imo it’s a mid-tier FF game notable for an incredible first disc and a banger soundtrack.
The plot goes completely off the rails (as it does every time FF tries time travel) and the game never really recovers
The cast is okay. The face tattoo definitely brings down the average. I’m not sure who the standout party member is. I preferred Quistis and Irvine
The junction system gameplay is a complete mess, but if you know what you’re doing it becomes a so-bad-it’s-good situation. It’s very fun to break that game’s combat
The game seems to have somewhat of a polarizing reception overall - I see lots of people say its their favorite one but a lot of other people rank it relatively low. I seem to remember it being more popular back around the Kingdom Hearts/Kingdom Hearts II days, with people very happy to see Squall (“Leon”) in those games