Wall of Fame: Sephiroth

SEPHIROTH - Inducted 10/2008 by Herb

Final Fantasy VII was the first game to make me realize that video games were not just puzzles to be solved and buttons to be combo-ed. Yeah Doom 2 was spooky, but God mode put an end to that. With FF7, we all of a sudden get this massive world where you feel emotionally invested into the story. The moment that slams this home? When ultimate badass Sephiroth, with his six-foot Masamune sword and black robe, falls from the sky and impales the girl who could've saved the world. It was unprecedented. You don't kill off a main character after the gamer has already played 25% of the game. It's like Steven Seagal falling to his death in Executive Decision! Still, it changed gaming along with everything. Sephiroth's death plunge has influenced me not only to appreciate and seek out video games that are grand, sweeping epics. Take a look at my Top Ten movies. You'll notice more than one (Braveheart, LOTR, Gettysburg, Empire Strikes Back) are big, visually epic stories. They are the best kind of movies, and the ones enjoy reviewing the most (just look at Troy's review last week). Top that, Dave and Andy.