A fairly basic, but likable RPG.
The graphics are what you would expect from an RPG of this time I suppose. The characters and enemies are designed well but don't have much in the way of animation. The areas themselves differ a little from place to place but generally use the same tile set in different colours. Being, quite a long game though, it's understandable.
The sound is quite nice, with the usual epic-RPG music that reeks of adventure, and the thrilling battle tunes etc. The sound effects are also fine, but I wouldn't expect too much from this game.
The gameplay of this game works well. It has the usual turn-based fighting system, where you can choose to fight, defend, use spells or whatever. One unique thing that the game adds is fishing, which is also included in every sequel that I have played. The fishing is very limited in this installment though as Ryu can only fish down wells to catch items as far as i am aware. Each of the 6 characters has a special ability which is used at least once during the progress of the game. Ryu can fish (as mentioned before), Nina eventually can turn into a bird, Bo can walk through trees on the world map, Ox can break through cracked walls and so on.
Lastability-wise, this game will last a while, as you carry out the errands while travelling the world in the game. It is not particularly hard and if you find the enemies too tough to beat then the remedy is just to hang around and level up for an hour or two. There is of course a save feature to make a record of your progess.
Overview:
Graphics - Not excellent, but quite nice.
Sound - Usual run-of-the-mill RPG music and sound effects.
Gameplay - Turn-based RPG action, with added extras like special abilities and fishing.
Lastability - Quite a long game, but comes with a save function.