The worlds inFinal Fantasygames aren’t often connected to each other, yet each one offers a near-endless amount of depth and lore into the inner workings of that specific universe. This stands especially true ofFinal Fantasy 7’s world, Gaia, and the many stories that have been told within it. From a kid dealing with the emergence of a mysterious new virus to a private-eye detective looking for a missing SOLDIER, the world of Final Fantasy 7 offers numerous tales.
Side stories, prequels, companion books, and history books are examples of some of the writing that has been written on and within the world of Final Fantasy 7 to expand the characters and add even more intrigue to Gaia. Parsing through the different Final Fantasy 7 timelines and stories can be a little confusing, so let us help get you back into the Lifestream with a guide to the best Final Fantasy 7 books available right now.
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Traces of Two Pasts
A touching and insightful story
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Traces of Two Pasts is a prequel novel written by Kazushige Nojima. The story is about Tifa and Aerith’s childhoods, as they share their experiences with each other during the events of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Traces of Two Pasts can be described as both a prequel and a concurrent story toFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. Written by veteran Final Fantasy writer, Kazushige Nojima, Traces of Two Pasts is a novel that takes place during the events ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, but is centered around Tifa and Aerith’s pasts. Nojima uses the brief moments of quiet the party has while traveling across Gaia to insert exposition and conversation between the party members that explores Tifa’s upbringing in Nibelheim and how she became such a great fighter under the mentorship of Rashard Zangan.Aerith’s sad childhood with Shinra, and her connection to the Cetra people, is explored through the stories she tells the party as they travel to Costa del Sol. Longtime fans and newcomers to the series will love learning more about two of the series' best characters in Final Fantasy VII Remake: Traces of Two Pasts.
500 Years Later: An Oral History of Final Fantasy VII
History in the making
An in-depth and extremely detailed look into the creation and development of one of the most popular video games ever, Final Fantasy 7. This behind-the-scenes look offers interviews with over 30 developers and creators involved with the hit RPG.
Even though Final Fantasy 7 on thePS1was part of an established and well-loved franchise, developerSquare Enixwas still taking a huge gamble with the latest entry to their beloved series in 1997. Final Fantasy 7 was the first game in the series to not only switch platforms to PlayStation from a longstanding relationship withNintendo, but to also move to 3D graphics and full motion video. Even the style was quite different from previous entries, with a more realistic portrayal of the world and science-fiction elements that were core to the story. 500 Years Later: An Oral History of Final Fantasy VII is a comprehensive look into the day-to-day development of Final Fantasy 7 and the human cost and reward that comes with creating such a genre-defining title. This is a must-read for any Final Fantasy or Square fan.
Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile
Bridging the gap
Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile is a sequel book to Final Fantasy VII written by veteran Kazushige Nojima. It is a collection of short stories that fills in the gaps of time between the end of Final Fantasy VII and the animated movie Advent Children.
The 2005 animated film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children had a lot of fans whooping at their screens over a slick motorcycle chase and the physics-defying reunion of Cloud and Sephiroth over the remains of Midgar. The film also left a lot of viewers asking what the heck is going on? Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile attempts to alleviate some of those questions by filling in the two years betweenthe ending of Final Fantasy 7and the beginning of Advent Children. Written by Kazushige Nojima (who wrote the original game and Advent Children), On the Way to a Smile is a collection of short stories broken into chapters following a specific character during the two-year gap. The individual stories cover Denzel, Barret, Tifa, Red XII, Yuffie, and Rufus Shinra.
Final Fantasy VII The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story
A detective twist
The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story is another original novel written by Kazushige Nojima in the run-up to the events of Advent Children. It follows a private detective, Evan Townshend, and his partner as they interact with the Shinra Turks during a missing person investigation.
Most stories within the Final Fantasy 7 canon focus on established characters or groups prior to or following the events of Final Fantasy 7. For the novel, The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story, Nojima decided to take a different approach and instead focus on new characters and their interactions with the world and people of Final Fantasy 7. Set right before the events of Advent Children, the novel follows private-eye Evan Townshend and his ex-thief partner Kyrie Canaan as they try to solve a missing persons case in the city of Edge. This leads to the duo interacting with characters from Final Fantasy 7 and Advent Children, most notably the Turks, who are essentially Shinra’s intelligence agency. Anyone looking for fresh faces and stories within the Final Fantasy 7 world needs to read this one.
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Material Ultimania
A little of everything
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Material Ultimania is an in-depth companion piece that features a range of materials from the development of the game. This includes concept art, CG assets, models, music notes, interviews, etc.
While 500 Years Later: An Oral History of Final Fantasy VII is focused intently on the words and experiences of people during the development of the original game, Material Ultimania offers a more visual experience of the creation of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The full-colored, hardcover book features sections of early concept art and reference photos used in the creation of the beloved characters and world. One section of the book even features all the songs in the Remake and the point at which they appear. All of these features are accompanied by commentary from people who worked on the game, from developers to voice actors. Players who enjoyed the comprehensive coverage of the creation of Final Fantasy 7 will love this glimpse into how the developers decided to reimagine and remake a beloved game.
Final Fantasy VII Remake: World Preview
A brief preview of a long road
This World Preview book offers a refresher for anyone not familiar with the original Final Fantasy 7 story and world to prepare for playing the remake. It covers characters, the setting, how the game works, and even commentary from the producer and director of the game.
The world of Final Fantasy 7 is a vast one with many characters, places, and events. This can be overwhelming for either new or returning players who did not play the original Final Fantasy 7 but still want to understand it before playing the remake. Final Fantasy VII Remake: World Preview was created to ease those worries by covering many aspects of the original game and offer a glimpse of what players should expect those things to be like going forward. This includes things like party members' roles and moves, summons, notable locations, mechanics, and more. This is all prefaced with an introduction by producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Tetsuya Nomura.
FAQ
What is the world of Final Fantasy 7 called and is it alive?
Although many characters only refer to the world of Final Fantasy 7 as “the Planet”, its actual name is “Gaia”. It being referred to so much as the Planet is due to the world being alive and sentient in some way. The planet has an observable life force in the form of its Lifestream, which is a massive flow of spiritual energy that’s a part of its life cycle. The corporation Shinra tries to exploit the Lifestream through Mako reactors that process it and use it as power, which in turn is slowly killing the planet.
What is the city of Edge?
The city of Edge is set near the ruins of a destroyed Midgar after the final events of Final Fantasy 7. After Midgar’s destruction by Meteor, survivors of the city built a new one on the edge of the ruins using supplies from the rubble while grappling with the emergence of the new virus, Geostigma. The city of Edge is where Advent Children and the spin-off game Dirge of Cerebrus take place, as well as the novels Final Fantasy VII The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story, and Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile.
