An RPG that should and must be played by every fan of the genre.
Radiata Stories packs some of the most beautiful graphics this side of gaming. The brightly-colored environments are well-crafted, giving a 'countryside' look to outside areas and a wacky-but-great look to interior areas. Each character is well detailed, even the minor characters are given great attention. The normal NPCs are also good-looking. The facial expressions and human actions add dramatically to the atmosphere.
The backgrounds are breathing with life. There's always something that's happening at the back, whether it's the rustling of leaves, animals grazing, butterflies flying, waters flowing or maybe even humans working or doing their own businesses, it's an asset to the game, proving that the attention to detail is definitely not ignored.
Dialogue is often voiced, and it's not a disadvantage since the voices and the dialogue are remarkable. Cutscenes are lengthy but worthwhile, since everything is just so great, that even the unskippable scenes are a must-watch. The battle system is typical action RPG fare: the hack-and-slash variety. It's not really a disadvantage, since the battles are peppered with nice features, such as the Volty Attack system, a powerful attack that consumes part of the Volty Meter (built up by hitting the enemy, whether it causes any damage or not, so long as it strikes). There is also the Command System, in which you are able to issue various commands that you've learned to your comrades, as well as the Link System, likened to an army or military formation and allows you to attack an enemy in a certain position.
One nice feature in the game is the 'kicking' feature, which allows you to kick almost everything in sight. You can even kick NPCs, though this nets you fights.
Musically, Radiata Stories delivers. The quality voice acting fits in the game, as well as the music. Although not something out of a Final Fantasy game, it's definitely great and not to be underestimated in any way.
The game also has a story that qualifies as one of the best in an RPG, at the very least in my opinion. There are two endings, and a path (with completely different content) for each ending. It adds incentive to play the game a second time. If you have already beaten the game, you can set your sights on an unlockable dungeon or explore areas yet to be discovered.
All in all, Radiata Stories is a masterpiece. It is, by far, the best RPG I have ever played, surpassing even Final Fantasy VII in my heart.