Does it end on a high note or make you bang the keys?
The gameplay uses a system reminiscent of Tales of Phantasia, but far easier and more interesting. You essentially take turns from character to character(you start out with just polka and her amazing umbrella) either jamming the attack button, using a special move, defending, or using an item. All of these are dependent on an action gauge, which depletes differently depending on how much experience your party has. At first you'll have as much time to plot as you like how to attack certain enemies, but by the end You'll have no TT(Tactical time) other than running to the enemy and bashing him in. Bosses can sometimes provide a little more interesting tactic to fighting, particularly the dragon-like enemy once you get past the graveyard area, you'll have to essentially play it like Onyxia from world of warcraft - One person tanks him, one rogues(or hunters) him from behind so his damage hits only one person at a time, and the other either goes full heal, or paladin style(polka or chopin). But when it all comes down to it, here's how you beat most characters: A A A A A A A A A A A A Y I win.
The graphics, although a wee bit closer to PS2, are very vibrant at carries the strange nostalgia from going through the lavish and memorable lands in chrono cross. Although admitedly when you're just in 3rd person mode in some of the enemy territory, it can look a little bit ancient.
The sound, well.... put english subtitles with japanese audio and you'll save yourself some pain(or perhaps laughing...), as that goes with most JRPGs that aren't developed by squaresoft. The part of the game that can really irritate you is the end. It's far, far too long, and any hope for logic in the somewhat confusing part of the last chapter is quelled by long cutscenes that essentially bore you rather than make you wonder.
This game can take about 15-20 hours, took me about 17 without doing much with the side quests, not much of that either. I reccomend it if you're preferring less of a first person RPG like elder scrolls and more of a traditional gameplay... sort of.