This and the 8th game are often held up as the best in this series, having played this now i can see why. I think one area where this one really excels is in mood and visuals. It has really great presentation and general atmosphere. The main menu and the scenario select in particular are great.
On top of all this you have a very strong officer-mode with a great deal of characters to choose from, creating much replay-ability. The duels and debates are good here also, as is the battle system.