The things that make a great RPG for me is a RPG with: (not in order)

1. Great music. The music gives emotion, especially to the RPGs with out voice-acting.

2. Realistic characters. Some funny ones, some serious ones, some sad and dark ones, just mixes of all kinds.

3. A great story. The story cannot be the same old thing: kill a crazy guy who wants to destroy the world and then get the girl when you're done with that.

4. And there has to be lush colors. I don't pink, and yellow, and bright green but if you look at FF8, the world map looked kinda dull and ickish. But FF7's world map had brighter grass and such things.