It wasn't a horrible game, but in the end it just suffered from weak characters and a story which got a little too complicated for its own good. Also, Zidane and Garnet never really worked for me as a couple. The Trance system was horrible, and the sidequests felt uninspired. FF9 started out ok, but it ended up losing steam around disc three and never really got on track for me.

That's not to say it is a bad game. The story as a whole is ok, and there are some beautiful set pieces and moments (Bahamut vs Alexander). I don't think that people hate it, I just think it doesn't have much replay value because the sidequests are not much fun, and the plot just has too many threads in it. I still don't understand why some of the characters were even there.

ps I didn't vote. This game is a clear mild to me, and it always will be.