As a Final Fantasy game- nearly as a good as FF6. As a PSX RPG- it was revolutionary.
The story.. well it's a bit funny to explain, because it starts off
so goofy. With unclear translations, Barrett's bleeped out curses, it
just "looks" like it is nothing special. But if you follow all the events
up the end.. there are bucketloads of potential that are vaguely met.
The plot twists are stellar (providing they haven't already been spoiled for
you.. they probably have..) the world's decline is very realized, and each
character has an interesting role they play in the giant scheme of things.
The enemies are grand and evil, and the story is more science fiction than
fantasy, taking place in a crumbling future. While I had issues with the
sometimes confusing translation and "vagueness" of the bulk of the story,
looking at it all- too many aspects are very good and beg for a
better interpretation. Also, many of the characters border on unforgettable
for me. Overall, the story is substantial and worthwhile, even if it could
be a bit better.
MUSIC
More of Nobou Uematsu's greatness. The music does just what music in an rpg should do.. really bring the story to life. Perhaps blowing it up to be
more than it is. From the sorrowful to the spirited to the downright
disturbing, each track is just brimming with emotion and sets itself apart
from any other OST out there. The style is very pronounced. But maybe you
shouldn't take me too seriously, as "One Winged Angel" in all its shivery
excellence could have snatched a 10 all by itself.
GRAPHICS
Well there isn't much to say about the graphics. A 10 is required because when this game came out- it looked astounding. Nothing else out there to match the detail and realism. Between the CG cut-scenes, and the wonder of 3D in-game graphics, it changed the landscape. The expectations of gamers in that generation.
GAMEPLAY
FF6 had great gameplay. FF7 manages to capture the spirit, fun, and lack of repetition while still coming up with some innovative features and fresh
variety in gameplay. The first feature I'll get to is what could be considered
the crux of the battle system and character management- the materia system. There are countless materia, some common and some can only be acquired by completing lengthy side quests. Materia constitutes everything in battle. It is used as offensive magic, defensive stat manipulation, and giving your characters extra benefits in battle- like speeding up their turns, or making them immune to magic. If you've played a FF game than you know there are endless spells and offensive tactics that you acquire along the game. You equip materia to your weapons and armor, mixing and matching them together well is the key. There are even some "secret" combinations that can make any character a powerhouse. Not that you'll need one.. the game is quite easy. I'll get to that later. Like in FF6, you'll be battling across many a field and dungeon. They are satisfyingly varied and not very repetitive (even with the inclusion of random
battles.) One neat thing worth noting- is that often, the game will provide a
little activity for you to undergo. They are like short minigames that involve other genres of videogames- like racing, war strategy, or just jamming
the right buttons at the right time. There are many little features that help to
break any feel of repetition that comes with this genre, and just add a level of unpredictability. The world is big and you can explore alot of side endeavors, so it does not really feel super linear.
LONGEVITY / SIDE QUESTS
The side quests aren't as good as in FF6. Actually, it boggles my mind that
so few games match FF6 in the "extras" department. But FF7 is still no slouch in this category, what with the Golden Saucer mini-games, chocobo raising, hidden dungeons, uber-weapons, uber-bosses.. you'll have more than enough stuff available to explore and master before game's end, enough to easily blast past 100 hours. The value is very good.
After reading through my review I noticed that I gushed about every single
category. So I'll use this space to try to come up with what drawbacks I found in the game.. well the difficulty is very low. Extra bosses can be tough, but getting from beginning to end is a cakewalk. I didn't mind though (I was pretty much a noob at the time..) but hardcore RPGers could take issue with this. Some will never like the story. But as they say, one man's trash is another's treasure. (or something like that ^^;)