In certain occasions gaming experiences bring out sublime qualities, which are not simply describable through common words such as "gameplay", "graphics", etcetera.
If there's one thing I can say about Persona 3, is that it left me with a lot to think about up to this day; sometimes, that's all it really takes.

If you're really worried about the dated fighting system (which isn't as bad as some people make it out to be), do yourself a favor and at least play this on easy.