Book: Greek Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII
Author: M.J. Gallagher
Price: Physical UK £16.99 | USA $19.99 Digital: UK £4.99 | USA $5.99
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Physical copy of the book provided with many thanks to M.J Gallagher.
For this book review, screenshots in this review are not taken from pages of the book Greek Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII but from Final Fantasy VII.
Interested in reading more thoughts from James on books about video games? check out his article Summer Reads.
Now for Something Different
I’ve mentioned in previous video game reviews that I am quite a fan of mythology and folklore. There are so many fascinating tales, both inspiring and tragic, from history across all corners of the globe. One of the most popular is Greek Mythology. When it comes to games, many titles take inspiration from it, whether it’s small references such as armour pieces or places in the game or inspiring the story’s plot itself.
Final Fantasy VII
I’ve mentioned before in previous writings I’m also quite a fan of Final Fantasy VII. Particularly the original PlayStation version. It’s a special game to me for many reasons. For starters, it’s the first jRPG I successfully finished myself, even though I didn’t have the best grasp of the game’s mechanics. I didn’t realize back then that one should grind to get their levels up. It would have made the last portion of that game a lot easier if I knew that. I would later revisit the game on PSP with a better understanding in a challenging year where I commuted on the train for nearly four hours a day. A strange sinking into the world of the game on these long trips helped me get through those clouds of depression.
When it comes to special games, I’m always interested in reading further. And being a fan of mythology, I was very quickly drawn to M.J. Gallagher’s book Greek Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII. Going into the book, I expected to learn about the connection between the two, but the details utterly blew me away. I ended up walking away, learning far more than I expected. Gallagher clearly loves Greek Mythology and Final Fantasy VII and pours immense research and knowledge to create a fine piece of literature.
Overview
The book introduces you to Greek Mythology and its place in history. The author then does a deep dive into the plot of Final Fantasy VII. And when I say deep dive, we are not talking about the original game. I mean everything Final Fantasy VII. This includes the original game, the spin-off on PSP Crisis Core, the movie Advent Children and various books I didn’t even know existed. He even goes into Dirge of Cerberus, the obscure PS2 game I haven’t played since I was at university and now kind of want to track down to play. He doesn’t just cover the single-player story but even the multiplayer. So yeah, you’ll get one of the best explanations of everything in Final Fantasy VII, and it’s brilliantly woven into the text.
The meat of Greek Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII then sees the author take a much more detailed look at specific Greek Mythos and how they tie into themes of Final Fantasy VII. This could include parallels to specific Greek Gods and Final Fantasy VII characters, even very small details like connections to character weapons and the places you visit in the game. These chapters dive deeper into the Mythology before linking it back to specific parts of the games. A notable observation is that the author often makes reference to how many Greek Mythologies have multiple interpretations, much like today, how we see multiple interpretations of famous stories altered when brought to film. His love for video game lore and Greek mythology springs off the pages, making the book quite a delight to read.
Greek Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII is Well Presented
The book’s structure is well-presented and fairly easy to read, with a few detailed illustrations in places. Pages are presented in nice bitesize paragraphs. The author does a terrific job citing every reference, providing further detail into each point made, which is found at the end of each chapter. Greek Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII even includes a glossary and bibliography, making this probably the most detailed history book with video game themes I have ever encountered.
Favourite Moments
Since I don’t have much to nitpick, I thought I would just run through some of my favourite moments in the book. If you want total zero spoilers, jump to the conclusion, but if you want to know a little more, read on.
Greek Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII goes through a lot of links between Greek heroes and characters of the game. One of my favourite links was between Heracles (better known as Hercules) and the vampire-looking character Vincent Valentine. I’ve always been a fan of the 12 labours of Heracles, but I learned new perspectives on this I didn’t know before, such as the tragic reason Heracles took on the labours and how he ultimately lifted his long curse from the Goddess Hera. On the surface, I would have never seen the parallels between Heracles and Vincent. But during the chapter, you learn about Vincent’s own labours and ultimate redemption arc. There are even links to some of the weapons Vincent uses, to beasts Heracles faces, like the famous Hydra.
More Favourite Moments
Another chapter I really liked was the deep dive into Hades and his domain. This chapter talks a lot about the live stream of the game and connecting this to the underworld. It’s a really good explanation of the various parts of the underworld and plains of the afterlife, such as Tartarus, Elysium and the river Styx, before then linking it to the game’s interpretation with the lifestream.
One chapter discusses the parallels between the famous Labyrinth harbouring the deadly Minotaur and an area in the game called the Temple of the Ancients. I vividly remember struggling through this section when playing, from the convoluted level design to the utterly horrible wall boss at the end. However, my discomfort with this section became a greater appreciation when reading the text. In particular, how the black materia, a key treasure you find in the levels, mirrors some of the traits of the deadly Minotaur despite not looking the same. I also loved how Greek Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII takes you through the origins of the Labyrinth and the Minotaur itself.
Maybe the biggest praise I have for the book is that it convinced me to give Final Fantasy VII Remake a go. I avoided it for a long time since I was very nostalgic for the original, including its blocky graphics. But this book gave me the extra push, if not just to catch the references to Greek Myths.
Conclusion: Limit Break
Greek Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII is a fantastic read and easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. Okay, most of the books I read these days are children’s books to entertain my small child. But I thoroughly enjoyed reading through a chapter or two after a hard day’s work. While I was always fond of Final Fantasy VII, I think when I return to playing the game, I will never look at it the same way again.
I’ve always found the plot of the series hard to understand, but this book really explained it so much better than any website has. Learning about the various links between the game and Greek Mythology made me hungry to boot up the game and take that journey all over again with a deeper appreciation. If you are a fan of Final Fantasy VII, this is a must-buy. If you know a friend who is, then consider buying this as a present.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up
If you love this book, then be sure to check out the authors’ other titles, Norse Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII and The Nibelheim Incident. He also has other book projects in the works. Greek Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII is available on Amazon on Kindle, paperback and hardcover.