I have played Final Fantasy 9, and although I liked the game overall--I also gave it 5 stars--I like Final Fantasy 7 much, much better. From the moment you pop the first CD in, you are nothing but impressed. I wish all games started out the way this one does--with a BANG! You are Cloud, a selfish newcomer to a resistance group known as AVALANCHE. You don't care about the planet. No way. As soon as this job is done, you want to get your cut and split. The dialogue is truly something else. And the storyline, WOW! The whole idea of a city on a "plate" was really original and appealing. Great movie-sequences. I could go on and on praising this game. Even after playing Final Fantasy 9 I can't help but go back and play this great game. Yeah, it is more science fiction than fantasy, but it is science fiction done RIGHT. Although the game is only three CD's long, the game lasts anywhere from 40 to 80 hours. In the first CD, you spend 6 hours in the huge city of Midgar alone. Then you go on for another 10 hours or so, before going to disc 2. This game has great music, especially the ending boss music. That song is called "One-Winged Angel". By the way, Sephiroth is pronounced, "Sea-fee-roth". At least that's how they pronounce it in the song. Speaking of Sephiroth, he's really cool. Definitely the best villian I've ever seen. Overall, this is either the first or second best RPG I've ever played. First place might go to Final Fantasy 6. Sure, the graphics are way outdated on that game, but the storyline more than made up for it. Anyway, buy Final Fantasy 7 RIGHT NOW.