first of all, this was my first RPG ever. its the reason i got into them at all. i rented it and loved the graphics and gameplay, so i bought it. after playing other RPGs like ff8 and chrono trigger, i'd have to say this isnt my favorite, but i still look back at it lovingly. the fight system is really amazing. you punch in each individual blow for every character, then watch as it happens, or you select your ra-seru to summon a monster who you've already beaten to attack. the seru videos are beautiful and the attacks are useful. the absense of the active time bar is a little lazy, but it allows you to really think it all out. the story is pretty good and when you revive a genesis tree and that music kicks in, it's very touching. speaking of music, the legend of legaia soundtrack is very good. i've read in reviews that the music wasn't that good, but i thought it was great. the boss music is particularly good. the graphics are great too. the fight scenes are very bright and colorful. i really don't see how they fit it all on one disc, other than the absense of many cinema scenes. the level of challenge is also a plus. the last boss took me six tries,... SIX. i only have a few complaints. first, there isn't very much room for exploration. in other RPG titles, some huge parts are optional and take place on secluded islands. second, the characters aren't very deep. really the most interesting is songi. Vahn is just a grapic basically, because you choose everything he says, making you the character. also, its a little too hard to level up. overall though, it's a great game, and a good first RPG.