Editing Final Fantasy VII (section)

==Gameplay==
{{see also|Recurring elements in the Final Fantasy series#Gameplay}}
The gameplay of ''Final Fantasy VII'' is similar to earlier ''Final Fantasy'' titles and [[History of Eastern role-playing video games|Japanese role-playing games]].<ref name="gamespotps1">{{cite web|last=Kasavin |first=Greg |title=Final Fantasy VII Review |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/final-fantasy-vii-review/1900-2547583/ |work=[[GameSpot]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |accessdate=January 21, 2017 |language=en |date=September 29, 1997 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021090337/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/final-fantasy-vii-review/1900-2547583/ |archivedate=October 21, 2013}}</ref> The game features three modes of play: the world map, the field, and the battle screen.<ref name="All Game"/><ref name=ps1manual>{{Cite book | year=1997 | author=Square Co. Ltd. | title=Final Fantasy VII ''North American instruction manual'' | publisher=Sony Computer Entertainment | id=SCUS-94163}}</ref>{{rp|15,20}} At its grandest scale, players explore the world of ''Final Fantasy VII'' on a 3D world map.<ref name="ignreview">{{cite web|first=Jay |last=Boor |date=September 3, 1997 |title=Final Fantasy VII Review |url=http://psx.ign.com/articles/150/150494p1.html |work=[[IGN]] |publisher=News Corporation |accessdate=July 16, 2008 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516100019/http://psx.ign.com/articles/150/150494p1.html |archivedate=May 16, 2008}}</ref> The world map contains representations of areas for the player to enter, including towns, environments, and ruins.<ref name=1upps/> Natural barriers—such as mountains, deserts, and bodies of water—block access by foot to some areas; as the story progresses, the player receives vehicles that help traverse these obstacles, thus opening more of the game world for exploration.<ref name=ps1manual/>{{rp|44}} [[Chocobos]] can be found in certain spots on the map and, if caught, can be ridden to areas inaccessible on foot or by vehicle.<ref name=ps1manual/>{{rp|46}} In field mode, the player navigates fully scaled versions of the areas represented on the world map.<ref name="ignreview"/> ''VII'' marks the first time in the series that the mode is represented in a [[three-dimensional space]]. In this mode, the player can explore the environment, talk with characters, advance the story, and initiate event games.<ref name=ps1manual/>{{rp|15}} Event games are short [[minigame]]s that use special control functions and are often tied to the story.<ref name=ps1manual/>{{rp|18}} While in field mode, the player can also make use of shops and inns. Shops allow the player to buy and sell items that can aid Cloud and his party, such as weapons, armor, and accessories. Inns restore the [[Health (gaming)|hit points]] and [[Magic (gaming)|mana points]] of characters who rest at them and cure abnormalities contracted during battles.<ref name=ps1manual/>{{rp|17}}

[[Image:FFVIIbattleexample.png|thumb|A battle scene with Cloud, Barret, and Tifa facing a dragon. At this point, the player must choose a command for Cloud to perform.|alt=In a cavern, three people face a dragon. Along the bottom is a blue display showing each character's health, magic energy, and waiting time before their turn in battle.]]
At random intervals on the world map and in field mode, and at specific moments in the story, the game will enter the battle screen, which places the player characters on one side and the enemies on the other. It employs an [[Active Time Battle]] (ATB) system, in which the characters exchange moves until one side is defeated.<ref name="gamespotps1"/><ref name="All Game"/> The damage or healing dealt by either side is quantified on screen. Characters have several statistics that determine their effectiveness in battle; for example, hit points determine how much damage they can take, and magic determines how much damage they can inflict with spells. Each character on the screen has a time gauge; when a character's gauge is full, the player can input a command for them to perform. The commands change as the game progresses, and are dependent on the characters in the player's party and on the abilities, spells, etc., the player has added to their equipment. Commands include attacking with a weapon, casting magic, using items, summoning monsters, and other actions that either damage the enemy or aid the player characters. ''Final Fantasy VII'' also features powerful, character-specific commands called Limit Breaks, which can be used only after a special gauge is charged by taking enemy attacks. After being attacked, characters can be afflicted by one or more abnormal "[[Status effect|statuses]]", such as poison or paralysis. These statuses and their adverse effects can be removed by special items or abilities or by resting at an inn. Once all enemies are defeated, the battle ends, and the player is rewarded with money, items, and [[experience points]]. If the player is defeated, it is [[game over]] and the game must be loaded from the last save point.<ref name=ps1manual/>{{rp|20–27}}

When not in battle, the player can use the menu screen, where they can review each character's status and statistics, use items and abilities, change equipment, save the game when on the world map or at a save point, and manage orbs called Materia. Materia are the main method of customizing characters in ''Final Fantasy VII'', and can be added to equipment to provide characters with new magic spells, monsters to summon, commands, statistical upgrades, and other benefits.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Final Fantasy VII: The Materia System |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=93|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=April 1997|page=69}}</ref> Materia level up through their own experience point system and can be combined to create different effects.<ref name=ps1manual/>{{rp|30–42}}