Final Fantasy XIII, It may not be the same as the others but it does not mean its bad!
Gameplay - "Keeps getting me into it over and over again but too bad its mostly automated" (8/10)
The gameplay is a very, VERY large step since the original Final Fantasies, while the game still has its roots in being turn-based with classes and multiple characters the ATB (Active Time Battle System) is not so bad as people say it is, while controlling only one character is an issue even for me the active time battles are very fast, they keep you on your toes and give you a feeling that you are actually DOING something but the thing that ruins its score is the fact that its really, REALLY automated to the point where you can beat the game by just pressing "Auto-Attack" over and over again (I've done that).
Overall the gameplay is fun and might grow on some of you but the majority of hardcore Final Fantasies fans will most likely hate this new system because its just "not the same".
Presentation - "Looks AMAZING but why in the hell is it so liner?!!" (8/10)
It's as if Square Enix just wants to make something really fun and cool-looking but in the same time just ruin it with something else!
The visuals are very impressive, for a 2010 game the visuals on the Xbox 360 looked amazing without a doubt and i wish more games will follow its path with the nice looking areas and the cool soundtrack that makes you feel like a badass while killing enemies!
But don't be fooled, behind all of the beauty the game is simply the most liner RPG I've EVER played, that this really ruins the game for some people, when thinking about it the game is really just a corridor with a few enemies scattered around just to hold you up on your way and while i did not have a huge problem with this the game is still an RPG and last time i remember linearity is not something an RPG should have.
Story - "Interesting yet it was not THAT interesting" (8/10)
Remember when RPG's had a clear target and a boss? (Cue FFVI) well its exactly the opposite from what FFXIII has! Clearly when you play the game the main characters have no idea what they are doing or going after so they end up doing stupid stuff that really just feels like filler and goddamnit! i just want an RPG where the boss is known from the start and is actually a boss and not "the pulse lacie" as if they are united, can i get JUST that please?
However the story for the most part will have you interested if you let it, if you don't have the patience for it then you wont enjoy what it offers since it does take its sweet time to get to the good parts.
Replayability - "Shallow and feels missing" (7/10)
Probably one of the biggest letdown for me is the replayability of the game, after I've finished it once i was so happy because it was a really awesome experience that ended on a good note however the moment i wanted to play that game all over again i for some reason just quit after the first chapter of the game and ever came back to it.. it just felt to "same-y" if you will, i like to have different choices and lots of cool little unlockables that will have me play the game just for them, but that game leaves you blank after you finished it once, so if you do ever play it i suggest you do a good first playthrough and suck out all of the fun you can get from it right away or else you will fall into the same trap as i did.
Conclusion - 8.0
While a very fun game with a very nice combat and story, the game fails at being very open and generally gives you a minor amount of options if not none at all, but looking past all of the linearity and the face that the story does not know what it wants to do, the game is highly fun and i would recommend people giving it a try, but dont buy it straight away since its a game not made for everyone.
Thank you for reading this review.
~J-Jazz