The mystery Greek word in FF7
Final Fantasy 7 had many influences throughout its development. Ranging from tropical islands & palm trees, steam punk cities, Eco-terrorism, science fiction, realism, capitalism, religion ... the list goes on! I'll throw in a few links down below as I've read + watched plenty in my lifetime.
Over the 3 discs, you'll observe these choices and influences throughout pre-rendered backgrounds, 3D models and mini-games. Examples of these influences can be found in the following:
- Egyptian hieroglyphics & pyramids in
The Temple of the Ancients - Flashy neon lights & bustling machines of
Midgarevoking Blade Runner - Or for a reality check, the gambling on Chocobos at the
Gold Saucer
Most design choices in the game can be linked to a design influence. However, one in the Gold Saucer's 'Speed Square' has always eluded me.
That's right. The text on the booth. No, not "gift". The text above, "ρανκινγ". Here's a close up in case you missed it:
That's the word "ranking" spelt in Greek, though not the direct translation (which is "κατάταξης"). The main languages used in the game for conversations and text graphics are English and Japanese. Meanwhile, usages of the Greek language are nowhere to be seen.
There are indeed links to Greece vocabulary or Greek mythology but no other where else is the Greek alphabet used. The City of the Ancients has no (Modern) Greek letters or markings. In the Temple of the Ancients, these centaur-like enemies could be alluding to Greek mythology. Unfortunately they are given the worst possible name: Doorbull.
Another enemy with ties to Greek mythology would be the Harpy, or Maximum Kimaira. To quote the wiki:
The chimera is a fire-breathing monster, one of the offspring of Typhon and Echidna. It is commonly represented with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail in Greek mythology.
Meanwhile, another Greek rooted name would be the summon Alexander. The name "Alexander", "Αλέξανδρος", is broken down into "Defender of man". In FF7, when summoned it's a literal giant mechanical castle that shoots Holy magic at all enemies on the field. Just what you want in a defender. However, Alexander is not unique to FF7, as it's presence is shown throughout most Final Fantasy entries, acting as a summon or a story component.
Towards the end of the disc 3, you fight Sephiroth. In this battle, he uses a spell called "Super Nova". This move is notorious for taking ages to complete, >1 minute of glorious, space filled animations. It has everything. Planets, explosions, stars ... even formulas. Now ... in those formulas, you'll see ... Greek letters!
Now, although yes there are Greek letters present on screen, I'm not sure if they count as an explicit Greek alphabet inclusion. Those characters have been used in Mathematical equations since way back when. It's a step in the right direction though. ½ point.
Still, even with these fragments of Greece sprinkled throughout the game, I don't have a clear answer as to why the Speed Square uses "ρανκινγ". Even worse, visiting the Speed Square is not even a required step in completing the game. You can miss this entirely!
Perhaps, like many other game developers, this easter egg was simply a 3D artist having a bit of fun whilst learning a new language. I know I would have done the same given the chance.
If any of the original FF7 development or design crew is hovering this part of the web and randomly encounter this post: Καλώς ήρθετε! Please put my investigation to an end and share the origins of ρανκινγ.
FF7 developer interviews and insights
- https://xenon.stanford.edu/~geksiong/papers/sts145/Squaresoft%20and%20FF7.htm
- https://shmuplations.com/ff7/
- https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VII_development
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VII#
- https://www.pcgamer.com/why-the-hell-do-they-have-mouths-a-final-fantasy-7-pc-retrospective/