Easily the best Gamecube game to be released
GAMEPLAY - This is probably the best tactical RPG I have ever played. It's very similar to Final Fantasy Tactics, but in many ways it's much better. You take control of a group of mercenaries that eventually become soldiers and ally themselves with other people along their journey. What's interesting is that there is probably somewhere around 40 or 50 people you can choose to use, and they all are well-developed characters. And should a character fall in battle, they stay dead. No "knocked-out" rules here, it's pretty realistic. That is, unless a character vital to the story falls on the battlefield. If you have a Gamecube or Wii and don't have this, you need to pick it up. Everything about the gameplay is excellent. - 10/10
STORY - The story is actually quite good, even though it almost feels like an anime version of Star Wars. If you can see past that aspect, this game is actually a really cool story. It's the kind of story that draws you in and wants you to keep going just so you can find out what happens next. - 10/10
GRAPHICS - I say this a lot, but if you're like me and don't like Anime, you should still give this game a chance. I did, and before I knew it the Anime aspect was easy to overlook. Not to mention this game looks amazing as it is. Especially the sequences where it shows what occurs when two units meet to fight. Even though this is not necessary, it's still a cool little feature. - 10/10
SOUND - The music and sounds are great. My only complaint is that there wasn't more voice-acting outside of the movies. It's hard to really associate how some of the characters sound compared to what they look like outside of the voice-acting done in the movies. Otherwise, no complaints here. - 9.5/10
LENGTH/REPLAY VALUE - I forget how many levels this game has exactly, but I know it's around the 35 mark. And considering most levels take around 30-60 minutes to complete, this game should keep you busy. I also found myself replaying this game often. Every 3 times you beat it, you unlock a hidden character for use on the secret levels. All this you unlock by beating the game multiple times and on different difficulties. And for the record, the hardest difficulty really is insanely hard...especially on the last level...but it's such a fun game from beginning to end, no matter what your style of play. - 10/10
BOTTOM LINE - Honestly this is my favorite Gamecube game if you don't count the Resident Evil remake and the re-releasing of Ocarina of Time. The gameplay, story, length, and replay value are some of the best I've seen in console games, period. It seriously makes me wish I had a Wii so I could play the sequel. If you have a Gamecube though, there is no reason why you shouldn't own this. I believe it's deserving of the prestige of games like Zelda and Mario, but sadly underrated.