The Video Game That Changed My Life (Chris St. John of Waiting For London)

You might be shocked at the amount of video games that many musicians play in their spare time. If you think about it for a minute, though, it’s not all that surprising. The gaming industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, and really it has been for many years now. Games like Grand Theft Auto V and the COD franchise bring in billions of dollars in revenue, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

We’re stoked to bring you another edition of our new series, The Video Games That Changed My Life – or in this case, a singular game. Chris St. John, bass player for pop-rock band Waiting For London, is joining us today for this feature – and this time, it features a game that many consider the archetypal modern RPG game. Yes, we’re talking about Final Fantasy VII – a game which got a spiffy remaster earlier this year, to critical acclaim. Join us below while Chris takes you through the game – and why it means so much to him. You can also check out a previous edition of this series here, starring Nikki from New Year’s Day.

Hey. I’m Chris, the bassist for the pop/rock band Waiting For London. The game that shaped my life was Final Fantasy 7, an RPG for the original playstation that I played for the first time when I was 13. This was the first 3D RPG and set the standard for those to come. I enjoy every aspect of this game, but the music is on an entirely different level. Beautiful orchestral arrangements combined with graceful choirs, creates a haunting and substantial atmosphere. One of the first songs I ever learned on bass was the battle theme from this game.

The game has a very steampunk/ECO warrior theme and was very possibly where I got my pro naturalist attitude from. It’s all about saving the planet and creating a better world for our children. Just like myself.