Perfect first entry for anyone who wants to start the series (VIII, while being alright also for that, is definitely not even close to this imo).

The vanilla version isn't avaiable anymore on PC or in commerce on PS4 since Square Enix wants you to play the S edition. Considering all the QoLs well, yea, they would be right. A similar case to P5 to P5R, even if the original at base feels more genuine.