It has had a movie made of it, sooo much fan fiction, games made of its characters, updates and makeovers, and features in other games. Why #7 though? Why is it the best one and the one everyone remembers most.
I watched a friend play it at length and I was bare impressed. To me it seems like an older version of the series. FF13 was a lot more fun to watch.
 
So, without saying, or alluding to, nostalgia, can someone tell me why it is considered the best/most popular in the series?

Because it was the first "next-gen"' non-nintendo CD based 3D Final Fantasy, and was the beginning of the current period of FF games, where it's less Fantasy and more Sci-Fi. Though Final Sci-Fi doesn't sound as nice, does it? 
 
Personally, I think 6 and 9 were way better. 9 was just funny, so it's automatically more interesting to me, and 6 just had better themes, a better villain, and a cooler setting.  

For the people that played the hell out of 7 when it was still fresh and new and popular, the games that came after slowly went downhill. 
 
8 wasn't too bad, but there were some things people didn't like. 
 
9 had more things people didn't like. 
 
By the time 10 came out, people were hoping for something really mind-blowing, but it wasn't, so people were pretty meh about it. 

"
Mostly because it was the first 3D Final Fantasy and at the time a tad minblowing. Now though it looks as impressive as lego characters on a C64. 
 
And also cmon dude, Nostalgia. Its Nostalgia. Most older games are loved because of nostalgia. "

" @EuanDewar said:

"
Mostly because it was the first 3D Final Fantasy and at the time a tad minblowing. Now though it looks as impressive as lego characters on a C64. 
 
And also cmon dude, Nostalgia. Its Nostalgia. Most older games are loved because of nostalgia. "

Make sure to differentiate nostalgia, from actual depth and playability. There are games who are still nostalgic, but are fully playable and competent games. I concur though, FFVII isn't as good as FFVI or even FF4. It feels clunky and it's an absolute horror to look at. But, the story is still decent and the game play is still ok compared to most JRPG's today. "

For me it was the first proper JRPG I played and the first Final Fantasy I played. Had 3D graphics, mind blowing cinematic scenes (at the time) and the characters are still my favourite to date. Also I loved the Materia system as well as a lot of the settings. This may all be down to nostalgia but I still love it.

" I watched a friend play it at length and I was bare impressed. To me it seems like an older version of the series. FF13 was a lot more fun to watch.   "

" This might help explain. "

It was a pretty solid game, and it was ground breaking at the time.

If anyone on the GB staff loves it, that would be the answer right there.

Also, the PSOne was the first console to aim it's marketing to teenagers and young adults, and they fell in love with the higher complexity and themes of games such as Final Fantasy 7 and Metal Gear Solid if compared to the more mainstream hits of the SNES and NES era. Similar RPGs existed, of course, some would say that FF6 is even more mature and deep, but were never as popular at their time.

I tried playing that game, could not get into it. (or any FF game for that matter)

For a lot of people, it was their first real RPG. People who really got into gaming on the PS1 (maybe they had a SNES or something beforehand, but didn't really get into some of the really in depth experiences like the Final Fantasy games) would have first experienced an RPG on the PS1. And for most people that game was Final Fantasy VII. So people naturally regard it with a very high level of nostalgia.

It was for many the first JRPG they played, it came out at the right time not to mention it was actually great to play. I was never too into the story, the internet diluted what little love I had for that anyway.
 
Nostalgia does do it a lot of favours, it's aged much worse than most of the FF series in my opinion.

You had to be there.

I really, really don't like FF7. 
 
The story is appalling, it controls horribly and I've never been able to get more than a few hours into it (though, have watched it being played through numerous times).

Well there are so many reasons (assuming you aren't just trolling), I think the fact that it was one of the first popular games to feature some genuinely moving story moments was a big part of its enduring appeal.  I mean obviously it's an FF game so a lot of it is total craziness but the death of Aeris was a really shocking moment back in 1997.  It had an excellent villain in Sephiroth, stacks of INTERESTING activities outside the main storyline (Chocobo breeding and the Gold Saucer were particular highlights) and in my opinion the magic system is the best in the series.  It also knocked down a lot of barriers for console-based rpgs outside their traditional home of Japan.  Finally you shouldn't forget the fact that at the time it was technically stunning, by far the prettiest looking game on the PS, with great music by   Nobuo Uematsu.   
I'm not sure why later games in the series haven't been as good, I have flu and my brains melting :-)  IMO though, FFX is the only title that comes close to whats generally agreed to be the high point of the series.

I didn't enjoy it personally but I enjoyed watching my housemate play it on occasion.
 
The short version: It was AWESOME looking.

" To me it seems like an older version of the series. "

" @TheFreeMan said:

" This might help explain. "

GREAT GREAT article. "

" @tiwi said:

" @EuanDewar said:

"
Mostly because it was the first 3D Final Fantasy and at the time a tad minblowing. Now though it looks as impressive as lego characters on a C64. 
 
And also cmon dude, Nostalgia. Its Nostalgia. Most older games are loved because of nostalgia. "

Make sure to differentiate nostalgia, from actual depth and playability. There are games who are still nostalgic, but are fully playable and competent games. I concur though, FFVII isn't as good as FFVI or even FF4. It feels clunky and it's an absolute horror to look at. But, the story is still decent and the game play is still ok compared to most JRPG's today. "

I would disagree about the story. It had a nice atmosphere though, mainly because of the music I feel "

" This might help explain. "

I actually didn't enjoy 7 that much, just didn't click with me like others in the series had. Probably didn't really enjoy a FF again till 10.

Maybe because of the story. That's why I still love it. Well, not like those people that have to dress up as the characters. Although, I'm still waiting to see a real life Tifa. Has anyone ever seen one?

" @Laketown said:

" @tiwi said:

" @EuanDewar said:

"
Mostly because it was the first 3D Final Fantasy and at the time a tad minblowing. Now though it looks as impressive as lego characters on a C64. 
 
And also cmon dude, Nostalgia. Its Nostalgia. Most older games are loved because of nostalgia. "

Make sure to differentiate nostalgia, from actual depth and playability. There are games who are still nostalgic, but are fully playable and competent games. I concur though, FFVII isn't as good as FFVI or even FF4. It feels clunky and it's an absolute horror to look at. But, the story is still decent and the game play is still ok compared to most JRPG's today. "

I would disagree about the story. It had a nice atmosphere though, mainly because of the music I feel "

You don't find the story even decent? It's got enough depth to where you can read into characters personalities, and the story is both engaging and interesting, though it lags and struggles to move forward at times (mostly at the start of the game, until about 20 mins after you meet Areis). And even though there's some cases of "deus ex machina" it's as I've said, at least competent or decent. The graphics is one of the only reasons why the game isn't really relevant anymore, but at the time it was amazing. "

context
 
that's why

What I really like about FF7 is how often it changes up the gameplay. Practically every area has a minigame or some interesting wrinkle attached to it. The Shinra Building, Junon, and Gold Saucer are the big ones everyone remembers, but the game deserves serious kudos for constantly mixing up the gameplay.

I played the first half hour of it and thought it was okay. 

One of these times though, I want to play on the side of the evil empire in a game where I get to squash environmental terrorists. Has that ever happened before?

I enjoyed the characters and the materia system. The music and world were pretty cool as well.

The same reason why many other games get mass appeal and longevity when they aren't really that great to begin with. 
 
The game is solid and extremely playable. Thats all it takes to make a game like this or Halo rise to the top. Gameplay, story, design, or otherwise take a back seat to just being very well built.

" @Laketown: you're right, but again nostalgia and having played crisis core, makes it more believable, at least it sets up some of the story elements. THOUGH advent children then goes ahead and punches you in the gut for believing in the continuity. "

Hey guys, by the way:   
 

I think because it hit at the right time and changed a lot of things and made RPGs cool for more than a niche audience. I think that its looked at heavily with nostalgia googles, because since then a few RPGs have been better. I still have fond memories of it myself though.