As I'm replaying this for the 2nd time I'm appreciating it a lot more in terms of it's gameplay. The tactics section of the game really adds to it and makes the overall stiffness of combat more interesting.

The story, the characters, the world however are still the main draw with this franchise and that's still true. Despite how dated it feels it's still very rich in how much effort was put into it. In that regard it feels very ahead of it's time. Not to mention representation in a game from before 2010, multiple bi characters and a non binary one is refreshing to see and helped just further add to the great character writing.

Is it clunky? Yes. Is the gameplay not the most interesting? Yes. But the experience you'll get from it's story, and characters very much makes up for those things. This entire series is the best rpg I've ever played and it's something I'd highly recommend for fantasy fans that want a truly unique experience.