[quote name='sprintsucks5892']I hate to say this but:
Because it's not Final Fantasy, Halo, Grand theft Auto, or Madden.[/QUOTE]
Eh, nowadays if people get a turn-based RPG where they are a bit isolated from the gameplay, they insist on good stories. And DQ VIII's was...eh, not so great. It's among my favorite RPGs, but I can't really choose one, as each of my couple favorites excel over the other in a different area.
But for balanced or at least fairly intuitive gameplay with a decent difficulty curve, DQVIII is tops. At least for classic turn based, as it doesn't try to change things up like your Valkyrie Profiles and Grandias. Another big plus is DQ VIII's characterization. Fairly creative and quirky characters. And I love the fact that you just have your established characters, and not some group of 10 to choose from, with the focus on growing them in the way that suits you.
In conclusion, if you can get into classic turn based and are into massive exploration and lots of quirky characters, then it's your game. If you're looking for a deep story, innovative gameplay, and non-mandatory level grinding, look elsewhere.