Why was and still Final Fantasy 7 so loved?

So I've only had the original Final Fantasy 7 (Play station version) for just over 3 weeks, almost 4 now and I'm pretty far into the second disc and i love it to pieces! The game is older than me though and i heard it was pretty big around the time it got released so i never really witnessed the big deal people made about it back then but i can tell it must of been huge for It's time. I love it for many reasons myself, but i just wanna see why everyone else has the same passion and love for it. So, why was/is Final Fantasy 7 so loved?
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Apart from having fun gameplay, a good story, cast of characters, a great soundtrack and world to explore it was also the first RPG that a lot of people played at that time and you always remember your first with such fondness. Not to mention that it was the first main title to go from the 16 bit graphics of the SNES to the full power of the Sony PlayStation at the time so it was always destined to be huge.

I first played this game in 1999. I was 8 years old. Although I'd played games on the N64, this was the first real RPG and game of its size that I played. I loved the colors and the music. I loved looking at materia, because I thought it was pretty. The puzzle-y parts were incredibly challenging, but I still love it to this day. I wouldn't call it my favorite Final Fantasy now, but it has an untouchable place in my heart.

Although I played early RPGs on ancient PCs, loved the first Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy, and continued to follow the series, my reaction to FFVII was no different than most at the time. I was a Sophmore in high school when this game was brand new, and it was interesting to see how far the series had come at that point.

Anyway, I like to think that why this game turned out so good is the same reason why the original Star Wars turned out so good. The production of this game was absolutely crazy, and it shows. But the kind of production and limitations, much like the original Star Wars, it what polished it into the classic that is still loved to this day.

Teenaged dudes love Cloud cause he's an emotional wreck but at the same time kind of a blank slate and two chicks dig him.

Also teh sweet grayphics

Final Fantasy VII [FFVII] [FF7] - Sephiroth Fire - YouTube

The following are reasons why I myself love Final Fantasy VII, some you may agree with, some you may not, this is just my own view on the game, and the reasons are in no real order.

1. I found the storyline engaging, and enjoyed how things were revealed over time.
2, I found the characters likable, and was interested in the storylines of all of them, and liked how everyone was involved at least once.
3. The gameplay itself was enjoyable.
4. I loved how the inclusions of subgames really made it feel like I was playing several games at once at times; it still felt like an RPG in general, but I liked how it took a break and became say, a snowboarding game, or a motorbike game for moment, and as a bonus all the subgames fitted in to the storyline, and didn't look forced at all.
5. While I'm aware of their flaws, and aware of the fact that they have been long overshadowed, but I liked the graphics; the backgrounds were very well detailed, the only part I found/still find "blocky" is the hands. The FMV graphics were obviously 20% cooler than the actually game graphics, but they were FMV so that tends to happen, battle graphics too.
6. The music - okay, I like the Final Fantasy music anyway (at least the ones I've played, and possibly FFIII*), but I will still mention it. I loved the soundtrack, and how appropriate it was for (possibly) all scenes it was used in - I loved how they even used music for different purposes as well (using the World Map theme from a certain place during a certain "revelation" was beautiful, and I didn't even realize that it was the World Map music at the time.)
7. Before playing the game, I became fascinated with a walkthrough of the game, so in a sense, I was a fan before I played the game.
8. It was the first game where I actually felt emotionally involved with what was happening.
9. The fact that you can look at things differently on later playthoughs, at least for a while.

That's all I can think of for now, but may add more.

*I have not played FFIII (which, if we're still doing this, is not FFVI, but the actual FFIII), and I can't remember any songs from it other than one song that was made into two different songs for Chocobo Racing (the game, not the one in FFVII)

Is it still widely loved ?? I mean, these days it seems to be getting more bashing than adoring comments :/

But

Good Graphics for it's time

Cloud and Sephiroth being decent hero and villain

Good OST

Memorable and plot-twisting storyline

Cloud dressing up in drag, and Nanaki dressing up in Shrina inc Solider clothes pretending to be human

Memorable character quotes " Sit down and drink your goddamn tea "

The game was mindblowing at the time because most gamers were new to FMVs and even then, there just weren't any that were that gorgeous and creative in games at that time. The pre-rendered backgrounds were also light years ahead of anything used for in-game graphics at that point, giving it the illusion of a crazy hardware/technical jump.

I still like it to this day because the combat is fast, fluid, and fun and I appreciate the creative juices that went into the music and art style even more today. On my latest play through a few weeks ago I gained an appreciation for a lot of the writing techniques like all the foreshadowing and early world building.

FF7 was loved? Well, now I've heard just about everything.

>>> The original FF7 game was ahead of its time (lets, just forget the compilation), is the FF with the most suggestive/adult themes, never happed before and will never happen again.
FF7 lives up to its hype in all regards, of course there are people who will never admit it..:luca:

Usually the case i feel when playing the game is how well made the battle system is, also it follows the story at a good pace aswell. Even though at first i was confused about the identity crisis, now i kinda get it when looking more at the back story of the game.
Why it is loved by so many, i don't know, maybe the same reason to why so many like Zelda or Mario, i didn't play it either as a kid, that kinda game back then was too hard for me, but it sure is great :D

Great characters, great gameplay, great songs, good story, materia, Cid, and a great villain.

Everyone's basically said it all. I loved it, it was my first Final Fantasy. I got it with my PlayStation for Christmas in 1997. I've played it as recently as last week. Will probably be my all time favorite game. With A Link To The Past being a close second.