A very compelling game.
However, the game is very hard for someone who is used to playing games like Symphonia or Vesperia. The dungeons force you to use your brain much more and can leave you stumped as of what to do. This is the biggest criticism I have for the game, but this isn't a bad thing. Difficulty can make a game much better if you are willing to put in the effort.
The graphics are good. The characters expression are very cute, and all the NPCs have their own look which I like. As well, the backgrounds of the battles are always great and artistic looking.
The sound is good for a game this old, but sometimes the characters will say something weirdly, but this adds a humor element to the game. Also the music was fairly good and did not drive you nuts when you were trapped in a dungeon for a long time.
The battles are exceptionally good, so the random encounter isn't bad unless you're trying to solve a puzzle. It was very enjoyable levelling up to get new moves, which were really great in this game. Unlike some newer Tales games, this game required you to develop a strategy and use each technique to its full potential which added something great to the game.
In addition the gameplay outside of battle was never dry. Each puzzle was different and satisfying. All the cooking and subplots and spell finding helped each town. As well as the non battle summons which were cool, but I wanted to have a battle with them as well. The other summons also stood out with good designs.
Overall this game is very compelling with it's story, characters, and all the elements it has in addition to battles. This game will probably take you a long time to beat, but it is time well spent.