Perhaps the best Final Fantasy yet.
The Good:
For anyone looking for a challenge, this game is certainly it. The battles in this game feel epic. Beautiful (for the Playstation 2, anyways) graphics and effects add to the overall feeling of the settings, characters, and battles. The new License Grid system is a nice (If somewhat illogical) change from the typical RPG growth and combat system. Although it doesn't always make sense (Such as the characters not knowing how to wear a hat), it allows full customization of all characters; though certain characters may begin geared towards a specific class or role, you can easily convert them to another. Or, you can broaden your characters' horizons by, say, having your warrior(s) learn black/white magic. The storyline, though not entirely perfect, is still enjoyable. A large variety of side-quests, hunts (optional bosses to kill for rewards), and optional bosses (namely, espers, which become yours to command once you slay them) will keep you challenged for a long time as well. Also, the whole "Suddenly freeze and monsters appear out of nowhere" system has been ditched in favor of you actually seeing the monsters roaming the map. That's right - no more invisible monsters! The attacking system, though it still uses the "Action Bar" that's inherent to the series, feels less like you're waiting for a bar to fill and more like you're fighting something; namely because your characters can switch actions at any time (though, you have to restart your action bar) and the characters will actually stay forward and fight their foes. Multiple people will also perform actions at the same time (gasp!). Finally, the new Gambit system allows for making battle management a breeze. The ability to have your characters automatically do actions you set makes the frantic boss fights much more manageable, though you'll still have trouble with most of them (Unless you terribly over-level yourself). Oh, and I almost forgot, unlike other Final Fantasy games where you'll eventually have enough cash to buy the world five times over, you actually feel like you're on a tight budget. This also adds to the difficulty. Phew...now then....
The Bad:
The difficulty might be viewed as a bad thing to some, though you can just level yourself until you become strong enough to breeze your way through the game. However, this is hard to do and can take a while. Also, the best weapon in the game has some unfair "disqualifications" that can prevent you from ever attaining it, unless you're willing to devote months (With no breaks, including for bathroom, eating, and sleeping) of your life to this game. Finally, though this has nothing to do with the scores, I would just like to list the characters Vaan and Fran in here.
For any RPG fan, this game is perhaps the best you'll get your hands on for a long time. Buy it.