Norse Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII – Review
Final Fantasy is probably one of the biggest franchises where fans always engage in never-ending debates on which game is actually ‘the best’ Final Fantasy title. That being said, during many discussions, the seventh and eighth installments tend to be mentioned a lot, while some actually refer to the top-down 2D games. Final Fantasy XV has also left its mark on the franchise, especially with a slightly younger audience than all the aging fans of the original games. Nonetheless, Final Fantasy VII was a turning point for the franchise, leaving its 2D roots behind and becoming a bit more cinematic in nature. M. J. Gallagher, a man whose youth was heavily influenced by games such as Final Fantasy VII, has spent years turning the Final Fantasy VII story into engaging novels. While these novels are certainly nice reading material, we are now diving into his latest work that delves deeper into the Norse mythological references and implementations that were used in FFVII.
We have to be very honest, this book isn’t an easy one to review. There is no real ‘story’ to be found, as it’s all background information about the Final Fantasy franchise as a whole, and later in the book, it delves further into the Norse myths that have been used in Final Fantasy VII. We can immediately say, even with the many references and dates the book throws at you, we get a proper and lengthy introduction on what to expect, as well as a great presentation as to how the Final Fantasy franchise came to fruition and how the first games were somewhat created and produced. Many may assume that the idea of these games was immediately picked up by Square (the company name at the time), and then turned into the success they are today. It has actually been somewhat of an uphill battle, where other franchises actually paved the way for Final Fantasy. We were quite impressed by the writer also referencing games such as Ultima, which is often forgotten by many, especially considering the Ultima franchise was well-ahead of its time, even when directing itself to the MMORPG market.
The book also references a lot to the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop games, which also include many mythical beings. After a great introduction, the material in the book then starts comparing these myths more and more with Final Fantasy VII, where some are hiding in plain sight, others are just literal implementations and some are subtle alterations of the original name. This refers to cities in the FFVII universe, but we’re not completely going to spoil that just yet. The book handles different parts of the myths in separate chapters, making sure things do not get too cluttered.
Outside of the well-written (almost thesis-like) book we sometimes get treated to several nice hand-drawn pictures, and there’s even a small foreword by John E. Bentley who voices Barrett in the FFVII remake. This project clearly was made with love and by someone who wants to share his passion with the rest of the world.
Conclusion
Norse Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII may clearly indicate that this is literature for FFVII buffs. We cannot deny that fact, but we can state that even for casual fans of the Final Fantasy universe as a whole, this is a very interesting enchiridion as well. The book will give you a proper background about the franchise, with plenty of references to look up yourself if you wish to learn more. It is clear that a lot of time and effort (and love) was invested into writing this short book. If you’re a Final Fantasy VII fan and want to learn more about its origin, as well as the many mythological references embedded in the game, we advise checking this book out to see if it fits in your collection. Those being more casual fans can always opt for the eBook version that comes at a softer price. While the book may not be something extremely breezy, we were very much entertained (and perhaps even educated) from start to finish.
Norse Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII - Review,
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