FF7 is nearly an end-all in any discussion about the greatest rpgs of all time.
Final Fantasy 7 was the first Final Fantasy game to be released on the Playstation platform, and despite how ugly the graphics look by today's standards, the story and gameplay have more than withstood the test of time. As more and more fans clamour for a remake on a current generation platform, Square Enix has at the very least expanded the world of Final Fantasy 7 to give us a full length cg movie, and a handful of spinoff games. Still, nothing compares to the real thing.
The game features one of the most charismatic lead characters, and the most complex and darkest villain of any Final Fantasy game to date. The supporting cast is extremely diverse, and the game itself is very eclectic in respect to the expertly crafted combination of humor, suspense, and tragedy. The story is so engaging and fleshed out that it draws you in effortlessly, yet clutches you breathlessly until the end. Materia, the game's magic system also remains one of the best, most unique, and most customizable, yet simplest rpg magic systems.
I won't delve into the specifics, as the site review breaks those down for you, but if you haven't played the game and magically find a copy of it somewhere, snatch it up before somebody else does, because you might not have another chance. 11 years after its release, and 2 console generations later, it still commands a higher price than today's brand new offerings. If the hundreds of thousands of overwhelmingly positive reviews don't convince you, one adventure through Final Fantasy will say more than a billion could.