This guide has the misfortune of being a bit better than the game it was created for. As a result, even an adequate guide suffers from the company it keeps. There are fully descriptive sections on the characters, their defense systems, as well as a detailed walk through complete with maps. Unfortunately, if you follow the walk through, your $50 console game will take about 20 hours to complete (not counting some long script episodes) and you won't be a happy camper. Slightly longer if you follow all the mini-games.
On the other hand, without the guide the game will take forever to play, as you suffer the contunual frustration of figuring out the complicated battle system and some of the more obscure sidequests. So yes, you will benefit from the guide, just try to use it as little as possible or it will spoil the game rather than enhance it. I found the sidequest information particularily helpful. Oddly enough I followed this strategy and thus missed a several oversights in the instructions for some subquests. It was only when I went through the guide carefully that I discovered them, and it is a misstep that will keep you from completing an entire side quest. You can still finish the game, but slightly irritated.
Outside of that, this is one of the best guides I've seen in a while. It's printed on solid paperstock with excellent graphics and writing. Sometimes the battle instructions get a bit vague, but for the most part, a lot of information is presented in an effective manner. There are a few glitches and you are sometimes guided into approaching a boss battle the long way around when a more direct, brutal approach would actually be as effective.
Because of the mentioned problem I have to give this a three star rating, although although everything else is excellent. Be warned if you decide to buy it.