Final Fantasy VII is a landmark 1997 role-playing game developed by Square for the PlayStation, following mercenary Cloud Strife as he joins an eco-terrorist group to stop the megacorporation Shinra, and later pursues the superhuman Sephiroth alongside allies like Aerith Gainsborough, who holds the key to saving the world. Released internationally by Sony Computer Entertainment, it became the first main-series game to receive a PAL release. Development began in 1994 for the SNES but shifted to the PlayStation due to the CD-ROM's advantages, making it the series' first to feature 3D graphics and full-motion video, with a combined budget of around US$80 million. The game was a massive critical and commercial success, praised for its graphics, gameplay, music, and story, though its English localization drew some criticism. It is credited with boosting PlayStation sales and popularizing Japanese role-playing games worldwide, cementing its status as one of the greatest and most influential video games ever made. Its legacy includes enhanced ports, a multimedia subseries called the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, and a high-definition remake trilogy comprising Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020), Rebirth (2024), and Revelation (2027).