It an o-kay game, but you might want to check it out first before you dive in.
When you first start, choose your characters. Easy said and done, unless you played the first game and became attached to your previous characters. Anyways, you get all that, head to the dungeon. Here's the problem. The monsters are a little hard/easy depending on where your training. Certain monsters, like the Great Sphinx will destroy you, if you do not have a zodiac on your team, or a higher level. Lets say though, you can easily destroy all the monster on the first level, and you think your ready for the next level. So you go down a level, and you run into a fight. Depending on your level again, usually you will get destroyed. This is a little frustrating, because the first floor monsters are too easy, but the second floor monsters take you out, almost right away. Plus, the 'hard' mobs, are almost simply impossible to defeat, unless you are the correct level. The entire game is primarily based off of level, and sometimes the certain skill stat needed.
Now money wise, its kind of hard there too. Then again, when isn't money a problem in games? Anyways, you barely get any money from monsters, and when you do, its usually about 20. You get materials instead, and you sell those for, again, like 20. Most of the first floor monsters will not drop you anything good. But you need armor and weapons for your main characters, right? So you need money. Also, when you went to heal inside of town, you pay. When you go to revive a member, you pay. To store items in, you pay. What I did when I was low on money was just sell my other character's items, because I didn't know if I would use them often, even if their items didn't sell for much.
Choosing whose on your party is a little hard, because most of the people you have choice from, have that 'one good trait'. For example, the farmer job is pretty useless on the fighting terms, but they can revive a fallen member. That is so important in the game, because it saves you so much money when a member dies. Then there is prince/princess group. They can also heal your group a little, but they are good in fighting. If you played before games, they take the place of a troubadour.
There is a new option within this game that none of the other games have. In this game, you now have the option to travel over water. When you first get it, its pretty worthless until you get more money, and better items. The main thing you do is fish, which you can get some pretty good money from that. Though, right when you start you are asked to find out whats wrong with this bird, but whenever you get close to the island the bird is, it comes and destroys your ship, so pretty much abandon that quest until later. With the new ship option, it is easier to get money, and it gives you a new way to explore.
After all of that though, the game is pretty addictive. I say this because you might get really hurt, but your to far into the game to return back to town to heal. The backgrounds you travel through is okay, to mediocre. I say this as nicely as possible. The background while exploring is still blocky, and isn't very smooth, like most games want to be.