Rather simple and not at all challenging, what it had going for it were high quality graphics and an engaging storyline.
The turn-based battle sequences used what was known as the Active Time Battle (ATB) system, which is just a fancy name for drop down windows. Once a battle began, the player would be able to call upon various attacks or magical spells from drop down menus. The ATB system greatly simplified the whole battle process. Some of the magical spells made the attacks destructive beyond reason. For example, when I faced Sephiroth at the end of the game, I called upon some sort of space dragon apocalypse attack which devastated Sephiroth in one shot. I found this extraordinarily disappointing, as Sephiroth had been built up as an all-powerful foe throughout the videogame.
During the game, the player controlled the protagonist Cloud Strife; throughout the game, allies would be met, and would travel with Cloud on his quest. There were many folks whom Cloud would battle alongside, but the primary allies were Tifa Lockhart, Yuffie Kisaragi, and the enigmatic Barret Wallace.
“Final Fantasy VII” also featured chocobos, a sort of ostrich creature which could be ridden after being tamed. At one point in the game, Cloud could raise chocobos on a farm which he could then race in order to earn more ducats. Chocobos came in different colors, and each color had different abilities. There was a whole sub-mission focused around the chocobos, but I found it to be a colossal waste of time.
“Final Fantasy VII” was a fun game, but it had no replay value. Much of the game featured mindless dialogue and long cut-scene videos, some of which were very well animated.
I've never been much of a Final Fantasy fan, I don't understand the draw of the whole saga I suppose, but apparently there are some hardcore fans out there, seeing as how the twelfth game was just released.
The Adult Swim program "Robot Chicken" on the Cartoon Network recently had a skit in which Cloud and his chums were working for minimum wage in a burger joint managed by none other than Sephiroth. I thought the skit accurately captured the inane dialogue, and was pleased to see the burger joint and Sephiroth wiped out at the end by one of those ridiculously powerful apocalyptic space dragons.