One of the best games I have ever played!
The games difficulty is set very well, keeping the game challenging through-out. But not to the point of frustration. It makes it so grinding is an option but not necessary for skilled RPG'ers. But if you don't actually pay attention to you abilities you will pay for it by the end of the game. Not having the proper abilities makes the last fight next to impossible, unless at a very high level.
The game is about 40-50 hours in length, but can be finished in much less. The side-quests are very entertaining once you've completed the main game. You can participate in games of Tetra Master, search for treasure with a chocobo, see how many times Vivi can jump rope, and many more. You could also do another run if you desire the ultimate weapon, Excalibur II.
The story I found to be one of the best parts of this game. It does a great job of getting you to actually care about the characters. Not many games I can think of manage to do that. Each character has their own distinct personality as well. Making the interactions, even of minor characters a blast.
The game-play is the standard if you played other games in the series. The encounter rate is set at a decent amount making travel less frustrating. Which is definitely a good thing because you'll be doing alot of it. The battles are played through an ATB system. Once a characters ATB gauge fills they are allowed to act. Now this doesn't mean they can attack the second it's filled. It is still turn-based after all.
The graphics (for a PS1 era game) are amazing and they make the world very interesting to look at. The character models are in a more cartoony style then other entries on the Playstation. This is due to it being a throwback to the games of old. I really enjoyed the art style, though it will turn some off. But together makes for a very pleasing visual experience.
Over-all this is one of the few games that I never seem to get bored with. I suggest everyone who enjoys RPGs give this one a shot. I give this game a 10 out of 10.