Since its release for the original PlayStation in 1997, Final Fantasy VII has had a number of media tie-ins across a wide variety of art forms. These range from movies, animated shorts, short stories, and video games for a range of systems, not all of which have been officially released in the West. Needless to say, it can be difficult to keep track of everything. In this guide, we will go over every piece of media within the Final Fantasy VII umbrella, some of which are fairly obscure, and they will be discussed in the series’ chronological order. It should be noted that at the time of writing I am not 100% sure where Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth lie on the timeline, only that they appear to take place after the original game. As such, I will be putting them at the very end of the timeline. I will also try my best to avoid major spoilers, though in some cases it will be unavoidable and I will include a spoiler warning.
The Final Fantasy X Connection
Final Fantasy X-2 featured a young Al Bhed inventor named Shinra who is interested in harnessing the power of the Far Plane, Spira’s version of the lifestream. Ordinarily, this would only be seen as a non-canonical easter egg, especially since it is well-established that numbered entries of the Final Fantasy series take place in their own separate universes. However, in both the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega and Final Fantasy X-2 Ultimania books, it was officially confirmed that the Shinra from Final Fantasy X-2 is the distant ancestor to the founders of the Shinra Electric Power Company from VII. This was given even more credence by an easter egg in the Final Fantasy VII remake which showed the founder of the Shinra company wearing the same mask as the character from X-2. It is explained that at some point in the future of the world of Final Fantasy X the people of Spira achieve space travel with some settling on the world of Gaia from VII with Shinra’s descendants eventually using his research to harness Mako energy. The events of Final Fantasy X and X-2 are said to be set thousands of years before that of VII making them the earliest events of the Final Fantasy VII series timeline.
Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier
Created in a collaboration between Square Enix and Team Entertainment Inc, Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier is a free-to-play third-person shooter battle royale released for iOS and Android devices in 2021. The game is set 18 years before the events of the FFVII with players taking control of SOLDIER candidates taking part in battle simulations. This game shows the origins of the SOLDIER program, a group that plays a major part in Final Fantasy VII and of which many major characters, such as Cloud, Zack, and Sephiroth were a part. The game was shut down in 2023 and is now unplayable in any form.
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is a free-to-play gotcha-style RPG released for mobile devices and PC released in 2023. The game seeks to adapt a number of events from throughout the Final Fantasy VII series with new chapters being released every month, most notably featuring stories from Before Crisis, Crisis Core, and Final Fantasy VII. The game also has some original content, in particular a story set 15 years before the events of FFVII that involves a group of Shinra soldiers and their encounter with a young Sephiroth. The game is clearly intended to recap the most important parts of the Final Fantasy VII canon while filling in a few gaps such as showing some of the past of the series’ main antagonist and acting as a primer for those who are jumping into Final Fantasy VII Remake without having played the older games. While not the most egregious example of a free-to-play gotcha game, Ever Crisis suffers from aggressive and predatory monetization that makes it difficult to recommend.
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Traces of Two Pasts
Trace of Two Pasts is a novel written by Kazushige Nojima that recounts many of the childhood experiences of Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough ultimately helping to flesh out the pasts of two of the series’ major characters. Released in 2021 in Japan and translated into English in 2023, the book is split into three sections; the first two are Traces of Tifa and Traces of Aerith wherein each respective character recounts events from their childhood during the events of Final Fantasy VII. The third section is a retranslation of a previously released short story called Final Fantasy VII Remake: Picturing the Past. The book is quite solid, providing a short yet enjoyable read for any who wish to delve deeper into the backstories of two of the series leading heroines.
Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
Released for mobile phones only in Japan in 2004, Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII is a turn-based RPG set 6 years before the events of FFVII with some events overlapping with those of Crisis Core. The game has players take control of members of the Turks, Shinra’s secret service during the events of Shinra’s war with Wutai and later their fight against the first incarnation of the rebel group AVALANCHE. Before Crisis helps to elaborate on several events in FFVII’s backstory such as the Wutai war as well as giving a better idea of the company’s inner workings and history.
Unfortunately, not only was this game never released in the West, the game was shut down in 2018 and it is now considered lost media. For those who wish to experience the story, fans have translated the game’s script into English and the events were recreated in Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy is an action RPG released originally for the PlayStation Portable in 2007. The game begins 7 years before the events of Final Fantasy VII and has some overlap with Before Crisis and Last Order. Crisis Core has players take control of Zack Fair, a member of the special unit SOLDIER and previous owner of the buster sword as he rises through the ranks, having to unravel a sinister plot involving his mentor and eventually leading to the tragic events that would set up the story of FFVII. Crisis Core expands on the character of Zack who plays a major role in the backstory of Final Fantasy VII, and who had previously only been seen briefly in flashbacks. Due to originally being a portable game, Crisis Core utilizes a mission-based structure that breaks things up into bite-sized chunks. The game deserves praise for its story which does a great deal to flesh out many of the characters and lore from VII, though it does suffer somewhat for its use of overly flowery and melodramatic dialog. The gameplay is something of a mixed bag with fun action-based combat that borrows liberally from the Kingdom Hearts series. Perhaps the greatest point of contention for this game is the “Digital Mind Wave”, a slot machine that determines when the player levels up, what stat buffs they receive, and when they can use limit breaks and summons. Overall Crisis Core is a decent game that is worth experiencing for fans of the series, but not amazing by any means.
After its initial release on the PSP, Crisis Core would eventually receive a remake in 2022 called Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion. This remake greatly improved the graphics, utilizing models and environments more on par with those from Final Fantasy VII Remake, as well as reworking the UI and implementing several quality-of-life improvements. As a result, Reunion is both the most accessible and widely considered the best way to experience Crisis Core.
Last Order: Final Fantasy VII
Last Order: Final Fantasy VII is an animated OVA created by Madhouse released in 2005 in Japan and 2007 in the US. This 25-minute short shows two of the most important events from the backstory of Final Fantasy VII; the destruction of Nibelheim, and Zack and Cloud’s last journey. This is an adaptation and expansion of several flashbacks from the original game setting up series protagonist Cloud’s backstory. While this story was told in both Crisis Core and FFVII, Last Order is an enjoyable watch with solid animation and cool fight scenes. Unfortunately, its only official Western release was in the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Limited Edition Collector’s Set and has not been included in any other releases of Advent Children. Unofficially the short can be easily found on several websites including YouTube.
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Picturing the Past
A short story written by Nazushige Nojima, Picturing the Past is a short story told from the perspective of an unnamed Shinra trooper shortly before the events of Final Fantasy VII. Said trooper often reminisces about the past, particularly his childhood when he used to play with Aerith. This story further expands on Aerith’s childhood as well as showing the state of the world and the people who inhabit it. Picturing the past is a decent story that further elaborates on the lives of those affected by the actions of the Shinra company. The story was originally released as part of the Final Fantasy VII Remake world preview book in 2020. Since then it has been republished as a part of the novel Final Fantasy VII Remake: Traces of Two Pasts.
Final Fantasy VII
The game that started it all, FFVII is a turn-based role-playing game released for the Sony PlayStation in 1997. The game was a smash hit, selling over 10 million units and becoming a killer app for the PS1. The game was a technical marvel for its time, making pioneering use of prerendered backgrounds and cutscenes to convey its story. FFVII raised the bar for story and presentation in video games. The game tells the story of the resistance group called AVALANCHE in their fight against the tyrannical megacorporation Shinra, as well as the diabolical machinations of the sinister Sephiroth. A beautiful and timeless tale of love and loss that contains some of the greatest moments in all of gaming. Despite its age and somewhat dated visuals, FFVII remains a masterpiece thanks to its lovable cast of characters, incredible music, easy-to-learn but deep combat system, and more. An absolute must-play for anyone with even a passing interest in JRPGs.
After its initial release, the game would go on to become a part of Sony’s greatest hits line. In Japan, it would receive a special International edition release which contained a number of small changes that had been made to western versions of the game as well as an additional fourth disk which contained artwork, making of videos, and a gallery containing high-resolution models and backgrounds from the game. In 1998 Final Fantasy VII was ported to the PC by publisher Eidos, but this version had lower-quality music and added mouths to the in-game character models. In 2012 a slightly remastered version was released for PC but has since been made available on a wide variety of platforms including; Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, iOs, and Android. This is generally viewed as the best and most easily accessible version of the game.
Final Fantasy VII Snowboarding
Final Fantasy VII Snowboarding is a snowboarding game released for mobile phones released in North America in 2005 and Japan in 2008. The game is a recreation of the mini-game featured in Final Fantasy VII. The game was made unavailable in 2018 and is now considered to be lost media.
Final Fantasy VII G-Bike
Final Fantasy VII G-Bike is a free-to-play racing game released for iOS and Android devices in 2014 only in Japan. The game is inspired by the G-Bike section from Final Fantasy VII though not an exact recreation which had Cloud riding around the city of Midgar while battling other riders. The game was discontinued in 2015. While it is possible to download the application file through illicit means, because the game relied on a central server, it has been rendered completely unplayable.
The Maiden Who Travels the Planet
Spoiler Warning
A novella written by Benny Matsuyama in 2005, The Maiden Who Travels the Planet follows the journey of Aerith after her death during the events of Final Fantasy VII. Taking place concurrently with the events of the game, the novella has Aerith journey throughout the lifestream encountering the spirits of the dead while also trying to put a stop to Sephiroth’s plans. Overall a fairly decent if inessential work that wraps up a few loose ends left by the original game.
Reminiscence of Final Fantasy VII
Reminiscence of Final Fantasy VII is a short film that recaps the events of the original Final Fantasy VII. The film utilizes a combination of footage from FFVII with a few scattered live-action landscape shots featuring narration that tells what happened to some of the characters after the events of the game. This short is intended as a concise recap of the events of the first game, while also showing a bit of what happened after its somewhat ambiguous ending. Reminiscence was included as a bonus with special editions of Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, though it can also be easily found on YouTube.
On the Way to a Smile
Spoiler Warning
On the Way to a Smile is a collection of short stories written by Kazushige Nojima and published between 2005 and 2009 to promote the release of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and help bridge the gap between the original game and the movie and show the lives of several of the major characters. Set between the events of FFVII and Advent Children, each story focuses on a character’s life after the destruction of Midgar at the end of the game. The first story is about an orphan named Denzel who later gets adopted by Cloud and Tifa and becomes a major character in Advent Children. Stories 2-5 focus on the lives of Tifa, Barrett, Red XIII, and Yuffie respectively, with the 6th story being about Rufus Shinra showing how he survived the events of FFVII. The 7th and final story is split into two parts; Lifestream: White and Lifestream: Black which follows the actions of the spirits of Aerith and Sephiroth respectively as they set up the events of Advent Children. Overall an enjoyable read with excellent writing and translation that helps to fill in the gaps between the game and the movie. A definite must-read for fans of both works. On the Way to a Smile has been released in several languages with an official English translation by Melissa Tanaka in 2018.
On the Way to A Smile – Episode Denzel: Final Fantasy VII
On the Way to A Smile – Episode Denzel: Final Fantasy VII
An animated adaptation of the first short story from On the Way to a Smile, Episode Denzel is set between the events of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children focusing on the life of Denzel, a young boy orphaned during the destruction of Midgar. This short helps to both introduce the character of Denzel who would go on to play a major part in Advent Children as well as show the ramifications of the events that took place at the end of the original game. Episode Denzel was included as a bonus with the release of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete in 2009 but otherwise has not seen any other official release.
Final Fantasy VII: The Kids are Alright: A Turks Side Story
The Kids Are Alright – A Turks Sidestory is a novel written by Kazushige Nojima with illustrations by Sho-u Tajima released in Japan in 2011 and translated into English by Melissa Tanaka in 2019. The book takes place shortly before the events of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children telling the story of a private detective named Evan Townshend. Throughout the story Evan has numerous encounters with various Shinra employees including the Turks. Several characters from this book make appearances in Final Fantasy VII Remake such as Kyrie Canaan and Leslie Kyle. Perhaps the most substantial of the works in the Final Fantasy VII literary canon, The Kids Are Alright helps to further bridge the gap between FFVII and Advent Children and is overall an enjoyable read for fans who want more of the universe.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Minor Spoilers
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is a feature film that was released in Japan in 2005 and the rest of the world the following year. Advent Children continues the story from the game being the closest thing to a full sequel that it has ever received. In particular, it showcases how the events of the game have impacted the people of Midgar and the characters of Cloud and Tifa as they attempt to rebuild in the wake of the destruction caused by Meteor. The movie follows series protagonist Cloud Strife two years after the events of Final Fantasy VII as he wrestles with his personal demons while also dealing with a mysterious plague that has spread across the world and the machinations of 3 mysterious individuals. The movie is somewhat divisive among fans, lauded for its groundbreaking visuals and spectacular action scenes, but heavily criticized for its awkward storytelling and poor characterization. Nonetheless, the film retains a hardcore following (I personally have extremely mixed feelings about it). Advent Children is not a film that everyone will enjoy but is well worth giving a try if you are a fan of the series.
After a theatrical run in 2005 and 2006 Advent Children was made available on DVD with a later special edition adding in bonus features. That same year, the movie was released for the UMD format on PSP. 2009 would see the blue-ray release of Advent Children Complete, an extended cut that added 25 minutes to the film’s runtime. The film is currently accessible through several streaming services including AppleTV+, Prime Video, Vudu, and YouTube.
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Dirge of Cerberus is a third-person shooter released for the PlayStation 2 in 2006. Taking place 3 years after Final Fantasy VII and 1 year after Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus casts players in the role of Vincent Valentine as he takes on a group of rogue SOLDIERS called Deepground. The game greatly elaborates on Vincent’s past, something that had only been shown briefly in the original game and which was entirely missable. It also further expanded on the state of the world and the lives of the major characters after the original game. The game even featured an appearance from a major character from Crisis Core though without wishing to spoil anything this creates an open plot thread that at time of writing has still not been resolved. Gameplay consists of an attempt to blend traditional third-person shooting with the stylish character action of Devil May Cry. While the core gameplay is fairly solid the game unfortunately suffers from uninspired level design that can turn it into something of a slog. Dirge of Cerberus isn’t a terrible game, but it isn’t very good either, being average at best and mediocre at worst. Nonetheless, the game has managed to garner something of a cult following and so might still be worth trying for fans.
The Japanese version of Dirge of Cerberus featured an online multiplayer mode with its own story set within the world of Final Fantasy VII. The story for this mode has players taking control of members of Deepground near the end of the original Final Fantasy VII video game. Unfortunately as of September 29, 2006 the servers were shut down making it completely unplayable, though there do seem to be some fan efforts to restore the game’s functionality.
Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode – Final Fantasy VII
Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode is a third-person shooter released for mobile phones only in Japan in 2008. As its name would suggest this game is intended as a companion piece to Dirge of Cerberus on the PlayStation 2, taking place during the events of that game. The game was delisted as of 2018 though thankfully it has since been dumped and preserved.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Final Fantasy VII: Remake is an action RPG released for the PlayStation 4 in 2020 and later ported to the PC and PlayStation 5 the following year. The game initially presents itself as a greatly expanded retelling of the first part of the original Final Fantasy VII, though eventually things start to go off the rails and it becomes clear that Remake is more of a from-the-ground-up reimagining if not outright sequel. While it does suffer from a few instances of excessive padding, Remake is a fantastic game that beautifully reimagines the city of Midgar for a new generation. The game features stunning visuals, refined action RPG gameplay, a captivating if slightly convoluted story, and plenty of easter eggs for seasoned fans. This is an easy game to recommend even for those who haven’t played the original (though I do think that those who played the original will get more out of it).
2021 would see the release of Final Fantasy VII: Remake Intergrade, an expanded and upgraded version of Remake that added an additional story called EPISODE INTERmission which focused on the character Yuffie as she infiltrates Midgar. Aside from a standalone release for PS5 and PC, this new version was also made available to owners of the PS4 version of Remake as a free PS5 upgrade.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
The most recently released entry in the Final Fantasy VII saga at time of writing, Rebirth follows on from the ending of Remake and sees Cloud and friends leaving the city of Midgar to explore the larger world of Gaia on their quest to stop Sephiroth and save the world. This game has had a highly positive reception with critics largely agreeing that it continues the high standards of quality established by its predecessor. The game is currently a PlayStation 5 exclusive.
Unnamed Third Entry in the Final Fantasy VII Remake/ Rebirth Saga
Although not yet officially announced at time of writing it has been confirmed that there will be a sequel to Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth which will conclude the storyline started in Remake.
Crossovers
Due to FFVII’s popularity and iconic status, the game has seen numerous crossovers with other franchises. Characters from Final Fantasy VII regularly make appearances in games made by Square Enix such as Kingdom Hearts, World of Final Fantasy, Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring, and Dissidia Final Fantasy. Cloud has also made an appearance as an unlockable character in Final Fantasy Tactics. These characters have even been seen in crossovers made by other companies such as Cloud and Sephiroth being fighters in the Super Smash Bros. series.
Conclusion
The amount of tie-in media created for Final Fantasy VII is truly staggering; a testament to the game’s lasting legacy and impact. In terms of what order they should be experienced in, I recommend starting with the original Final Fantasy VII before then moving on to Remake and Rebirth. If you still want more FFVII media after that I would then recommend moving on to Crisis Core, Last Order, and the various short stories and novels associated with the series. I would only really recommend Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus to the most hardcore fans, and even then they should probably approach those titles with adjusted expectations. I can’t recommend Ever Crisis unless you have a very high tolerance for free-to-play monetization practices, and most of the other mobile games are unplayable and are only really of interest to FFVII fans who are also hardcore gaming historians (which I am). However you choose to experience the media associated with FFVII I hope that this guide has been helpful.