At the time, when I started playing this game for the first time, I had no idea what I was getting into. From the screenshots it appeared to me as a well-made JRPG with serious tones.
I was not wrong about the quality, but seeing how the game keeps it up and continues to surprise for its entire course is honestly surprising.
And for the tones of the game, I was partially wrong. The story is really deep with a lot of twists to keep the player on its toes, but it has a lot of fun characters and whacky moments to alleviate the player from the constant crying (no ok, I'm slightly exaggerating here. But some moments honestly made me cry a little - I have video proof!)
The gameplay is really engaging, the teambuilding part is simple but still really deep, and battles are fun and engaging. It's a miracle it runs on the 2k3 engine honestly.
At the end, I really suggest this game, I guarantee that if you're a fan of JRPG you'll surely like it.
In my opinion this game should not be free, but for various reasonable reasons it is. So It's like getting a paid game for free. :D