This game doesn't get enough credit from most FF fans.  The cinematics are amazing as well as the audio, which are both big steps up from FF7 IMO.  The plot is very complex and intricate, but it does take a while to get going.  The draw system is kind of funky, but workable once you get used to it.  The only thing that really bothers me after a while is being unable to skip the GF animations.  They're very cool looking, but they get old after the first hundred times or so. Triple Triad is pretty darn cool and probably one of the best features of FF8.