The best RPG ever. Prove me wrong, I dare you.
You control Vyse, a member of a Robin-Hood-style gang of pirates called the Blue Rogues. Your mission is to strike out against the Valuan Empire, a military nation with ambitions of globalization, which is to say, total world conquest. Along the way, you'll fight ancient monsters, explore strange lands, and meet some of the most memorable characters ever. Needless to say, the plot is original and entertaining.
The gameplay is as one would expect from a classic RPG. Turn based battles and random encounters are the name of the game here. But what really sets this game apart is the combat between ships, which is executed flawlessly and in an entertaining manner, requiring a great degree of strategy. The background music, which is all orchestrated, is the best in any game I've played. The game has no live voiceovers, but the voices for the characters' sound bytes are topnotch. The graphics are good and not outstanding, and the character models are beautiful. The game will take a good 40-50 hours to finish, and more if you go for the numerous sidequests. As for replay value? I've played through this game many, many times (I lost count around 13) without ever tiring of it.
Bottom line, this game is nothing short of fantastic, and is a must play for RPG fans. And if you hate the downfall of Sonic the Hedgehog as much as I do, take heart: Sega can still make good games if they try hard enough.