So how far in the game are you?

I have played approximately 20 hours. I think that put me right in the middle of the story.

I know you covered most of the issues in your impression thread, but I have some questions. Does the story make you want to find out what's going on next (ie makes you feel like you can't put it down till you know what's going to happen next)?

Sure, the story keeps you engaged all the time. But like I said, the dungeons are extremely huge with few save points and sometimes no return. Therefore, it really make one thinks if one should keep playing for another 60~90 minutes or not. Don't get me wrong, it's addictive, but because of the difficulty of the game, it might discourage players from moving on with the story at a fast pace.

Are the characters interesting or plain dull?

Some characters are interesting, some are mysterious, and some are...well....normal. Personally, I find the main character Vaan a little on the dull side. Many Japanese gamers especially dislike his voice (he sounds like a 10 years old kid - in Japanese of course). I think one of the most interesting characters is Ashe. She is unlike any female characters in the FF series. She is tough, and doesn't really depend on the main character. She has a strong will, and she is filled with hatred (at least until the point where I am at).

Finally, even if you think the music is sub par would you say that it's on par with FFT? I hear that the composor for FFT and Vagrant Story did FFXII. Thanks again for your feedback!

I don't think the music is sub par, but it doesn't stand out. Remember in FFIV, every character would have his/her own theme? That's out. I don't even think they have a theme music for the bad guys in this game. Everything is just...plain.... I guess if you like FFT, then you like it. Uematsu is gone, but Sakimoto (the new composer) still uses the FF theme and prologue theme from FFIV at the beginning of the game to bring a sense of continuity and nostalgia.