I would say mixed if we had that choice, but I do not recommend this to anyone but the most hardcore FF7 fan and even then it has its problems.

First, as a prequel, I am baffled. The pretentiousness is off the charts and like almost all post-FF6 games, is filled with implication rather than effortless storytelling. The writers wrapped the story around the in-game Loveless poem/play and it was extraordinarily confusing. I just wasn't following along and that cost me at the end where one of the antagonists says something that has serious implications to our Protagonist, Zack, and yet I understood nothing about it so I missed it because the poem/play was so vague as to mean almost nothing throughout the story. Then, there is the hamfisted inclusion of Cloud, which I could barely register as human, he was so worthless until he needed to do something superhuman. I don't think this was a good prequel, it didn't do much other than kind of explain how Cloud came to get the sword, but fleshed out a number of antagonists that seems dreadfully at odds with their FF7 counterparts. Maybe this was made in mind for the remake, which I haven't played yet.

Second, as a game, it has some of the best stuff Square-Enix has ever done, unfortunately the package they wrapped it in was terrible. 300 small side missions were a slog to go through, the later enemies are unforgiving and require meta builds to even get through. 20 larger side missions would have sufficed imo. As it is, the side content is just painful if you want to go through all of it.

Lastly, the combat carries the game pretty hard, the main character is unfortunately a lot more interesting than Cloud ever was, but more unfortunate, we never build a real relationship between the characters. Cloud is a passing acquaintance to Zack at best. This is a major missed opportunity and something that doesn't square with the ending, where Zack leaves his legacy with Cloud, despite them not really knowing each other very well. Zack helps Cloud out primarily due to his own ethos, not because they share some kind of bond other than both being country boys. It could have been so much more relevant to the plot of FF7, but it does a minimal job of setting the stage; choosing to mainly be a character study of someone who is barely relevant to the plot of FF7. And for that, I am sorely disappointed.

I would say mixed if we had that choice, but I do not recommend this to anyone but the most hardcore FF7 fan and even then it has its problems. First, as a prequel, I am baffled. The pretentiousness is off the charts and like almost all post-FF6 games, is filled with implication rather than effortless storytelling. The writers wrapped the story around the in-game Loveless poem/play and it was extraordinarily confusing. I just wasn't following along and that cost me at the end where one of the antagonists says something that has serious implications to our Protagonist, Zack, and yet I understood nothing about it so I missed it because the poem/play was so vague as to mean almost nothing throughout the story. Then, there is the hamfisted inclusion of Cloud, which I could barely register as human, he was so worthless until he needed to do something superhuman. I don't think this was a good prequel, it didn't do much other than kind of explain how Cloud came to get the sword, but fleshed out a number of antagonists that seems dreadfully at odds with their FF7 counterparts. Maybe this was made in mind for the remake, which I haven't played yet. Second, as a game, it has some of the best stuff Square-Enix has ever done, unfortunately the package they wrapped it in was terrible. 300 small side missions were a slog to go through, the later enemies are unforgiving and require meta builds to even get through. 20 larger side missions would have sufficed imo. As it is, the side content is just painful if you want to go through all of it. Lastly, the combat carries the game pretty hard, the main character is unfortunately a lot more interesting than Cloud ever was, but more unfortunate, we never build a real relationship between the characters. Cloud is a passing acquaintance to Zack at best. This is a major missed opportunity and something that doesn't square with the ending, where Zack leaves his legacy with Cloud, despite them not really knowing each other very well. Zack helps Cloud out primarily due to his own ethos, not because they share some kind of bond other than both being country boys. It could have been so much more relevant to the plot of FF7, but it does a minimal job of setting the stage; choosing to mainly be a character study of someone who is barely relevant to the plot of FF7. And for that, I am sorely disappointed.