I am not a huge fan of persona, I can appreciate it but the plot never drew me in. I love how this game has the mechanics that I liked in persona and gives me that Final Fantasy 9 type fantasy itch I crave. Not over the top silly, not too serious.
Outside of that, the game is done really well. The art work is amazing, voicing spot on, I enjoy the story and all this is coming from someone who is VERY picky - not that big of a JRPG fan.
You can tell the team that made this knew what they were doing and completed an original masterpiece in the style they have already refined over the years.