...okay, I seem to be the first to clear this game, so allow me to give my final analysis of this FFVII remake. Overall, the game could use a LOT of improvements. Physical attacks are nothing but a last ditch effort to survive in here, seeing as they do crap damage compared to -ja level spells. In fact, the majority of your time spent playing this game will be grinding for new equipment in this game. No weapons are sold in any shops, and the only armor you'll ever see in the shops is the same you'll see from the first shop in the game. There is also very little variety in the strength of the enemy. I only saw one really major difference, and that was when I neared the entrance to Mythril Mine. Also, you're right in saying this game stays true to the story of the original game... up until around the point disc 1 ends in the PS1 version. Once you go past Gaea's Cliff, you're in front of the final dungeon... which is entirely cut out, and you go straight to the final three fights against Sephiroth, after already having fought him once inside Gaea's Cliff. (I was using a guide as a reference to where I should be, and around this point is where I became completely lost.) I understand there is a remake of this remake going on. If possible, I would suggest making it so it has more story in it (and thus more forewarning we're about to fight the final boss, giving us more time to realize, hey, I need to stock up on everything I can). I beat the final boss through nothing short of a miracle, both in patience and in actual health and items left. I had to mute the game because they pulled a FF1 on us, using the same battle theme for the final bosses as they did for every other encounter in the game. User beware, you may find this harder than the original game.

Additions for turning the thread into a topic (explaining the ratings):

Graphics are based on comparisons to other games of its system. As of the original writing of this review (which is what I'm basing this on), there are graphical glitches on occasion with enemies displaying in code. Otherwise, it's more or less on par.

Sound is based on comparisons to the original game and other games of the NES. That is to say, the sound doesn't follow faithfully with the original game, but it's more or less on par with the NES's capabilities.

Addictiveness is not compared to anything. Merely because of the sheer tenacity required to beat this game, I wouldn't play this again from start to finish.

Story is compared to the original game. Up to the end of the original's disc 1, the story follows faithfully, and it is good. Beyond that... it's still good, but very abrupt in terms of ending. I could probably attribute this to NES limitations.

Depth... I don't know how to rate this, really. You're more or less stuck on a linear path throughout the game, and there isn't much side stuff I noticed. It doesn't really go in depth with side stuff, but it does take a while to beat, so I went with a middle road.

Difficulty... it's not that the game is hard or that the controls are bad, but the game is just too freaking bad in terms of damage. The mere fact that I spent seven hours fighting all the forms of Sephiroth says it all.

Again, I remind you that this review is based on the version that I played for the FFVII Master contest some time ago. If this game has been updated, I have not played it yet and currently do not have any plans to.