I also like to say this is the first game I truly loved so much that I played 48 hours straight with no sleep.
Here are the details.
Gameplay 9/10
Elements 9/10
This game has a lot going for it, as far as gameplay elements are concerned. One being the critical hit factor where you can mash the x button at the right time to get a critical hit. You also have a dual attack with your sidekick dragon. As far as the uniqueness of spells and Summons go, they are unique. Very unique looking. In most games Fire 1 for example is pretty much like a bigger version of Fire 2. IN this game, Fire1 is a whole different enchilada than Fire 2 for example. This makes the battles less boring. The other thing I absolutely love about this game is that you could accidentally wander in an area where you are not supposed to be for a while. AND YOU CAN ENTER!! The catch is, that you may encounter an enemy all of a sudden that wipes out your entire party. This made the game more exciting and challenging for me. Not to mention you can get some good exp with the right setup. The game also includes a variety of secret characters, all very colorful.
Controls 6/10
I didn't have any problem with the controls, and I thought everything was fine. The only Qualm I have is clicking on objects. Let's say you click a box from the south, it won't have anything, but if you click it from the left it might have something. I thought that was quite cheesy. There is also the issue of activating some items at some spot per say. Sometimes even if you are ON the spot, it won't work. So you have to keep going up and down around the spot, and go click happy to make it work.
Difficulty 8.5/10
Ok, I have to say this game can get difficult at times, and leveling is quite difficult and time consuming. You could also accidentally end up in places where you are not supposed to be for a while, and your whole party could get wiped out. So for that I give it an 8.5/10 for difficulty.
Story 9/10
I loved the story!!! This game is all about Chivalry, and has a lot of twist and turns. Knights, castles, dragons, ... What more can you ask for.
Audio 5/10
This is a relatively old game, and the sound is nothing to brag about.
Graphics 8/10
The graphics are old school. And I am giving it an 8/10 just because the graphics were very good for the time it got released. It was an old school game, that is 2d with a 3d feel. The characters are nicely designed, the backgrounds are cute, and the spell and summon graphics vary quite a bit.
Value 9/10
This is a GREAT RPG. Just being an RPG would give it great value, but since it's a great one, I have to give it a 9/10 value wise. It is definitely worth a buy.
Replayability
I can see this game being played more than once. At least two in my book. But probably not any more than 2 :)
Fun Factor 9/10
Did I mention this game is soooo much fun!!?? Well it is :) From the battles, to the difficulty in some areas making it feel like a life or death battle, to a great story and creative spells and summons, all of these go hand in hand to make this game FUN!!
Overall Rating 9/10
I hope this review helps someone :)