A story of love.

FINAL FANTASY VII, the greatest game ever made, utilized SD character models for the actual gameplay.

These cute little charas added a light air to this gripping epic.

Things could be done with them. A fluid, cartoony aspect could could play out. There are scenes that couldn't be done otherwise.

Things didn't have to be real. Just look at whenever Cloud jumped ingame. Despite this cute, childish appearance, you still felt and cared for them.

You were still moved by them.

They were cute.

They could be loved.

They weren't heavily texture mapped, leaving them clean and simple looking.

Now, FINAL FANTASY VIII has abandoned this.

It uses realistic character models for actual gameplay.

This gives a darker, grittier atmosphere to the game.

Yet, I cannot help but think that something has been lost.

You can no longer joke.

You can no longer laugh.

Remember when Cloud crossdressed in FFVII?

It was funny.

Remember when, in the market, Cloud was almost shot by that robotic machine gun?

It was funny.

The MD chara models allowed for so much. You didn't have to make it real. There was humour to it.

You could laugh.

By no means do I mean that this game is bursting with jokes or is one big satire, but you could afford to laugh.

You can afford to love.

The more realistic models of FFVIII don't have this innate cute quality.

The game is thrust into a grittier realm. You can no longer laugh.

The SD charas made you love and care for them.

The air was light.

FFVII could be done with realistic models, it just wouldn't be the same.

I don't know if FFVIII could be done with SD charas.

I just don't know.

The SD chara models allowed mistakes to be made. They allowed you to laugh at you mistakes and shortcomings.

They spoke to you softly, telling you that it's just a game and it's ok if you mess up.

You couldn't help but love and care and cry.

You will love and care and cry for those in FFVIII, but it will be for different reasons.

The innocence is lost.

That's just it. There was an innocence about the characters in FFVII.

They were simple and clean.

FFVIII gives us more detailed, more real models. They aren't perfect. They are far from it. They glitch and don't fit at times. They are flawed... just like us.

I loved, cried, and cared for Cloud, Aeris, Tifa, and even at times Sephiroth.

I will love, cry, and care for Squall and Rinoa.

I loved, cried, and cared for FINAL FANTASY VII because of its innocence.

I will love, cry, and care for FINAL FANTASY VIII because of its reality.

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Peter Tatara
8.4.1999