I played the original on PC. I played the original at least 5-6 times. The original will always remain a masterpiece, but the remake is a masterpiece in itself.
The depth it goes to retell the original story is very well done. I found myself more attached to the supporting characters and I genuinely felt the hardship and the loss; something that the original didn't touch on as much. The remake does not only provide a great dose of nostalgia, it goes deeper on the emotional front, bringing you in closer to everything and everyone; and as you go into your 10th hour of this game, you find yourself grateful that they made this game.
Take your time with the game, enjoy the details of the scenes. Listen to the sounds in the distance. It is great to experience this retelling. The graphics are great, but not always perfect (as it never is in any game); but I never found the game to slow down or stutter. The music is amazing, as with all FF games. I can't wait for the next part.
EDIT: I completed most of the game details and now I'm about 60% through on "Hard Mode". I cannot stress enough how epic this game is. The battle system is awesome! The thought and strategy required to beat the opponents is very satisfying. Hard mode is how the game should be played.
I've read some of the other comments /reviews, and some people have left some reviews that make it obvious they don't know anything about how to play the game, or rather, they would never put in the time to completely enjoy the game and to go deep into it; they are the types of people that are here only for a story and graphics (and that's fine) -- but this FF7 Remake gives so much more than that. Hardcore fans / players of the game will understand this.
This game is epic! Love it!
EDIT 2: One thing that I wanted to mention, that a lot of people don't seem to understand. This FF7 has "remake" in the title because that is exactly what the game is: it is a remake of the FF7 original story. This means that the game will not follow the original story to a T. There will be elements of the story that are exact or similar to the original game, but there will also be major differences; perhaps other people die, or different villains will come up...etc. Keep this in mind as you play this game.