Final Fantasy XIII reviews

I've been a fan on Final Fantasy ever since Final Fantasy IV, and this one is no different. The story didn' t grip me at first and i found it a little Tedious, but when it gets to it's free roam run around (which is quite far in to the game) it gets back to the old school final fantasy feel. All I can say is “give it time and it will suprise you”

The graphics in many environments are quite shoddy and lackluster in design.

The game is much more linear than previous versions, for the most part you will feel like you're running down an extremely long and boring hallway.

The camera is far too close to your character and is a near constant source of frustration as it will never face the direction you need it to.

The levelling system is overly simplistic, you wont find much in the way of career customisation – One of the staples of an RPG.

The game forever sends you to the menu to read about various aspects of the plot, killing any flow of gameplay.

The female characters seem to be about 12 years old making any romance scenes somewhat akin to child pornography.

Overall I would rate it above FFX-2 but a definate step backwards for the series.

Considering FF series is suppose to be the best of JRPG with millions of fans world wide. FFXIII is a big disappointment for all of us and a good example of what happens when developers forget that FF is a game, an RPG game, not a HD animation.

First look, pretty, intro was impressive but that's about it.

Story line: after 4 hours. I still couldn't understand what is going on. There is no background, no foundation. Just bit and pieces

Combat system: real time, similar to star ocean but you can only control 1 character, if you die, game over. You can revive your teammate but they are not smart enough to revive you? To make it worse, to use certain skills or spells, you will need to swap classes, and since this is real time battle, while you are scrolling thru your ability list, selecting which target to attack. Enemies will continue hammering you non-stop. And there is no option to turn combat to turn-based either.

After months of waiting, it is sad to say that I won't be finishing nor keeping this game.

So maybe you've read reviews and looked at the metacritic score for this game and it looks far worse than its predecessors. If you are wondering if its a good game the answer is yes, definitely. I got the game today and I have played 14 hours, it's now 3:30am and I'm still wake from playing it. A game that keeps me awake is a good game. Basically it is linear, there are no towns as such, in a typical Final Fantasy sense, but you do enter cities but on a much grander scale and combat occurs within the city. And once you understand the story it make sense that there are no towns for you to go shopping at. At the start of the game you are a fugitive, so if you popped into a store you're likely to get caught. Therefore your characters avoid the towns, and if they go, they run through. The game being linear can be tedious at points but in terms of storytelling, its great. When you think about it, Final Fantasy X wasn't that much more forgiving either. What I am not sure about at this point is re-playability, but I'm sure it will be good to replay.

The new battle system kicks arse. That's all that needs to be said. You start off with a simple system but it becomes the best battle system to use because it is fun, battles are not a chore, they are exciting. Leveling up is similar to FFX and it employs a job system and you use experience to level up nodes on a job. In a battle your characters would typically use two jobs. They are all handy and work well.

Music is good, it's not the memorable orchestrated music like in FFVII and VIII but it suits the setting of FFXIII. All in all, it is a great game, just have a little patience and once the story gets going and the battle system comes together you'll love it.

I absolutely love the visuals in ff13. I can't wait for ff13–2. I recommend playing ff13 before the release of ff13–2 (which will be late 2011 – early 2012)…

As a huge late 90's Final Fantasy fan I found XIII to be quite a let down. The game itself is very liner and quite tedious but the biggest problem for me was the lack of character customization, growth, and personalization which should be paramount in an RPG. Your characters all grow at the same pace and in a preset manner.

The graphics are awesome and the battles can be fun and fast paced but overall this game pretty much boiled down to hitting the X button over and over for 60 hours, and I hate to say this about a FF game.

For me, the FF brand died with this game. Gaming standards are way higher nowadays and there are amazing RPGs out there, just not here.

Am being very patient as yet to finish resident evil 5.

At $49.99 on special this game is an absolute steal!

Couldn't put this game down. Agree with other reviewers it is more linear than the other FF titles however the graphics, game play and combat system more than make up for it. Besides, the game is so fast paced that it makes you want to continue on rather than take a break and go running through forests to explore.

I love Final Fantasy, from my first time playing VI, to the jaw dropping revolutionary VII, the awesome steam punk IX and the graphical marvel that was X, it has been a game which has redefined the fantasy RPG.

Exactly where XIII went so bad is hard to pin-point. I never felt like i was a part of the team, there is a very abrupt introduction into a heavily convoluted plot. The characters are either very stereotypical or incredibly unlikeable. The battle system is a nice change, with a very nice paradigm system, but the lack of control over the other members is very frustrating, EVEN THOUGH THEY COULD DO THIS IN XII.

Yes, graphically, as many around me point out, it's stunning, but hardly the best compared to Mass Effect 2 or Uncharted 2. We waited four years for what was essentially a very long corridor and a joke of a story. I wish I could say that I was suprised, but with Square Enix's track record lately it's another franchise ruined.

I recommend this game to anyone who loves a good storyline, fantastic characters and amazing graphics! You don't need a high defenition T.V. to love the amazing graphics, but it certainly helps! I give this wonder from Square Enix a 5 star rating for its amazing gameplay and aesthetics. Not only are the characters lovable and funny, but serious and determined. If you're like me and love the Final Fantasy series, you will adore this one! In my opinion the battle style is by far better than any previous FF. With the new battle mode you can change your characters abilities in-game, which ties in neatly with the leveling up style! I recommend this game not only to Final Fantasy lovers but to those people that love a fun-filled battle hungry fantasy! My one and only dislike in this game is its long start. It takes a good 2 or so hours in order to get underway. But oh is it worth it!

Jaimie (just your usual gamer)

If u like the line of Final Fantasy games then u better get 13 even though my favorite will all ways be Final Fantasy 7 hehe.

Its an ok game for me but if u do like finalfantasy game then this is a definate buy

I have not actually played FF13 yet because the moronic HDCP compliance won't let me play PS3 on my 26" LCD monitor that can more than handle Full HD but does not have the idiotic HDCP chip. Back on topic, once I can actually start gaming on PS3 I'm sure FF13 will be great, just like all others.

Mean az game!

Well, what can you say about Final Fantasy that hasn't been said already? This is an excellent game, its fun; it's got absolutely stunning FMV sequences. I've always said that Square Enix are the kings of console FMV's and they deliver breathtaking cinematic footage that literally left my jaw dropping when you see the level of detail in their work.

To be blunt, the game starts out very plain, the story starts out very weak and really hard to understand and the game play is extremely linear than most other Final Fantasies. This changes dramatically as your progress but be warned to put in at least 15 hours until you get to the better parts of the game and from there it gets good, really good.

The story opens up a lot (read the text onscreen when you're loading a save game), as with previous titles of the series and it gets more and more in depth and is well thought out. The game play and effects are amazing; especially fighting styles and the fight system and the concept of experience and upgrades for your characters is brilliant.

If you're trophy whore like me this game will take you ages to complete, I'm still yet to get all the trophies and I have a feeling I won't get two just due to being damn hard! I've put in 83 hours of game play into this game and it's by far worth the cash for the time you will put into it.

Another positive is this game loads extremely fast, from the XMB to a loaded game and playing is under 1 minute which is great, and once you're in the game the load time between section is maybe 5 seconds at worst.

Overall a great game, I've given it four stars out of five. It's totally worth its weight and the wait for its release. If you don't already have this then I'd recommend adding it to your collection – you won't be let down and it'll keep you going for months.

Stunning graphics, great storyline, gripping combat. Most important of all, it's Final Fantasy. That in itself makes it a must buy for fans of the series

I've never been a fan of recent the FF game (FF12) and thought that Square's going down but this definitely proves me wrong. This is exactly the kind of game that Square needed to get back on top! From the very deep and strategic game play to its almost flawless graphics this game has it all and to top it off a story that is often misunderstood because of its depth and artistry. Yes sure it's like watching a movie at FIRST but who can complain about that when the graphics are second to none? People often say that the story is “hard” to understand but isn't that better than knowing what's going to happen before it happens? I'm currently on 40+ hours and the game play still gets deeper with all the things I can do with features like the paradigm shift system, summoning eidolons, and more. Overall Final Fantasy XIII is a great JRPG game with great graphics, easy to understand but hard to master battle system, and a story line that keeps you on your toes.

Man fell into hype with this one, was so dissapointed, didnt even play 5 hours and I gave up, graphically stunning but not the classic strategy final fantasy game style

The grahpics are very colorful and alive. The characters are unique and interesting. With all different back stories. The combat even though turned based. Is alot of fun. Alot of variety, depth, and challenge. You use tactics of different attacks, or different skills. The level up system is very good. Its a very long game, will last you numerous hours.

This game has a lot in common with the very first Final Fantasy game I encountered (heck, even the names are along the same vein – Cloud/Lightning?). While it does take a while to get going, when it does “go” it really “goes”. An excellent addition to the FF family.

I think that this game allows the most amount of damage to be done in any Final Fantasy game that I've played, which is great seeing your character doing almost 1 million damage in 1 hit.

As a fan of the series, this instalment doesn't disappoint.

This game has provided me with hours of entertainment. Definitely recommended.

I'm a huge fan of the Final Fantasy series, and this game definitely wasn't a disappointment.

The game is furnished with a rich storyline, clear graphics and amazing battle scenes. The only negatives to the whole game are the very repetitive battles and linear game structure – although these do not really affect the pure AWESOMENESS of the game.

A definite must-buy for any gamer geek. 9/10

A really pretty game. With all the cinematics. But doesn't take it away from gameplay. Has a magnificent battle system and lots of side missions all in all this is one of the great ones 5/5

Like all of the previous final fantasy games, this one is a bit slow at the start. No background information is given about the characters and Hope and Vanille can get very annoying at times. At the beginning, the combat is, like all other final fantasies mashing the X button until everything dies. But a couple of hours in, the battles begin to get more difficult and are about fast decision making. Hope finally grows a pair by about half way through the game which is my only gripe about the plot. Oh, and the graphics are awesome for a console game. I played it on my 1080p monitor and there weren't many jaggies ( they're there, but not nearly as noticeable as other ps3 games). Overall a good game, well worth the mighty ape low price.

Even though I have been a fan of Final Fantasy for years, initially I felt a little let down by this when I first played it. At the beginning it seems like the storyline is too linear, and it is, I won't try and deny that. However as the story progresses things really begin to open up.

The game is totally different from the previous few FF titles as it incorporates a new battle system. You are in control of the main character although you have two other party members who can fight along with you. You are able to assign roles which are developed throughout the game, all of which requires tactics.

Not once did I get bored with this game. One issue I've had with previous FF games was that when you clock it, the game ends, you can not continue. This is not so with FFXIII, as you can continue and explore the world doing quests (and developing your people).

Although the trophy list takes time to complete, none of the requests are too farfetched. This is a game that will keep you entertained for an incredibly long time.

Havnt played the game as much as I wanted to( as I keep buying more from mighty ape, so happy I found this site) but so far so good

From the get go I loved it, the cut scenes are amazing and I like how its a lit bit more like watching a movie where you take control of characters every now and then. Some might find it a little slow to start up but Im a fan so that didnt really bother me. The only down side that I found is how slow each character gets there summons, and I'm a summons fan, I still think they should go back to just summon beast out and let it d there thing before sending them off :)

Gotta get this, especially if your a FF fan!

This is in my opinion the best in the final fantasy series :D I loved it soo much and its not easy which makes you really angry and yet realy happy when you do it haha I had soo much fun playing this game ive started a new game :D thats how cool it is :D

Before I played this game, I heard that this game was a dissopointing FF series. After playing it a couple of hours, I find that this game is quite unique compared to the previous series. The battle system is fantastic and easy to learn. The graphic is beatiful and story is quite interesting. No one should miss out this game since the price is currently $39.00 only.

Its a fun and challenging if you try and get the trophies. But Its a must if you like your RPor Square Enix games. Lots of play time on this.

Amazing visuals and an awesome story line. If only they put the same effort into the gameplay so you're not running down linear paths most the time and have a bit more customization and control. Not as good as past Final Fantasy games but if you're a fan of the series then you'll probably over look the flaws.

Square Enix has done it again. Final fantasy is flawless , as always. Is there anything Square can't do? I'm definitely not betting against them.

Awesome game if you can put up with the linear game play and lack of freedom.

Superb graphics and very cinematic game which lacks the freedom associated with the open world style of earlier FF's (VII and VIII mainly)

Certainly recommend despite problems.

The game was ok but was dissapointed with the freedom and sidequests the game offered. Storyline was average and from ff7 to 13 id say this would be the 3rd worst ive played with 9 and 11 beating it as the worst ff in the series. Cut scenes and graphics are awsome but wasnt enough to satisfy my ff expectations.

iv been waiting to buy this game forever and i final got it. it lives up to all expectations if not more the game paly is good and the story line works. and if u dont like to much talking u can skip it now wich makes things alot quicker all and all a awsum game and wel worth buying

From start to finish you will be kept entertained!! This game is worth the long wait. The graphics are mind blowing and trust me you will not be let down!! The game play is un-beleiveable and the game has awsome instructions as you go to help you figure out how to operate the controls etc.

Overall i recommend this game no matter who you are!!!!!!!!!!!

Final fantasy XIII;Great visually, storyline builds but you're left wondering what the heck's going on, as in the beginning as you find yourself battling for your life;easily enough, sure but why? However you can only control the leader in battle, so when they die, GAME OVER.