Well, I've been chipping away at FFXIII for the better part of a week now and I'm about 40 hours into it, closing in on the end.
It's not a clear cut masterpiece like most other Final Fantasy titles. Wether you'll love the game hugely depends on what elements usually appeal to you in a FF game. If you like exploring new towns and a huge world map above all else this is not a FF for you. There are no towns or a world map. Simple as that.
On the other hand, the linearity of the game gives the story more focus, which is a good thing seeing as the story is incredibly complicated at times. I'm not going to spoil anyone, but you'll often be thankful for the journal feature that keeps track of recent story happenings because chances are you'll be hard pressed to keep track of everything yourself.
The characters are mostly well drawn and nuanced, even the annoying ones. Lightning takes her place among the better leads of FF games to date, easily suppressing horrible memories of surfer dudes and pre teens. She's a bit of a female Squall to be honest, which in my book is a good thing.
The game is gorgeous, almost feeling like you're playing something akin to the Advent Children movie at times. The battle system is probably the best since, well, FFVII. It's fast paced and intuitive, involving a lot more strategy and quick thinking than previous instalments.
If you can accept the fact that the game is basically a linear path with zero branching paths, it's a great experience. As someone who plays FF games for the story and characters, I didn't really mind the linear structure much. In fact, at times I welcomed it.
My new top 5 FF list:
1) FF VII
2) FF VIII
3) FF XII
4) FF XIII
5) FF X
