FINAL FANTASY XIII

This was a light in a darker time for me, still is.

Do you like running down hallways? Then have I got a game for you!
In all seriousness, although I had a blast with FFXIII, it's difficult to recommend this game without reservations. When the game shines, it REALLY shines - the battle system, the presentation, character development, and lots of eye candy. It's all gold. But these positives do get hampered by some pretty bizarre design decisions.
Unlike the Final Fantasy games that came before it, in FFXIII there is no overworld exploration, no towns with interactable NPCs, and extremely linear gameplay progression. The first 75% of the game is essentially played on rails, running from one hallway to another with cutscenes interspersed between the corridors. The world is beautiful, but largely lifeless. It feels incomplete.
The story and character development are great on paper, but that's the biggest problem - it's all on paper. Most of the plot gets revealed in datalogs - hundreds of pages of text that players are required to read to understand just what is going on and what the characters' motivations are. The game also leans heavily on dramatic irony - all the characters have secrets that they just can't quite spit out, and the revelation drags on forever, which gets tiring. And although the game does have a good story with compelling characters, this is an egregious case of telling and not showing. None of this is a deal-breaker, but it's a pretty big missed opportunity. I'd rather see the action happening on screen instead of reading about it after the fact.
When you reach the game's last chapters, you finally do get taken off the rails and are allowed to explore a beautifully rendered overworld. But it's empty. Apart from a few items to find and side missions to complete, there isn't anything to explore and nobody to talk to except one little robot. The overworld is just another corridor, albeit laid out inefficiently.
I personally don't mind reading datalogs, nor am I especially bothered by linear gameplay, so I enjoyed it, but these are big drawbacks for players used to well-executed stories and sandbox exploration. The battle system and character customization are this game's saving grace. It's a shame these elements weren't given a comprehensible plot or a fleshed-out world to support them.
If you play games for the exploration and the world building, then FFXIII is definitely NOT for you. But if you like to sink your teeth into complex battle systems and lots of equipment hunting, then you should give it a try. FFXIII is without question a good game. It's just a shame, because it could've been a great game.

I was just casually browsing the FF franchise for discounts and saw FFXIII with an image of lightning raising her sword while showing her pits, and when I blinked, I already purchased the game...
...What happened???

Runs beautifully after downloading FFXIII Fix
For those who dont know, this game stutters horribly for an insane reason, that being it scans for controllers every SECOND. All FFXIII fix does is uncap the framerate, and disable that insane feature.

Don't let the people with the attention span of a goldfish or the typical arguments from 2009 by people who didn't even play the game fool you. There is PLENTY to love in this game and everything isn't revealed in the first 20 hours of the story. There's a beautiful world, with a FANTASTIC battle system that can be as complex as you want it to be, auto battle is just an option if you're lazy. If you feel like battles are slogging and taking too long, chances are you are using too much auto-battle. Story and characters can be super campy, but you will find they also have depth to them and are par for the course Final Fantasy characters.

yes, i've heard all of the criticisms about it. ive literally played through all of it, seen everything this game has to offer.
and i still consider it my favorite final fantasy game in the franchise. which, i know is a controversial opinion. but honestly, i think this game couldnt have been appreciated in the time that it was released in. some criticisms are valid, such as the game being a bit too linear, but in a gaming age where so many games are being released with the premise of being so open world, it can get overwhelming. the narrative is strong and the lore is rich within FFXIII, so i think being guided and watching the story unfold within each chapter is a nice change of pace. being linear sometimes isn't a bad thing, and i think it works in XIII's favor.
also the characters. i love each and every one of the cast, and although some might consider them annoying, one must consider the world that they are living in. they're close-minded in the beginning and too idealistic or angry because they have no other choice. witnessing their growth and channeling that hopelessness into something that can change the world makes me empathize and feel proud of them for overcoming the impossible.
this game isn't perfect, but i cant deny the sentiment for it. with a fast-paced battle system and an inspiring story, i think XIII deserves a chance. even if its not for everyone, i think theres so much good to be found within it.

Overall I had a good time with the game, story aside its enjoyable. I'm the type of person that can find the good in something despite it not being the greatest. While recognizing and understanding it's negatives, I will try to notice and find its positives.
After doing 100% achievements though, I hope I don't come to resent the game, because that was one of the most best feeling ALT-F4 Uninstalls ive ever felt haha
- Must install FF13Fix
- Recommend install FF XIII HD Project
- No crashes