I wasn't expecting this game to be as spectacular as Sidra Holland's breasts but I did expect another strong entry in the Final Fantasy series. However, all the talk I've heard about Square-Enix having a lot of stuff that was left on the cutting room floor, early reviews from both importers and online reviewers alike saying that the game is a step backwards, the fact that they hired Leona Lewis to sing the theme song and the heavy emphasis on the showy cutscenes and talk-talk has me worried.
 
Is there anybody like me, who hasn't played the game, thinking that Final Fantasy XIII will just be a "mild disappointment" when it's all said and done and is coming into March 9 with that mindset? Kind of reminds me of the 2010 Canadian Winter Olympics squad: talking big for 4 years and delivering medium so far.

If you're a big fan of Final Fantasy or got into the hype; you'll probably be disappointed. After all, its been so goddamn long since its been announced and shown to the public. By now people either don't care or really do care.
 
There's plenty of games that also seem really good at first but then its flaws start to poke out like a sore thumb. Modern Warfare 2 being a good recent example.

i have pretty much 0 expectations for final fantasy xiii anymore. going back and playing older ones and i don't enjoy them as much, haven't played 12, so it's only up from here.

As long as it is above the average RPG then I could care less.  All this anger over the linearity I think is stupid?  Does it make the game play below an average RPG?  If this is the worst Final Fantasy yet but still a great RPG then it is sold.

I thought being a disappointment was part of a final fantasy game.

Whose breasts?
 
...Wait, what are we talking about?

Nope, quite the opposite actually. 
 
 I don't have anything resembling the excitement I  have had for previous games in the series though. I remember taking two weeks off of college and turning down a meeting with a girl for more time with Final Fantasy X ... nothing like that now.
 
I doubt it could be as disappointing as XII was.    

i'm looking forward to it but i do have caution. 
 
it looks good, the gameplay engine looks fantastic. if nothing else it'll give my brain a good workout by flashing constant 999,999s into it.

I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't a little bit worried that I wouldn't like it. I don't mind too much that it will be linear, I really liked Final Fantasy 10, so I may be just fine. Though with all items being bought at save points, no towns, and no going around in an air ship. I'm very hesitant. But I still have to check it out.

used to be a huge FF fan but not so much anymore. FFXIII looks very melodramatic and a game thats marketed towards tween girls. graphics look gorgeous but I;m afraid the game will offer little else besides that. Still dunno if I will get it or not :/

inb4 KaosAngel.

Yes. But I haven't really been satisfied with a FF game since IX, so it won't be anything surprising.

Well, "mild disappointment" would be better than "tremendous disappointment", so as long as it's not another GTA IV, I'm good. If it is a minor let-down, though, I'll definitely wait a while before I pick it up, wait for the price to drop.

Yes, I'm still going to buy Final Fantasy XIII on Day One as I have to see for myself. I think a lot of people are going to debate its merits long after March 9. Some people at pro-PS3 sites wonder if the game was compromised so it could "fit" onto the Xbox 360.
 
Honestly, I didn't like either X or X-2. However, I enjoyed XII. I guess I had an attraction to Fran and her body.

I'm a big fan of FF franchise but it seems like they repeat the same plot over & over again. Of course they change the names and the visual so now we have a Cloud as Lightning acting as Squall, and her sister Sarha acting like Ash on FF XII, can't see Yuna though but it's there for sure ( disguised as a guy this time - who knows). The game-play looks nice form the trailers but we will just end up clicking the same button till level 99 so we may have 99999 damage and than using berserker and riping off every thing in sight. I wouldn't bet, but I think that FF XIII  will be "a lot of" disappointment. 

I'm excited for this game and I haven't played a single FF game in the past. So I doubt I'll be disappointed by this one.

I am worried that I may have outgrown the JRPG: I loved FF VII, VIII, and X, but I tried Lost Odyssey (made by some FF veterans I believe) and I could not make it past the first three hours.  I think it may be that the stories just don't click with me anymore, and it's hard to believe a character is some kind of battle-hardened badass when he looks like an effeminate 15 year old emo kid.

I always have this feeling with Final Fantasy games. They are in the league of games that just might suck once they hit shelves. Still, everyone is always excited when they are coming out. This is why I won't be getting FFXIII immediately after release. I have some friends that know what I like in a FF game and they will let me know.

XIII is the first one I've been properly interested in in a while, actually. Though I definitely am hoping that I can have Japanese voices and English subtitles, but whatever. I think the battle system looks pretty interesting from Brad's ask-me-anything, it seems like a pretty good update of the old ATB for a more modern feel and faster action.

" inb4 KaosAngel. "

I've never been a huge fan and have virtually no expectations so I guess all I can really be is "pleasantly surprised".

" I am worried that I may have outgrown the JRPG: I loved FF VII, VIII, and X, but I tried Lost Odyssey (made by some FF veterans I believe) and I could not make it past the first three hours.  I think it may be that the stories just don't click with me anymore, and it's hard to believe a character is some kind of battle-hardened badass when he looks like an effeminate 15 year old emo kid. "

I already know it will be a disappointing, and not a mild one.

It already is.  NO ONE is talking about on Japanese forums anymore which is odd considering FF6-8, and FF10 are still talked about constantly.  The game wasn't worth the 9800円 I paid for.  It sure as hell isn't worth the $60 NA has to pay.

I'm really concerned that I've outgrown Final Fantasy. The series has always focused on a Teenage demographic, and I'm a long ways past that age. When I look at the characters in this XIII, I can't help but groan. Is that one guy really wearing a skull cap/beanie, w/e? Does this game have Hip Hop music too? I really like the Lightning character, from her design to serious nature. The red headed girl, with the pigtails, is A-W-F-U-L, awful, awful, awful. I've never been more irritated by human voice. 
 
I love the series, and had a lot of fun, but I believe I've really outgrown it. This one seems to be targeting an audience that likes things that bother me.

I'm about as excited for it as I am about any other JRPG, which is to say a mild, but not high level of excitement. Then again, I'm just happy to have another PS3 game to play (haven't really played a game on my PS3 since Uncharted 2).

Nope not at all, I am going in expecting something different from the past games and by looking at the combat system and a lot of the other design choices I am getting just that. A lot of people ironically expect the series to be the same shit over and over each game despite wishing it would "change" (and then complain about it when it is different and yearn for it to be the same as past titles) but whatever, Square can't please them, just keep remaking the old games on the DS or whatever to shut them up and keep doing new things with the series imo.  
 
After going through XII for the second time and collecting basically everything in it (full sky pirates den, wyrmhero blade, etc) it became my favorite in the series because it was so different yet awesome than X before it which at the time I also found to be some of the most fun I have had with the series. I'm glad the folks at Square aren't rehashing the same stuff each new game and eagerly await to see what their plans for FF15 are.

" I thought being a disappointment was part of a final fantasy game. "

After KaosAngel basicly jizzed the Internets after playing it and then, after finishing it said that the game is shit? Yes, I am. That guy in general is consequential when he is excited about something, but FFXIII broke that - that's a bad sign.

" I'm not dreading it. I'm a huge fan of the FF series, but there's way too much hyperbole surrounding discussions over which one's the best, is this one better than that one, etc. They're all good. Really. Even II, III, VIII, and XI, whether you think they stand up to others in the series or not, are all decent games in their own right. But people let out all this vective about hating VIII or wanting to wipe their asses with IX. Gimme a break.                                           "

" I'm not dreading it. I'm a huge fan of the FF series, but there's way too much hyperbole surrounding discussions over which one's the best, is this one better than that one, etc. They're all good. Really. Even II, III, VIII, and XI, whether you think they stand up to others in the series or not, are all decent games in their own right. But people let out all this vective about hating VIII or wanting to wipe their asses with IX. Gimme a break. Some I liked more than others, but none of them was a complete waste of time. It's not like FF II is Big Rigs or Superman 64. It's just not as good as some of the others.   With that aside, I'm sure I'll enjoy XIII, as I have all entries in the series. Will it be up to the level of VI, VII, IV, or X for me? I'm betting not. I think it'll be one of the lesser FFs. But here's hoping.    "

After the boring and bland XII I don't expect much out of Final Fantasy anymore.  I'll probably rent XIII at some point in the future, but gone are the days when I buy a FF game on day one.  Too bad, it was a good run.

" I'm really concerned that I've outgrown Final Fantasy."  

I quite liked FFX, i guess i was a sucker for the soppy story and fancy pretty visuals of the time. So i guess if i stick with that mindset, ill  be happy with Xiii .... i hope. I've deliberatly kept myself in the dark over most of the footage however, seeming most people are mentioning how story-based / the amount of chatter goes on, i want for it to be as much of a suprise as possible!  :)))))

" used to be a huge FF fan but not so much anymore. FFXIII looks very melodramatic and a game thats marketed towards tween girls. graphics look gorgeous but I;m afraid the game will offer little else besides that. Still dunno if I will get it or not :/ "

Nice stab at the Canadian team, tool. :)