Okay, maybe that's a bit exaggerate, but going back and playing this classic and not just remembering it with nostalgia-vision has allowed me to say that this is one of the most underrated RPGs of the PS1 era.  Sure it has it's  flaws, considering it was a flagship RPG to herald in the new age of memory cards and 32 bit animation, but despite the slow pacing at times it has one of the best stories in the series and character development that current game designs could take a note of. 
 
Describing the game to a friend last night, I related that this game was not a simple "save the world // do good" story.  It focuses more on a coming of age story, a young dragon turned boy finding his place among the world, discovering his true heritage and the role they played of years past.  A common theme of the game is the blurry lines of good and evil, so that even by the end you'll find yourself faced with a huge question that determines whether you fight the last boss or not.  Sure it's not hard to come up with the right answer, but if you've been playing and getting involved with the characters you still feel that decision is your decision. 
 
I don't want to ruin it for those who haven't had the fortune to enjoy this title, but suffice it to say despite one particular test of endurance near the end of the game which involves you walking aimlessly through a desert with limited water (you can suffer Max HP damage and an oversight gives you conflicting direction on which way to go), the game is an overall success for any who enjoy turn based RPGs. 
 
So, anyone have experiences with this title or any other particular passed over gems amongst rabble from this era?