for graphics, I would suggest GIMP or Photoshop - GIMP is cheaper ('cause GIMP is FREE!), but I find Photoshop easier to use. As for audio...no clue, music's not my strong suit.

You can also find modern/sci-fi assets online, if you know where to look. Check out Sithjester's site, she has a few there, and I got a modern Tokyo-pack from somewhere I honestly can't recall atm.

For me, it was Final Fantasy 6; I had played Dragon Quest 1 and Breath of Fire, but they just didn't grab me like FF6 has. In fact, we rented it from the local rental place so often, they wound up just giving us the game to keep when they closed down. Still have it, somewhere.

Funny thing, I hated it at first; I just couldn't get my head around the play mechanics (only the third RPG I had played, up to that point, and the other two didn't exactly set my world on fire, y'know?). Then I tried one of the other save files, saved at the Nightmare Train, and I was hooked. The whole atmosphere of that section alone drew me in, and I was determined to not only give the game a chance, but beat the hell out of it.