Final Fantasy VII

Its cinematic cutscenes and operatic storytelling introduced Western audiences to turn-based combat with a soul, featuring over 20 hours of main story content and the unforgettable death of Aerith. The game's Materia system offered deeper customization than any previous RPG on this list, including the simpler gear progression in Ocarina of Time. By combining pre-rendered backgrounds with 3D characters, it pushed PlayStation hardware to its limits, setting a new benchmark for narrative ambition in games that even GoldenEye 007's action-focused approach could not match.