A good story can only carry a game so far... and it struggles to carry this game over the cobbles of dull gameplay.
While the story is probably one of the strongest ever to be turned into a game the actual gameplay itself is bland and un-interesting, repetitive to the point of tedium and never manages to raise it's head above average.
I like RPG's, I like character and story development and Final Fantasy VII offers both, but you feel like they've been forced upon you, if I wanted to learn more about Barret then I'd ask him, I'd talk to him and get him to open up, but Final Fantasy VII doesn't give you that option and you're forced to play through sections of the game to learn about him.
In any RPG there are always characters you loathe, characters you hardly ever include in your party unless the game forces you to, you don't care for them and don't want to bother with them, in a lot of games this is no problem, but here you have no choice… the developers have included a section about Barret and how he got his arm and they're damn sure you're going to play through it.
There's very little room for exploration beyond checking out a new town when you arrive, and even then you may accidentally stumble on the next plot pointer and be whisked away to continue the engaging, by ultimately very linear, story… side quests apparently weren't the "done thing" when this was being developed as there doesn't appear to be any for you to wander off and complete… something that Final Fantasy games seem to continue with even now.
Square seem to consider the Final Fantasy series untouchable, that changing the same, tired, formula they've been using these last 12 or 13 years is not necessary, that they can get away with practically anything in they include hours of CGI and scripted battles, as long as you can summon the same gods as you could summon in virtually every other Final Fantasy then people, and reviewers, will forgive them for essentially churning out the same dross time after time.
Square have shown that they can produce games with new battle systems, games that experiment with the traditional RPG set up and still be entertaining and a delight to play, Vagrant Story and Parasite Eve have shown this… but they flat out refuse to change their flagship title in case it upsets the hardcore.
As such Final Fantasy has failed to evolve, and has created it's own little sub-genre of JRPG's, reserved for the hardcore elite who refuse to accept change and who would protest should Square even consider bringing the series into the new century.
In it's day Final Fantasy VII was a masterpiece of coding, not one that would convert non fans to RPG's because it's just too entrenched in tradition, but if you were into that kind of game then it truly was a must have title… but now it's showing its age and it's ready for the knackers yard.
Great story, great music… abysmal gameplay… shame.