I think this is another example in where the Japanese one has way more cool stuff than the American version.
Personally I used Raven because he's a mix of close-combat and ranged, as he uses a shortbow.
If you have never played, no, you cannot play as the cool blonde haired dude in the NA version. The graphics are pretty nice, but the story is probably not the best. Timelinewise I think this would go first, you'll learn why when you play.
