4.5/5 ★ – hcolesmith's review of Final Fantasy XIII.

I've always strongly felt that this game is unfairly maligned amongst the fanbase. It's been harshly branded a bad Final Fantasy game because of its linear progression, but I think it's more important to ask: is linearity really that uncommon in the series? FFX is very linear as well and it doesn't get as bad of a rap. But even still, it's not as though any Final Fantasy game really excels at non-linear design (not until XIV or XV, anyways). These games have always been linear, it's just that they're usually presented as more open--usually because of a bigger map to explore nearly from the jump. But I've never really think of gameplay as the defining characteristic of the Final Fantasy experience (and I've played most these games). I typically think of narrative and setting. I think of some grandiose, anime-esque, world-saving plot about overcoming insurmountable odds. I think of flashy visuals and melodramatic endings that typically leave me in tears. And when I'm thinking of those elements of the franchise, I think XIII fares exceptionally well. Despite the fact that it boasts one of the sleekest world designs and flat-out cool lore the series has ever produced, XIII has an emotional hook to it and the storytelling chops that dug into me nearly from the beginning. From a presentational standpoint to a narrative, I think the only Final Fantasy entry that tops XIII is X. But even the gameplay gets a bit of a harsh shake, even though I do admit that this is where XIII stumbles the most. It takes entirely too long for the game to really open up, combat-wise, and holds the player's hand to an embarrassing degree until it does. But once it finally lets things run, this is one of the most interesting combat systems that the series has come up with. What looks to be inane and simplistic quickly turns into something frantic and tense. I don't know. I genuinely like Final Fantasy XIII. I think it's got one of the best narratives the series has produced and an absolutely killer world design, and a banger of soundtrack. Yeah, it stumbles a bit in other areas, but I've never once been bored playing this game and although it's not my favorite Final Fantasy, I think about it far more often than IX and VIII.