LogFAQs > #966515146

Better likable characters who have some depth and relatability
Better music
More of a fantastical setting. FF7 was all guns and cars.
There's great world building. The towns are full of history and stautes and plaques and NPCs talk about shit that has nothing to do with the main plot. Compare to FF7 where you travel the world to find the deep dark secrets of the ancients and then 2 seconds later random dudes in bars are talking about the ancients.

I don't think there are many people who can see much of Tifa, Cloud or Barrett in themselves. But I think we all have a little Vivi, Steiner and Zidane in us whether we want to admit it or not. Everyone is so flawed.

Better graphics, people don't look like lego bricks and the art style is fantastic, making it still hold up today while a ton of PS1 games look like ass.

And just all round better writing. FFIX has some surpisingly deep themes about family, existential dread, the ultimate inescapable reality of death, the concept of home and nilism and then has a death count to rival a Warhammer 40k story.

Yet at the same time it's presented beautifully as a childrens story. That takes talent.

Sepiroth wants to blow up the planet so wibbily wobbly energy comes into him and makes him a god because he's made with bits of alien in him or something. Just doesn't really compare once you get past the cool visuals.

FFIX manages to be a pretty mature story in an immature medium without needing blood, sex, drugs or grit... Well okay there's a little bit of blood but hardly any