I like that the characters are more fleshed out than those in previous games (including IV). I liked that they built up Ex-Death to be the villain of the game... and he STAYED the villain of the game! There was no last minute, "Actually, this guy was just a pawn for the real villain you know nothing about!" I felt it made the journey a lot more meaning when you have great characters, and a constant villain.

I loved the soundtrack. It's one of my favourites of the early games. The graphics really took a step up, and the environments are beautiful! And the job classes make for some interesting and fun experimentation.