I am now playing this game second time around, and I only have two negative things to point out:

1. The game had so many sidequests, dungeons, levellings, hunts etc., and so few cutscenes that when you finally had a new cutscene you had forgotten where you were in the story. Or at least, I had.

2. The License Board system made everyone the same very quickly, and I am not sure if the ranged-ability of the ranges weapons made up for their extreme weakness compared to swords, greatswords, spears and axes. The Zodiac System sounds brilliant and is just what I would have wanted in the regular game. *curses Square for their "international game"-concept*

Some of the music is indeed pale and blend in, but I find some of that in every FF-game, to be honest. I absolutely love the FF-X soundtrack, but almost the entire disc three is made of "mood"-songs that are forgotten the minute they are finished. A lot of the XII themes are great tunes - Rabanastre, Lowtown, Westersand and the Esper battles comes to mind immediately.

I am also one of those who found the plot and lack of a love story refreshing. Not because I disliked the plots or love stories in any other FFs, but simply because it was something new. Then again, X was my first FF, so I guess I am too new a FF-geek to be in love with the old school. (Nothing wrong with that, of course).

Oddly enough, though, I found the game much, much more fun the second time around than the first.