Final Fantasy XIII is a great RPG.There is exploration and customisation; but it lacks the variety of previous titles.
Story- The story is told through numerous flashbacks while present events take place during the action. This form of story telling is immersive. However it doesn't compare to the grand linier storyline of Final Fantasy X. The plot seems to concentrate mostly on the characters and their motivations as opposed to fleshing out the culture of the world around them. There is little time to rest for the characters in XIII, they are either contantly on the run as exiled fugitives or fighting for their lives against very dangerous wild life on Gran Pulse. There are a lot of complaints about the ambiguity in XIII's plot. The characters spend a lot of the time over and over trying to figure out what their 'focus' is when all they have is a very obscure montage of images. Also, the characters are the most annoying characters in the series. Like most Final Fantasy's it recycles situations and themes used in previous installments. I could make obvious linkages to VII, VIII, IX and X. The story is on par with VIII and IX and is not in the same league as VII and X.
8/10
Visuals and Art- A pure delight in high definition on single Bluray disc as opposed to the XBox360 storing the game on three DVD's. The visuals are crisp and colourful, from the settings, scenery and explosive battle action. The cutscenes are the most gorgious I have ever seen. I can't compliment the graphics enough. Despite this, Final Fantasy XIII's explorable environments lack the culture given by multiple cities and towns of various nations in Gran Pulse. There are no towns or communities in the explorable Gran Pulse, just obundant untamed wild life and ruins of cities centuries before the 'War Of Trangression'. This means that their is no airships to take you to a place of your option. Airships only apear in the context of the plot. Cocoon, which floats above Gran Pulse, has many cities and towns. However the areas of Cocoon can only be travelled through once in a linier fashion and in context the games plot unless the gamer has chapters saved on their PS3 console throughout the story of the game.
8/10
Sound and Music-There is a wide range of music here. Classical instruments, electronic, rock and epic opera montages that thrill you as you battle your way through the story. Relaxing balleds with beautiful tunes play when you are traveling through the games most breathtaking locations. The music played in Sulyya Springs and Truthseekers Rise is beautiful. Final Fantasy XIII has the best music in the series, and thats saying alot.
10/10
Gameplay- Final Fantasy XIII has the best and most technical battle-system in the series. The Paradym System is a rewarding and innovative way to stagger and defeat you foes as well as being extremly fast and strategic. Enemies are presented out of battle, so the player has the option to dodge and choose not to fight if you so desire. The linier nature of the game is long lived but this keeps the story focused and contantly infused with emotion and action. This is until you reach Gran Pulse and explore the world in the most un-linier way possible. This is where the game gets broad and wide where your characters can develop and complete side-quests through completing mission hunts that are scattered as Cie'th stones. Defeating these missions as well as numerous other enemies will give you various components to upgrade and transform your characters particular weapons and items as well as upgrading their strength and magic, aquiring powerful abilities for battle. Your characters can make their way around the different area's of Gran Pulse with ease by unlocking Cieth Waystones, that teleport them to a location of your choosing, provided that you unlocked the network of these stones first. Chocobo can eventually be riden after reasonable exploration and completion of certain missions beyond the reaches of the main plot. This makes the travels in the Archylte Steppe alot of fun aslong as the player completes the certain sidequests that unlock such travel privilages. 8/10
Note: Final Fantasy XIII is not as linier as one might believe. There are 13 chapters in FFXIII. When you reach Chapter 11 you leave civilised cocoon and travel to Gran Pulse, the world below. Gran Pulse is where you explore for the very large chapter 11 until return for cocoon for the final showdown in chapters 12 and 13. You can choose to do all the sidequests in Gran Pulse during chapter 11, but i recommend you follow the story and return to do the sidequests after chapter 13. Gran Pulse in not restricted to chapter 11. Once you plow your way through the chapter 13, a warp point allows you to return to Gran Pulse and finish any sidequests you like, making the rest of the game entirely about exploration. Its recommended you finish the final boss of the story before you revisit Gran Pulse again as it unlocks the final level of the crystarium for all the characters, which you can develop further on Gran Pulse. After the end credits role you will be asked to save your game and you return to the warp room before the final boss to return to Gran Pulse. All of this plus many other parts of this game is polished in a spectacular fashion.
Final Fantasy XIII is a beautiful and great title. Its not worth critisising unless a player has atleast completed this well put together 'Light/Console RPG'. It is evident that the developers really tried to make this game look and play as great as possible. But looks aside. The balence of its graphics, presentation and its gameplay make it a unique and immersive Final Fantasy. Fans of the PSone era like myself appreciate interacting with non-playable characters in different towns and traversing through a world map that gives the illusion of exploration, all of which FFXIII lacks. But in its own way, the narrative is strengthened because of this lacking. As if the games weakness is also the stories strength. Its a game that pushes to the future of 'Light RPG's' and will present so many new gamers into one of the greatest gaming series of all time. I just hope it's linier/ break-off style is a one off thing. I want to explore the world properly in XV please!!