@RobbyBevard:
I have the same problem with the Phantasy Star games. They're supposed to be major classics of the genre, and I have 2-4 right there on my sega collection, but they're just sooooo dated, its nigh impossible to play them.
FF7 has aged badly in terms of graphics too, its really hard to look at.
Yeah, 7 is fugly.
I don't consider myself a graphics hor, but a lot of PSX era 3D games give me the pains to look at. Suikoden! Breath of Fire III! Lunar (graphics repurposed from Sega CD, even!) and the Arc the Lad collection! All of these are fine! But when I hit up FFVII or Xenogears it burns us, it does. And don't get me started on games with voice acting!
Plus I just have a much wider breadth of experience with storytelling now. And without the nostalgia-goggles to give me some sort of "3 Ninjas Was Enjoyable In Context" buffer, I saw some of what may have been revolutionary plot developments for its time and underwhelmed myself. This may be my fault; because Xenogears is one of those legendarily hyped games, and I'm not sure I can reconcile the fact with the fiction at this point.
Playing it now is just totally different from watching, saucer-eyed and yearning, as my big brother played through the demo that came with Parasite Eve.