This game made me love random encounters and turn-based fighting again.
Now this may seem annoying, but it's only a habit for those OCD gamers who want all the skills on all of their characters. The average gamer who just wants to see the whole story won't need to play in so many battles, and (while I beat the game with all my characters over level 52) can easily end the game at level 40.
Which brings me to another amazing part about this game. Unlike most RPGs, where new characters are avoided or ultimately swapped for old characters, everyone gets a fair bit of playtime. The battle system is weighted enough so you won't mind swapping in an annoying character (*cough*Tolten) or a relatively useless character (*cough*Cooke) for 20 battles just to get the sweet skills they pulled out in an attempt to look useful or less annoying.
Speaking of annoying characters, this game has an amazing story. The quiet and almost wordless hero surrounded by playful, genuine, and bizarre characters embarks on a often hilarious never too dramatic story with no deus ex machinas and an ending that makes you care for even the bad guy.
This game was amazing. But a word of warning, make sure you install it.