This was a great first experience in the modern Final Fantasy games. The gameplay was fresh and the mechanical diversity of gameplay between characters was incredibly fun.
The story is also solid especially as a remake. Besides not loving an early decision that only the players see rather than the characters most of the depth added in this remake to the story help explore new concepts from the original game while still maintaining the heart of the original story.
The only real negative was the exploration aspect. Between the very stilted "parkour" movements and the constant voice lines from party members about where to go, the exploration always felt like a chore rather than being engaging.