Can't really say why this game resounded more with me than VII.
The gameplay was not that good, the draw and junction system is not my favorite of the franchise, but for some reason it made sense to me and I kept playing, min maxing my party, drawing magic from enemies, discovering spots and almost all the bosses had some magic or GF that I didn't had.
The cast os characters was really cool, to this day I still love Irvine, Selphie and for one reason or other: Squall.
The story is pretty good, I really enjoyed it, even with the whole plot of consciousness traveling to the past to see the shaping of events and all that megalomaniacal sorceress from the future, in the end it all comes together for a corny and most soap opera ending.
Can't really recommend this one for someone who knows nothing of Final Fantasy, but for the long time fan I can say it: give it a shot, you may like it.