Totally worth every minute. The experience is something you'll enjoy!
The story is so well-written. You'll find yourself playing longer than you planned just so you can find out what happens next. The ending confused me at first, but after playing through it again, I love how the game ended.
The character development shines in the game. Yuri and others begin to grow on you. Each of them have their own story, agenda, and secrets to discover. The only thing I disliked was that even with all the depth of the characters, there were some that didn't stand out like they should have. Lucia, for example, is a wonderful character. She has a great story, background, and is an awesome fighter. You don't see her much, however, as her dialogue is not in excess.
The fighting system totally rocks! It is simple to learn, but comes with options to keep you from being bored. It can take as little as 5 minutes to learn the Judgement Ring, but learning the more advanced settings of the Judgement Ring can take you the whole game to learn. Every character has their own system. Yuri has his fusions (which are the best in the game), Karin has her Sword Arts, Anastasia has her Photo Album, etc. You'll quickly develop likes and dislikes for your characters. Having every person be unique is definitely a plus!
All in all, this game/series delivers a wonderful experience that any RPG fan should try. ^^