this will always be one of my favorite FF games because of the gameplay depth and self-expression options you're given. i could spend much of this review singing the praises of the class system, but i honestly would rather you just take me at my word when i say "it is complex and rewarding without feeling obtuse", something that is extremely difficult to accomplish.
i think the story gets a lot less credit than it deserves, because it manages to be consistently funny/entertaining while still having standard FF dramatic stakes. i think exdeath is one of the best series villains, and it's entirely because he's a cardboard cutout of the prototypical FF villain (down to the absurd and existential origin story + weird cosmic horror-y final form). i think that many, many people overlook this game, and that's a shame! this is a very fun game that manages to both be light-hearted and emotional, which i think is a difficult tightrope to walk.
i think the story gets a lot less credit than it deserves, because it manages to be consistently funny/entertaining while still having standard FF dramatic stakes. i think exdeath is one of the best series villains, and it's entirely because he's a cardboard cutout of the prototypical FF villain (down to the absurd and existential origin story + weird cosmic horror-y final form). i think that many, many people overlook this game, and that's a shame! this is a very fun game that manages to both be light-hearted and emotional, which i think is a difficult tightrope to walk.