Less annoying than the first game, though the difficulty can break most players
Storywise, FFTA2 starts off extremely slow and the ending is quite predictable. Like the first game the kid character is transported into the world of Ivalice through a book. He lands in the middle of a field and joins in a Clan. The player will explore life in the land of Ivalice and take part in about 50 or so quests to get to the final storymode battles, or up to 400 to explore tons of sidequests. The story that takes place in the land of ivalice is more exciting than the main story itself. Characters are charming and adorable and I loved the comments made by the main character.
Graphics wise, the game could be a game on the GBA. It has colorful sprites and world map, there is a lack of 3D used and most skills do not push any graphical limits. Finally soundwise, the soundtrack is awesome and some tracks seem like they came from Final Fantasy XII.
The gameplay ranges from fun to extremely brutal and difficult on easy mode. The boss battles are excessively difficult because of the main enemy having a tendency to get rid of the judges (in this game the judge leaves if you break a law and the only lose is the inability to use phoenix downs or revive characters). The gameplay is fun if you are able to find and enjoy the elimination of units or exploring some of the side stories in the quests. Other battles can be challening if the law cards dont cater to your style or you do not use items. There is the same job system with about 12 or so jobs that have their own skills.
Ultimately the only difficult aspect are the difficult boss fights that will drain all of the items you use. Also the tedious part is trying to get and create weapons that will allow and enable you to learn new other abilities.
If one can embrace the difficult and plow through the experience is rewarding and most players will probably not be able ot get through the final boss. However the experience is fun and such. (Annoying aspect: inability to rotate the camera)
This is a definitive DS title that most people should play.