When I recommend a FF to newcomers this is always my go to. Its not my favorite, but I think it straddles that classic FF/modern FF line perfectly and is a good way for people to jump in
Discussion
That's a really good point. The battle system still has its roots in past games coupled with a more modern presentation definitely makes this game more approachable. Kind of like the final evolution of the series up until then, and then XII went about making more fundamental gameplay changes.