Believe the hype
I remember back in 97, a local department store had a hardware expo, they had a PS1 hooked up to a huge (at the time) rear projection tv with FF7 in the console... 11 year old me stood there and played through the opening scene up to guard scorpion and was hooked.
I couldve rambled on for a dozen pages about this game, secret characters, hidden zones, the crazy plot... but I wouldnt have said anything that someone else hasnt already said better so I stuck to my two page limit
One of the things I didnt dive into as much as I wanted to was the materia system, I think this is one of the best magic systems I have ever used in an RPG, its basically the prototype to the more crazier Path of Exile gem system, Id really like and ARPG that is somewhere in the middle.
Some if the crazier materia combos dont open up untill the endgame and then they are only used for a couple of optional bosses, and they take a bit of grinding and possibly some exploits to maximize, I wouldve loved a more open endgame but accept its a different genre
The hidden characters are easy enough to find, and most of the hidden content is fairly intuitive to find if you remember what the NPCs tell although, there are some items, like characters ultimate weapons that you will be locked out from acquiring if said character isnt in our party
Use a guide if you dont want to miss anything
I think FF7 is one of the the games that deserves its title as a classic, the remake is beautiful but I personally feel it drags too long, and I prefer they slower turn based combat in the original, but Im just some guy