playing final fantasy 7 for first time

[Kamen Rider Kuuga]

Outside of nostalgia, tell me what makes the story of FF7 great.

 

[spoiler=Big spoil filled ramble about 7, 6, Tactics and Crisis Core.]

I mean, to my eyes, 7 is more of the same generic nonsense of save the world from the bad guy who has a god complex. The entire mental aspect to the story is on the level of EVA; that is, stupid, pretentious bullshit that at first easily impresses, but if you look at it deeper, you realize how paper thin and laughable it really is, while being the only thing propping up characters.

 

You take away his mental issues, and Cloud is left with the same thing Squall has; being an asocial jackass. Granted, he has a reason to be in the game; revenge against Sephiroth for burning down his hometown, but in the end that's it. All of that friendship, that rivalry, it's an illusion. it's a revenge quest. Tifa has the same thing. Maybe Vincent, though his is more of a quilt trip (see also Cloud with Aerith, even though he barely fucking knew her.) The rest of the cast have jack and shit to do with the plot which is, in essence, revenge against an asshole which turns into save the world.

 

Which can also be said about Kefka in 6... until the whole World of Ruin bit, then everybody is basically REVENGE. And while I love 6 to death, I'll say it right now; the story in that game is shit. The same with Tactics, another game I love to death.

 

If you want something connected to FF7 without an overall shit plot, Crisis Core is as close as you get, if just for the fact that you actually learn something about Zack that isn't all built on bullshit lies and fantasy. It gets into the pretentious bullshit area with Loveless and ESPECIALLY Genesis Rhapsodos, and that taints it, but it doesn't take up several discs, nor does it completely negate everything you learned about Zack.