Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII is a Playstation role-playing game released in 1997. Though this game is the seventh installment of the Final Fantasy series (which is working towards number 13), it is the first of the series to have a 3d setting. Electronic Gaming Monthly gave this game a 9.5/10 and claimed at the games release that "No other RPG can pull off a cinematic experience like Final Fantasy VII". The story begins as the main character works with a gang of rebels to destroy a reactor; and ends with those same low level rebels, amongst other characters who joined though their journey, to save the world from an approaching meteor. Many side quests are available. They range from a small one-time opportunity to 3 optional bosses who are infinitely more difficult then the supposed final boss to creating your own chocobo farm. The possibilities could claim to be limitless and may appear that way, but that would be a deception.
After every quest and side quests is complete, the game is over. A player will still be able to access his saved file, walk around and talk to people, perhaps breed a few more chocobos, but any and all objective based quests are completed. This leaves the game with no more scenarios to accomplish. Even though the non-player characters (npc) can be initiated by the player for a conversation, they will repeat the same thing over and over again. Also, the characters reach a max level at 99, there is no point to have more than one golden chocobo, and the ultimate weapons were probably colleted around level 60. Since the final outcome of the game is that the player ultimately wins, even though the player can interact with the game world, means this game is a prime example of ludus.
According to Gonzalo Frasca, ludus “incorporate rules that define a winner and a loser” (Wolf & Perron, 230). Final Fantasy VII has a definite ending, whether it comes at the end of the story or after all the additional quests is completed; and this ending defines the player as having won. In order to truly understand what ludus means, the counter term, paidia must be defined. Paidia is more related to how children play, such as “construction kits, games of make-believe and kinetic play” (229). Basically, paidia is different because the rule of how to define the winner from the loser is nonexistent. A common thought is no rules exist in a paidia game, but they do; for example, a kid playing soldier is behaving like a soldier, he does not act as a doctor or something else (230). The idea of paidia is simply the lack of a winner or loser. Final Fantasy VII could be seen as having paidia-like qualities, such as the option to do what ever you want (with in the games abilities), and the fact that the game never stops the player from playing; unless the player dies, but there are safe and harmless options so the player can avoid certain death.
Even though the game of Final Fantasy VII has characteristics of an objective-free attitude, the progression of the game is through the conflict of two sides and leads to a victor (the player at the end). The story narrative always has an over lurking presents of an evil force through the entire game, until the final boss is defeated. The conflict is the fight between the rebels and the government factions. Frasca notes “ludus works great within worlds built around dichotomies” (230). The FFVII world (as far as the player is concerned) is in constant struggle between the two forces. This conflict perpetuates the player through the story line in a linear fashion up until the final conflict leads to a winner. This example proves FFVII is win objective based to continue the story line, thus it must be a ludus game.
Without the main struggle, the premise of the game is lost. Though one could view this game as having paidia similar qualities, the fact that the game only progresses when the player wins is evidence towards FFVII as a ludus game.