on the Japan [[Oricon]] charts, while the limited edition reached #19.<ref name="ORIOST">{{cite web| url = http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/67810/products/music/239084/1/| publisher = [[Oricon]]| script-title=ja:Final Fantasy VII Original Sound Track |language = ja | accessdate=June 24, 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022014538/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/67810/products/music/239084/1/ |archivedate=October 22, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ORIOSTL">{{cite web| url = http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/67810/products/music/239083/1/| publisher = [[Oricon]]| script-title=ja:Final Fantasy VII Original Sound Track |language = ja | accessdate=June 24, 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022014554/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/67810/products/music/239083/1/ |archivedate=October 22, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Overall, the album had sold nearly 150,000 copies by January 2010.<ref name="Oricon">{{cite web| title= 『FF XIII』サウンドトラックが初日TOP3入り | publisher= [[Oricon]]| date = January 28, 2010| url= http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/rankmusic/72857/| language=ja | accessdate = February 3, 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120065208/http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/rankmusic/72857/ |archivedate=January 20, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> A single-disc album of selected tracks from the original soundtrack, along with three [[arrangement|arranged]] pieces, titled ''Final Fantasy VII Reunion Tracks'', was also released by DigiCube in 1997,<ref name="RPGFREUNION">{{cite web | last=Gann | first=Patrick | title=Final Fantasy VII Reunion Tracks | date=June 23, 2000 | publisher=RPGFan | url=http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff7reunion/index.html | accessdate=July 28, 2008 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116213205/http://rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff7reunion/index.html | archivedate=January 16, 2013 | url-status=live}}</ref> reaching #20 on the Japan Oricon charts.<ref name="ORIRT">{{cite web| url = http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/67810/products/music/239092/1/| publisher = [[Oricon]]| script-title=ja:ファイナルファンタジーVII／リユニオン・トラックス |language = ja | accessdate=June 24, 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022014634/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/67810/products/music/239092/1/ |archivedate=October 22, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> A third album, ''Piano Collections Final Fantasy VII'', was released by DigiCube in 2003, and contains one disc of piano arrangements of tracks from the game. It was arranged by [[Shirō Hamaguchi]] and performed by Seiji Honda, and reached #228 on the Oricon charts.<ref name="RPGFPC">{{cite web | last=Gann |first=Patrick | title=Piano Collections Final Fantasy VII | date=February 25, 2004 | url=http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff7piano/index.html | publisher=RPGFan | accessdate=July 28, 2008 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116213734/http://rpgfan.com/soundtracks/ff7piano/index.html | archivedate=January 16, 2013 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ORIPIANO">{{cite web| url = http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/67810/products/music/525242/1/| publisher = [[Oricon]]| script-title=ja:Piano Collections Final Fantasy VII |language = ja | accessdate=June 24, 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022014656/http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/67810/products/music/525242/1/ |archivedate=October 22, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>