@csl316: Sure, I can see that. But in my mind, those are the things that give JRPGs their "JRPG-ness", which is what makes FFVII such a disappointment because it honestly feels like so much time and effort went into the graphics and asset generation that the absolute minimum of development time went into making the part of the game that's actually a game. Not every game has to be Xenoblade Chronicles X in complexity, but FFVII is sitting way far on the other end of the spectrum next to Mystic Quest.
Actually, I think that when you remove FFVII from the context surrounding its release, it is a bad JRPG. The equipment system is woefully simplistic, the skill system generifies the entire cast and makes min/maxing the most braindead endeavor, combat is extremely basic and mindless, and while I have no problem with Cloud (unlike most FFVII detractors), the remainder of the cast is completely underdeveloped and forgettable. Even VIII had a better supporting cast and I haaaaaaaaate that game.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you like it, but lining it up against against the dozens of JRPGs I have played in my lifetime sets it squarely near the bottom. It's an unimaginably important and influential game that every one should respect from a historical standpoint, but no one should be playing it for any reasons outside of nostalgia.
Saying you found the combat serviceable means you will find the combat in every previous game less than serviceable. Loving the moment once you got the grappling hook means you will not love the movement in any previous game.
I voted Axiom. I really hated the gameplay balance (or lack thereof) in Ori. That said, neither of them are on my top-10 list so maybe my opinion isn't the one you should be listening to.
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