What other games of its genre should aspire...
The main reason that made me love this game is how its very challenging. Sure, there is FFT and Disgaea to name a few but what makes these game stand out amongst its counterparts is how it doesn't cut you some slack. Level-grinding and striving to have the best abilties/equipments/professions is a mainstay in tactical games but this one will remind you that even with a powerhouse cast(or what I think I have) you still need to use your brain a little bit more often than in any other games where you could mow down enemies and that's just it. One day your sailing smoothly only to find out that the next battle is a storm.
Below is my summary:
+shared exp/ap distribution
+lots of characters and unit types
+story(3 well-written paths to choose from plus some sub-paths)
+post-game content(extra chapters and dungeons, the option to choose a different path in story)
+convenient(camera view, warren report,chariot system)
+time-waster(if its addicting then its usually good)
-shared exp/ap distribution(it could work either way, starting from lvl 1 or with few/zero ap is no joke)
-lots of characters and unit types(also could work either way, the option to experiment with every unit types requires heavy grinding and which is limited by exp/ap distribution system)
-limited ability slots(a maximum of ten)
-heroic ally AI(I laughed and cried so hard out of frustration)
-mission objective(its usually slay the target to auto-win battle)
-magic(except for a few you're better off with a bow)
-time-waster(but it could also be bad for your body)