Oh, and in closing, I'd just like to point out I'm definitely on Team Remake FFVII. Would be nice to have graphics that don't make the characters look like colored cardboard boxes duct-taped together, but more importantly, they'd have to re-localize the script.
Lots of things were lost in translation looks like. Synopses I've read of the Japanese original bear little semblance to what the English script tries to tell you about the plot events presented. I still don't buy it as a particularly good or resonant story, especially not viewed in comparison to most of its its series cohorts, but it'd be something at least.
I agree at most points, but disagree on principle that keeping the series close to "its medieval fantasy roots" is an intrinsically good decision, or that going full science fantasy-cyberpunk with VII was a bad one.
...I can see that your thesis is "FFVII is somewhat over-rated", but you don't really do much to support it. Pretty much the only thing you mention that's a clear problem is the writing
Also, I'd note that many elements of the setting and the subversion of the usual amnesiac hero plot remain surprisingly original to this day
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Final Fantasy Light
The often inexplicable popularity of Final Fantasy VII, a mid-tier series title at best, can be chalked up to simply being released at the right place at the right time. As western audiences had matured, as had their desire for more mature content. And in the mid-to-late '90s, the best way to ascertain and flaunt your "maturity" was to buy a PlayStation. Square made the very pragmatic move to steep the next installment of their previously strictly cult-classic series with things that appealed to the adolescents of the time; guns, technology, motorbikes, and most importantly, DARK GRITTINESS.
Sure, it attracted a good number of conscientious gamers expecting the quality that the Final Fantasy label had come to consistently deliver. But, overall, its massive popularity can be attributed to thrill-seekers who wanted a "cultural alibi" to chuck in between sessions of Tekken and Gran Turismo. People who've fond, nostalgic memories of a game they'll probably never play again, and who certainly never played another Final Fantasy game again. And if they did, they were immediately turned off by the inaccessibility of the immediate sequel, and the series' eventual return to its deeper roots before sprawling off into the hot mess it is today. I'm sorry if it sounds condescending, it's just the only logical conclusion I can arrive at after hours of research into the subject.
When the hype is set aside, as a game in its own right, Final Fantasy VII is still highly enjoyable, only mostly as a combination of good, addictive gameplay, fantastic music and memorable settings. The story, however, is an incomprehensible, labyrinthine puzzle that has no idea what it's trying to say. Most of the characters are relatable and makes you care about their survival, but (though this may probably be chalked up to the nightmarishly terrible translation) the plot itself comes off as something a kid made up while playing with action figures.
Final Fantasy VII is no cultural watershed; it's a highly flawed experiment that forgoes many of the series' virtues in a bid to extend its appeal to people that wouldn't give it the time of day if it were still grounded in the series' medieval fantasy roots. And for better or worse, Square got what they wanted...