This game is awesome. Before I bought it..I knew there were a lot of people who despised it and a lot of people who loved it. I was planning to buy it anyways. I actually think the battles are a bit faster than FFVIII battles. But I really liked the atmosphere in the game, just like VII and VIII. I liked how they returned to the old FF style. Especially the song that you hear at the game's main menu just oozes atmosphere xD When I beat the game it actually felt really complete. I really liked the ending in this one. And I liked the battle system more than FFVIII's. It was cool that every weapon had different abilities and it was up to you to decide wether you want to learn it or not. So I don't think this game sucks. I really enjoyed it. It isn't the best one..but it's a worthy entry to the series.