Comparison

Shadowgate vs FINAL FANTASY VII

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Shadowgate

Embark on a perilous quest in a reimagined point-and-click adventure. Solve mind-bending puzzles, explore stunning hand-painted rooms, and choose your playstyle with customizable UI and difficulty levels. Uncover secrets and defeat an ancient evil in this classic reborn.

Highlights
  • Customized UI with modern or classic commands
  • Four difficulty levels that alter gameplay
  • First-person adventuring with inventory and mapping
  • Beautifully illustrated rooms with new and familiar locations
  • Mind-bending new and updated puzzles
  • Retro mode with classic graphics and sound
  • Over 50 player achievements
Features
Read full description

REQUIRES iPAD 3 OR NEWER! ALSO WORKS WITH iPHONE 6/6s and 6/6s Plus (However, the optimal experience is on an iPad! as the screen is larger.) NOT COMPATIBLE WITH iPAD 1, iPAD 2 or iPAD MINI (without retina display) Shadowgate is one of the most well-known and beloved point-and-click adventure titles in gaming history. As one of the original titles in the popular MacVenture series that went on to be celebrated on the NES, GBC, and Nintendo 64, Shadowgate quickly endeared players with its fantastic atmospheric soundtrack, perilous locations to progress through, countless puzzles to solve, and more ways to gruesomely die than gamers previously thought possible. Thrust into the role of "The Seed of Prophecy," players travel deep into the living castle, in hopes of defeating the evil that dwells within – the dreaded Warlock Lord. Now, nearly 30 years after the original version haunted Mac and NES gamers, the original development team behind that timeless classic is back with a full re-imagining of the original Shadowgate. Much more than a port, the team at Zojoi has painstakingly redesigned the game from the ground up, adding in tons of new mind-bending puzzles, lots of new rooms with stunning hand-painted 2D graphical detail, and more objects to interact with and help you along your quest. Decide how YOU want to play this new, re-imagined Shadowgate! Want the modern adventure experience? Use the wheel-based icon command system. Want the retro experience? Employ the Classic command system and turn on the retro graphics, soundtrack, text box, and room transitions. Want a more cinematic experience? Switch to Immersive mode by auto-hiding the UI and using customizable hotkeys to explore the castle. Or mix and match the options to satisfy your play style. In Shadowgate, there are plenty of new features and fun throwbacks to the original version to satisfy veteran adventurers and newcomers alike! Key Features: - - Customized UI: Play the way you want! Use modern wheel-based icon commands or the classic on-screen commands. - Difficulty Levels: Four different difficulty levels (from the novice to expert) that actually change the gameplay experience and puzzle structure. - First Person Adventuring: Utilize your inventory, mapping system, and intuitive UI to complete your quest. - Dangerous Dungeons: Tons of beautifully illustrated rooms featuring both new and familiar locations, offering a new gameplay experiences. - Mind-bending Puzzles: Lots of new and updated puzzles that seamlessly expand on the original game. - Retro Mode: Play the game like it’s 1989! Toggle on pixelated graphics, listen to Hiroyuki Masuno’s original NES chip tunes, move between rooms with NES transitions, and enjoy the text in retro format. - Over 50 player achievements to unlock. - Storytelling: Shadowgate features dramatic cut-scenes and all the same great storytelling you expect from the original creators. - Cinematic Score: A digitally-orchestrated, dynamic soundtrack that changes with gameplay by composer Rich Douglas. - Soundscapes: A complete atmospheric and puzzle-based sound design featuring hundreds of sound effects. “If you are a fan of the genre, looking for something difficult to tackle, or wondering why you haven’t played Shadowgate in 30 years, absolutely pick this up.” - 8/10 GameZone “Shadowgate will offer you a journey into darkness, and an adventure unlike anything you have experienced in a long time.” - 8/10 Adventuregamers.com “This new Shadowgate is a superlative remake that should stand as a great example of how to take a cult classic and update it for both new and nostalgic audiences.” - 9/10 Leviathyn.com

About

FINAL FANTASY VII

Experience a classic role-playing game on your mobile device. Explore a dramatic story, customize characters with a unique material system, and enjoy 3D battle stages. This port offers enhanced controls and convenience features for iOS.

Highlights
  • 3D backgrounds and CG movie scenes
  • Material system for character customization
  • Virtual controller with adjustable opacity
  • Option to turn off enemy encounters
  • Max Stats command for instant power-up
Read full description

------------------------------------------------------ - As this application is very large, it will take some time to download. - This application takes up around 2GB of memory. Over 4GB of free space is required to download it, so make sure that ample spare memory is available before attempting to do so. ------------------------------------------------------ Recommended hardware: iPhone 7 or later, 5th generation iPad or later, iPad mini 4 or later Supported OS: iOS 15.0 or later *Please be aware that users may experience problems, such as exceptionally slow running speeds, if running this application on devices other than those outlined in the recommended hardware section. Such devices are not suited to playing this game and there is a chance of unforeseen errors occurring if running it on them. Outline The smash hit RPG: Final Fantasy VII, which has sold over 11,000,000 units* worldwide, finally arrives on iOS! *Total includes both packaged sales and downloads. The first Final Fantasy to feature 3D backgrounds and CG movie scenes, this dramatic tale continues to be loved by numerous fans around the world. Battle stages also appear in full 3D for the first time, bringing an even greater sense of awe and spectacle to combat! Customize your characters in any way you like using the fantastic “material” system that allows endless combinations of spells and abilities. This product is a port based on Final Fantasy VII for PC (No changes or additions have been made to the story). Story With its unshakeable monopoly over Mako energy production, the evil Shinra Electric Power Company holds tight to the reigns of world power. One day, a Mako reactor serving the sprawling metropolis of Midgar is attacked and destroyed in a bombing raid by a revolutionary group calling themselves Avalanche. Cloud Strife, a former member of Shinra’s elite “Soldier” unit takes part in the raid as a mercenary hired by Avalanche and sets events in motion that will draw him and his friends into an epic struggle for the fate of the planet itself… Special features for the iOS edition - Play using a simple and comfortable virtual controller designed not to obscure the action, choosing between virtual analogue or fixed 4-way digital control pad options. The opacity of on-screen controls can also be adjusted from the Config Menu. - Two new features to make play easier and more convenient! The iOS edition also includes an option to turn enemy encounters off on the world and area maps (will not skip event battles) and a Max Stats command to become all-powerful in the blink of an eye. Major game controls Movement: Virtual joypad (Select between analogue and digital modes) Menu navigation: Fixed digital buttons Confirm: A button Cancel: B button Open menu: Y button

Screenshots

Shadowgate4 screens
FINAL FANTASY VII4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Shadowgate at $2.99 against FINAL FANTASY VII's $15.99. Shadowgate also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). FINAL FANTASY VII's advantage is ratings volume (1.3K vs 55) and chart position (#36 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Shadowgate costs $2.99 and FINAL FANTASY VII $15.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Shadowgate against 4.1 for FINAL FANTASY VII. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FINAL FANTASY VII has 1.3K ratings behind it against 55, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 62% of Shadowgate's written reviews are positive against 59% of FINAL FANTASY VII's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shadowgate ships an update monthly, FINAL FANTASY VII every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Shadowgate versus FINAL FANTASY VII: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadowgateFINAL FANTASY VII
Price$2.99 — better$15.99
Rating4.2 (55 ratings) — better4.1 (1.3K ratings)
Positive reviews62.1% of reviews — better59.0% of reviews
Number of ratings551.3K — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#36 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.3 GB2.1 GB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperZojoiSQUARE ENIX Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

Shadowgate

All ratings55 ratings
Positive83.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.4%
Written reviews58 reviews
Positive62.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative37.9%

FINAL FANTASY VII

All ratings1,327 ratings
Positive75.7%
Neutral6.4%
Negative17.9%
Written reviews449 reviews
Positive59.0%
Neutral12.0%
Negative29.0%

User reviews

Shadowgate

From 55 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🤩 Faithful and nostalgic remake
  • ✨ Updated graphics and BGM
  • 🎮 Great point-and-click adventure
  • 💡 Tricky but not impossible puzzles
  • 👍 Immersive story and atmosphere

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes on startup/intro
  • 📱 Poorly optimized for phones
  • 🤏 Small text and hitboxes
  • 🥶 Overheats M1 Mac
  • 🔄 Crashes when minimizing

FINAL FANTASY VII

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Nostalgic and as perfect as I remember
  • 👍 Great game found
  • 🚀 Awesome reliving these moments
  • 👍 Great blast from the past
  • 👍 Brings back childhood memories

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Game constantly auto selects during battle
  • 🐛 A button glitch
  • 🐛 Unplayable because of a button bug
  • 🐛 Constantly thinks I'm pressing A during combat
  • 🐛 Pause bug during battle still not fixed

Bugs and requests

Shadowgate

Reported bugs

31 issues
  • Crashes after intro cinematic
  • App closes when minimized
  • Force quits on loading
  • Game turns black after a minute
  • Unplayable on iPhone X
Show 26 more
  • Auto reboot when minimizing
  • Game crashes after title screen
  • Game turns off and kicks out
  • Force quits all the time
  • Crash on startup
  • Crashes after intro animation
  • Game crashes after the introduction
  • Crashes at the beginning
  • App crashes after title screen
  • Keeps crashing after the initial title screen
  • Crash on startup
  • Crashes at the beginning
  • App crashes after title screen
  • Force quits all the time
  • Game turns off and kicks out
  • Crashes after intro animation
  • Game crashes after the introduction
  • Crashes at the beginning
  • App crashes after title screen
  • Keeps crashing after the initial title screen
  • Crash on startup
  • Crashes after intro animation
  • Game crashes after the introduction
  • Crashes at the beginning
  • App crashes after title screen
  • Keeps crashing after the initial title screen

Requested features

6 requests
  • Remake Deja Vu and Uninvited
  • Add original game as bonus
  • Sequel to Shadowgate
  • Fix background crash issue
  • Add original soundtrack option
Show 1 more
  • Add original UI option

FINAL FANTASY VII

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Game constantly auto selects during battle
  • A button glitch
  • Unplayable because of a button bug
  • Constantly thinks I'm pressing A during combat
  • Pause bug during battle still not fixed
Show 3 more
  • Game kicks me out
  • Controls are not that well done
  • Game stuck on a scene that requires walking

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add quick save feature
  • Optimize for iPhone X and newer screens
  • Add controller support
  • Add 2x/3x speed option

In-app purchases

None

Shadowgate

No in-app purchases

None

FINAL FANTASY VII

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shadowgate free?
Shadowgate costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is FINAL FANTASY VII free?
FINAL FANTASY VII costs $15.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Shadowgate or FINAL FANTASY VII?
Shadowgate is rated higher. Shadowgate averages 4.2 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while FINAL FANTASY VII averages 4.1 from 1.3K ratings.
Do Shadowgate or FINAL FANTASY VII have ads?
Neither Shadowgate nor FINAL FANTASY VII shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shadowgate or FINAL FANTASY VII?
Shadowgate ships an update monthly, and FINAL FANTASY VII every 6 weeks. Most recently, Shadowgate was updated on October 24, 2026 and FINAL FANTASY VII on October 24, 2026.

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