FFVII PC: Yay or Nay?

Mattitude

Hi guys,
I'm replaying my PS version of FFVII at the moment, and the games looks haven't aged well.
I'd thought recently about trying to get hold of the PC version, but I haven't seen it for less than about £40.

What are the main differences between versions? Are their many mods for the PC version? has there been any attempts to jazz up the games 'outdated' look?
I'm just looking for somthing to add spice to one of my favourite games of all time.

(I've heard about the rumoured PSN update/re-release...but I've no plans for a PS3 just yet)

maximumzero

Back in '98 when I bought the game it was absolute garbage. Slowdown, graphical glitches, the scenes where polygons are laid over CG getting out of sync, it was probably one of the worst console to PC ports ever.

Whether they've patched most of that since, I dunno.

DiscoZombie

IIRC, the PC version was pretty much identical to the PS version. I don't know if there are mods or anything, but I doubt there's anything major. I hit a bug about 2/3 through the game on the PC version where the game would crash at a certain cutscene in cosmo canyon and I couldn't complete the game

Pata

Light the Halkun signal.

LewieP

Pata wrote: »

Light the Halkun signal.

Mr_Grinch

I seem to remember when I played it that whilst the models are displayed in a much higher resolution but the backgrounds are pretty hideous and low res.

In short, no, it's not any better.

Xenogears of Bore

Music's worse, and you absolutely need some of the fan patches to get it to run in XP.

You can pretty much patch it up to a fairly acceptable level, replace the music with the stuff from FF VII on the PSX, grab the numerous patches you need to get the mini games to work. Even then the game isn't the world's most stable.

Or you could just play the PSX version.

APZonerunner

I prefer the PC version. Get the controls set up right and it's great to play. There's only two big problems with the PC version - firstly, it shows the game's age. Low quality FMV videos which look rubbish at high res and two it's not designed to run in XP and by extension vista. MIDI music, too.

There's a great fan community at qhimm.com who have been patching it for years. Indeed, their patches are so good, Eidos (UK Distributor) link to them on their support page for the game. There's some great mods now available via thier message boards that improve the game across the board. You can even rip the FMVs from the PS1 disc (or download them, many FF Fansites have the FMVs uploaded) to replace the low quality disc ones. There's a great hack which allows you to replace the music with real MP3s from the soundtrack CD, should you have them.

Patches are everything from breaking the HP/Damage limit to be like later FFs where you can do tens of thousands of damage (and so can enemies!) to gettting the game to high res or just editing the plot, or.. gasp, shock horror, reviving Aeris and putting her back in your party after Death without an Action Replay to experience the scenes she strangely has dialogue in after her death.

Screens of stuff you can do with this game. spoiled for hugeness:

There's even fan-made high-res models to replace the chibi versions of NPCs, too.

In short... out of the box, it sucks ass.

If however you're willing to patch it and edit it and fix all the issues and then go the extra mile further on top of that, it's the best version of the game you'll play, as there's such a thriving mod community for it. You'll have to work to get it working, but this game looks really great when you graphically tweak it and push it as far as that little engine can go, and take the high-poly battle models and puit them onto the normal playing field and so on. It's not a great port, but the raving FF7 fanbase has made it one.

Strangely, FF8 PC has been entirely neglected.

Pata

APZonerunner wrote: »

Patches are everything from breaking the HP/Damage limit to be like later FFs where you can do tens of thousands of damage (and so can enemies!)

Wait really?

Crazy, my cousin has the PC version of FF7, I'll have to borrow it from her and try this.

APZonerunner

Pata wrote: »

APZonerunner wrote: »

Patches are everything from breaking the HP/Damage limit to be like later FFs where you can do tens of thousands of damage (and so can enemies!)

Wait really?

Crazy, my cousin has the PC version of FF7, I'll have to borrow it from her and try this.

There's some shots of it inamongst the screens I posted.

GungHo

It's the same game. If you want to cheat like a ninny and give yourself all "255s", the PC is easier. The PC version had a some bugs in it, but nothing that was unmanagable. PC monitors were not kind to it, nor were sound cards, as they exposed all the tricks performed with the models, backgrounds, movies, and music that made it look/sound better when you're sitting far away from a TV screen.

Pata

GungHo wrote: »

I doubt there have been many mods...

Read like two posts above yours.

Mattitude

thanks for the info guys. I'll keep an eye out for a copy. I don't think I can do much more with the the PS version so some of those fan mod's sound very interesting.

acidlacedpenguin

edit: pointed out that my suggestion was in fact illegal, so removed.

that and I really don't want this thread to become the typical "Yes it is" "No it isn't" we see in discussions like this post could have started.

templewulf

acidlacedpenguin wrote: »

stuff

Most people would be okay with that. Square doesn't care, since you purchased their software. However, it's still illegal, because the PSX BIOS is copyrighted, which is necessary for any behavior of that kind.

In short, you already own the PSX/2/3 and the game so nobody cares, but it's still illegal.

elizabex

FF7 was the first PC game I bought for my first laptop, back in '99. Worked fine for me!

acidlacedpenguin

alright, edited out the last post. Apologies.

GungHo

Pata wrote: »

GungHo wrote: »

I doubt there have been many mods...

Read like two posts above yours.

I did. I edited my post in between you reading it and responding to it, apparently. Just like they added their information in between me typing it and submitting it. Interesting how that works.

templewulf

acidlacedpenguin wrote: »

alright, edited out the last post. Apologies.

You shouldn't even have to apologize. Modern copyright law is retarded.

I might not even be correct. However, I do know that our company's proprietary machines are patented and copyrighted out the wazoo, so I'm assuming Sony's is too.

LewieP

I am pretty sure that emulation of PSone stuff is perfectly legal if you own the game, the console, and then dump the bios yourself. Not 100% though, so don't quote me.

Wonder_Hippie

God damn it.

*reinstalls*

There goes another 40 hours of my life. I don't even like this game that much, it's just accessible, and the patches make me want to go through it all again.

Centipeed

Yeah, Halkun would be able to tell you all sorts of shit that's wrong with the PC version, but it was pretty buggy. It was hacked together from the PSX version, so although you CAN make it "better" with all these patches and whatnot I doubt you'd ever be able to enjoy it as much as you did originally.

(Man, wouldn't it be awesome if Halkun finished the FFVII engine re-creation, and then a dedicated team got together and remade all of the polygonal models and pre-rendered backgrounds in HD. That would make the internet worthwhile, I think.)

Darklyre

I actually felt the urge to replay this for the 5th time, so I reinstalled it and tossed in the XP patch, Chocobo Race patch, and cutscene fixes, along with the 9999 limit remover (I want to see 99999s, damnit!).

You know you've played it too much when you get out of Midgar in under 3 hours.

Strifer

APZonerunner wrote: »

Strangely, FF8 PC has been entirely neglected.

I'd like to say: "Because it works."

The truth is I'm sporting an eight year old computer, so I can't really make the call with current hardware. It might not be as pretty as the PS version, but if you use the software renderer, you're golden.

FFVIII is a great game.

Darklyre

Strifer wrote: »

APZonerunner wrote: »

Strangely, FF8 PC has been entirely neglected.

I'd like to say: "Because it works."

The truth is I'm sporting an eight year old computer, so I can't really make the call with current hardware. It might not be as pretty as the PS version, but if you use the software renderer, you're golden.

FFVIII is a great game.

That, and the PC version already gets the Chocobo mini-game (and Ribbons!). There's not much you can really add to it besides maybe a 9999-breaker mod.

Oh, and maybe some text for Squall besides "...".

templewulf

LewieP wrote: »

I am pretty sure that emulation of PSone stuff is perfectly legal if you own the game, the console, and then dump the bios yourself. Not 100% though, so don't quote me.

I'm not sure on the legal status of backups, but there's also the EULA, which might forbid using that software (the game or the BIOS) on unsanctioned hardware.

Basically, act as if a cartoonishly greedy Robber Baron dreaming up ways to persecute his own customers were the CEO of Sony, because that is probably a real person in a real company.

To help the OP, I'm still in love with the PSX version, and I thought it was ugly 10 years ago. If you can't make peace with 12-poly NPCs, then you should try modding a PC version. I wouldn't wish the unmodded version on anyone, though.

Tav

The PC version is great, but it is the only PC game that I ever felt compelled to use a gamepad with.

subedii

I actually played it just fine way back when it came out. I've still got my discs, I have no idea if it would even install if I tried to today.

I would try it for the mods, except that I've long since gone off JRPG's and random encounters, not to mention less-than-stellar dialogue. I guess I've been spoiled over the years.

Kenninator

I like how I can buy Final Fantasy VIII and IX on Amazon for $20 completely new, but this game is nowhere to be found (at a price under $60 and not used).

I really regret missing out on this game.