'Till this day I still hear people on these boards bashing the game and I really don't get it. If it's the story, then dude, it's a Final Fantasy game, you know you're going to be getting a lavishly produced heartfelt and supremely melodramatic story. It's like complaining why Zelda can't lock her damn doors, or Peach doesn't hire some security. The game play was fantastic and extremly fast paced and intense, I feel succeeding on the promise to make a battle system that resembled Advent Children. 
 
One of the biggest (and stupidest) complaints I heard however was that the tutorial takes like 10 hours. Firstly that is untrue unless you play games really slowly or just suck and secondly the way the tutorials in Final Fantasy XIII are laid out are ingenious. Have any of you played JRPG's recently? The tutorials usually consist of you scrolling down on a menu and clicking one by one what you want to learn ala Resonance of Fate. Extremely tedious and boring. Final Fantasy XIII never feels like you're in a tutorial. You're playing, and learning as you play.
 
With that said, I'm stoked for XIII-2, and Versus XIII. I also hope Lightning some how makes a cameo in Versus XIII in any way, such as maybe a statue of her or something along those lines,
 

I really enjoyed the game. It was different! Great battle system. It's nice to see some positive comments about it =) 
 
I'm also looking forward to more games that are somehow related to XIII!

I know, it was awesome. I enjoyed every second of it.

Everyone on the internet hates Final Fantasy.  I don't think I've played one that was bad yet, honestly.  Though, I haven't played XIII. 
 
I don't know if I agree with the comparison to Zelda, since that franchise doesn't lean on the melodrama as much as JRPG games tend to, but I can understand not letting a sub-par or drawn out story get to you without the statement so eeeey

I played it at release, got to the open world bit, stopped, not because I didn't enjoy it, just because. Following the announcement of 13-2 I thought I'd play it again, been so long though that I couldn't carry on from where I left off and had to start again. I'm nine hours in, in the city with Lightning and Hope, enjoying as much if not more than my first playthrough. Don't understand the criticism, no one takes games for what they are anymore, they just bitch about what games don't have. It's not the same as seven, or 10, or whatever other game you really liked so it sucks? Just no. Definitely in my top ten of 2010.

I probably didn't give the game enoug of a chance to actually get into it. From what I played it felt good, but then theisc crashed on me because the guy I borrowed it from was a greasy chap and once I stopped playing, I just never picked up again. Guess that is my FF syndrome-I've played all of the 'main' FF-games ('main' meaning not X-2, for example), and have never completed one except for XII.

I actually picked this up on the cheap the other day, and I agree with you, I feel that people must have fabricated a lot of bullcrap about this game. 
 
Firstly, I am thoroughly enjoying it, and I am not even 10 hours in, and secondly, I don't think it takes until the 20th hour to start having fun; I have enjoyed this game since the opening. 
 
Why so many people so hard on this game? I give props to Square for this one, ok, they streamlined it to make it somewhat more approachable, but it is still Final Fantasy. 
 
I cant wait for Versus.

I disagree about being one of the best in recent memory, because both Resonance of Fate and Nier (yes it's an RPG shut up) were both miles better, SMT: Strange Journey...
 
the tutorials in RoF were optional anyway (like you'd be able to understand the battle system but whatever)

You're right, FFXIII is the best Final Fantasy game of 2010. 

It's because you have a short memory.

You people are crazy! Crazy i tells ya!

My 2nd favourite game of last year by quite some distance (hell I ranked it even above the amazing Mass Effect 2). All of the hate that I've seen could have quite easily been applied to almost any RPG since the 90's. 

" My 2nd favourite game of last year by quite some distance (hell I ranked it even above the amazing Mass Effect 2). All of the hate that I've seen could have quite easily been applied to almost any RPG since the 90's.  "

One of my favorite games of last year, and definitely a lot of fun.

nice joke

" You're right, FFXIII is the best Final Fantasy game of 2010.  "

There are two camps of JRPGs, there's the shit that breaks the mold and provides interesting characters and story and nixes all the melodrama. Then, there's everything else. FF XIII, while totally playable and pretty to look at, just doesn't really change anything. The characters are annoying, and while the setting is imaginative, the exposition is just a fucking mess. 
 
Calling it "one of the best JRPGs in recent memory" just doesn't jive with me when there are games like Lost Odyssey, Persona, Devil Summoner, and Recettear that out-class FF XIII by a large margin.

"

It's because you have a short memory.

"

" You're right, FFXIII is the best Final Fantasy game of 2010.  "

" I disagree about being one of the best in recent memory, because both Resonance of Fate and Nier (yes it's an RPG shut up) were both miles better, SMT: Strange Journey...  the tutorials in RoF were optional anyway (like you'd be able to understand the battle system but whatever) "

I straight up did not like the characters at all and found it very hard to continue that game. When i play JRPG it's all about who the characters are and how they are going to develop over the arch of the game. If they don't have something mildly interesting going on with them in the first 10 hours, then I give up on the game, and unfortunately, that happened here. I really enjoyed the active time battle system that they developed, however, when the characters and subsequently the story is lacking, I can't play them. Now, Tales of Vesperia on the other hand, for me anyway,  has an amazing group of characters, albeit somewhat generic storyline, and fun enough battle system that it became one of my favourite JRPG's over my 50 hours of play time. 

" There are two camps of JRPGs, there's the shit that breaks the mold and provides interesting characters and story and nixes all the melodrama. Then, there's everything else. FF XIII, while totally playable and pretty to look at, just doesn't really change anything. The characters are annoying, and while the setting is imaginative, the exposition is just a fucking mess.  Calling it "one of the best JRPGs in recent memory" just doesn't jive with me when there are games like Lost Odyssey, Persona, Devil Summoner, and Recettear that out-class FF XIII by a large margin. "

I picked this on day one and was not disappointed at all. Well, actually there was one thing. Only the summoning, but it didn't influence my decision at all.

I think Nier was one of the more underrated games of last year; I have had mad fun with Nier.

I'm getting more and more interested in this game recently. I think I'll try it out soon.

" I think Nier was one of the more underrated games of last year; I have had mad fun with Nier. "

I feel like I've said this in about 10 different threads now, but I'm into the 3rd disc now, and I love this game much much more than I thought I would. I am a little disappointed that I had to play 25 hours just to hear the chocobo song... but it was worth it. I love the battle system, the story and music are great. The characters are hit-or-miss, but Vanille doesn't bug me as much as she did at the beginning of the game (she was terrible at first). Can't wait to finish it, but with my job and school, it takes me awhile to make it through these long games.

The tutorial isn't 10 hours long,
 

IT IS 20 HOURS LONG

I'd be relatively okay with it if I wasn't of the strong opinion that the battle and leveling systems are the worst things ever made. 
 
I don't like to play something that mainly consists of me pressing the button labelled "Auto-Battle".

The battle system is pretty cool, but the rest of the game is a bit pants. 
And while it doesn't actually take 20 hours to get into the actual game, it takes 20 hours until it gets to the open world part, which is what a lot of people were looking forward too.

" The tutorial isn't 10 hours long,
 

IT IS 20 HOURS LONG

 If you would like to dispute this, I will strangle you. "

Bought it, haven't played it. Currently it's number 10 on my Backlog list, right behind Resonance of Fate. 
 
I think I'm one of those people who's really going to enjoy it,  but can't say for sure yet. Oh well, better start working through the backlog then.

"You people are crazy! Crazy i tells ya! "

" The tutorial isn't 10 hours long,
 

IT IS 20 HOURS LONG

 If you would like to dispute this, I will strangle you. "

" I'd be relatively okay with it if I wasn't of the strong opinion that the battle and leveling systems are the worst things ever made.  I don't like to play something that mainly consists of me pressing the button labelled "Auto-Battle". "

" you would like that game. "

I agree with the OP.  Oddly enough, I really enjoyed FFXIII up until the part that everyone else liked.  I thought chapter 12 or whatever it was, the Monster Hunter chapter, lost focus and detracted from the one big strength the game had, which was its story.  The story kept me going and I totally didn't mind the linear path because I just wanted to get on to the next story bit. 
 
FFX played much the same way, but for some reason everyone liked that one and hates on XIII, even though the two games are nearly identical.

I didn't like it at all and I even got it for cheap. I dunno the battle system just seemed mindless to me and walking in a straight line got boring fast. I never played 12 but I heard it was good so I might check that out. 

" @Tsoglani said:

" I think Nier was one of the more underrated games of last year; I have had mad fun with Nier. "

I wanted to try it out but the fact that it looks like a PS2 game is kind of a turn off. "

Thanks to the internet, I came in to FFXIII thinking it was going to be a drag and just crazy boring.  
Don't listen to the internet. 
I've enjoyed every moment with this game. I'm hoping its going to be my first FF that I complete.

" @LiquidPrince said:

" @Tsoglani said:

" I think Nier was one of the more underrated games of last year; I have had mad fun with Nier. "

I wanted to try it out but the fact that it looks like a PS2 game is kind of a turn off. "

haha hilarious. yes, don't play a game because the graphics are terrible, that's the right way to game.  I mean, it can have the most amazing soundtrack ever, a really good storyline with really excellent characters, but if the graphics are terrible then why bother? "

" @Laketown said:

" @LiquidPrince said:

" @Tsoglani said:

" I think Nier was one of the more underrated games of last year; I have had mad fun with Nier. "

I wanted to try it out but the fact that it looks like a PS2 game is kind of a turn off. "

haha hilarious. yes, don't play a game because the graphics are terrible, that's the right way to game.  I mean, it can have the most amazing soundtrack ever, a really good storyline with really excellent characters, but if the graphics are terrible then why bother? "

Or I can continue to play hundreds of other great games with great graphics, soundtracks and storyline, and not devote 20 hours of my time to one that looks like poop. My backlog of games is pretty big right now. Plus I said I wanted to try it, because my buddy said it was pretty good, but it does look pretty bad regardless. Don't try and bring your condescending "ohohoh, he just wants to play games with GOOD graphics" jazz over here. "

" @LiquidPrince said:

" @Laketown said:

" @LiquidPrince said:

" @Tsoglani said:

" I think Nier was one of the more underrated games of last year; I have had mad fun with Nier. "

I wanted to try it out but the fact that it looks like a PS2 game is kind of a turn off. "

haha hilarious. yes, don't play a game because the graphics are terrible, that's the right way to game.  I mean, it can have the most amazing soundtrack ever, a really good storyline with really excellent characters, but if the graphics are terrible then why bother? "

Or I can continue to play hundreds of other great games with great graphics, soundtracks and storyline, and not devote 20 hours of my time to one that looks like poop. My backlog of games is pretty big right now. Plus I said I wanted to try it, because my buddy said it was pretty good, but it does look pretty bad regardless. Don't try and bring your condescending "ohohoh, he just wants to play games with GOOD graphics" jazz over here. "

Then you're choosing to miss out on something that's rather spectacular based on the mentality of a graphics whore. "

" Everyone on the internet hates Final Fantasy.  I don't think I've played one that was bad yet, honestly.  Though, I haven't played XIII."

" @Torrim said:

" Everyone on the internet hates Final Fantasy.  I don't think I've played one that was bad yet, honestly.  Though, I haven't played XIII."

I loved I-IX.  They've been nothing but downhill since then though. I also loved Neir, Lost Odyssey and Golden Sun Dark Dawn, before anyone throws "you're anti JRPG" at me.  FFXIII was just a bad game. "

I dont like the game. I respect your opinion and all (as everyones opinion is valid) but just in my opinion the game was boring to play, and just felt like I was hitting one button for 20 hours at which point I stopped. I don't have a problem with the story, and there's only one character I don't like (you can probably guess who that is). I just felt the game wanted more to be a movie then to be an actual game, and the map layout was done fairly poorly, leaving no feeling of anything other then going straight forward.
 
I do intend to give this game another shot on my next vacation (so I have time) but my first attempt at playing it I didn't feel it was a very rewarding experience. There are things I like about it, but I felt overall the combat was not strategic enough for me to enjoy and all I had to do was hit X to get passed anything. I know it may get better after the 20 hours (or so I've heard) but I mainly gave up because I didn't feel I should keep waiting for the point when I get to think in battle.
 
Game has some cool ideas, and I am not one to bash innovation, but I don't feel they did very well developing it enough as a game (something I agree with on the nay sayers quite a bit is they focused to much on the engine and not enough on making the game engaging and fun to play).
 
It's ok, though, that you disagree. These are only my opinions.

Meh, took me until a second playthrough to not absolutely despise the game but it's honestly pretty mediocre.  If you can't see why people hate it so much, you're just in denial.

" Meh, took me until a second playthrough to not absolutely despise the game but it's honestly pretty mediocre.  If you can't see why people hate it so much, you're just in denial. "

Pacing was broken and you could have easily cut out 10-15 hours without missing anything. My biggest problem was that there was absolutely no variety. It relied solely on it's combat and after 20 hours that got old fast, but there was nothing to do except running forward, fighting or watching cutscenes.  
 
Also it has by far some of the stupidest nomenclature yet! L'cie, fal'cie, cie'th, they're all just terrible! 

I enjoyed FF13 a lot. While not the best JRPG i've played in recent history, I do rate it highly. 

" Pacing was broken and you could have easily cut out 10-15 hours without missing anything. My biggest problem was that there was absolutely no variety. It relied solely on it's combat and after 20 hours that got old fast, but there was nothing to do except running forward, fighting or watching cutscenes.   Also it has by far some of the stupidest nomenclature yet! L'cie, fal'cie, cie'th, they're all just terrible!  "

The biggest thing that bothered me WAS the story. It just wasn't coherent enough. I did stick it through until the 3rd disc. to that large boss that had 2mil health. At that point I kind of put it down and said "OK...I think I'm done for now" and it's still sitting on my shelf. Which is a bummer because if that story was a bit better paced and not so choppy and dropping Fal'ce and I'ce like you know what the fuck it is after the first 5 minutes, maybe it would have been better. 
 
I didn't mind the characters, nor voices, nor music and the battle system is fun. These were the things that kept me going, but honestly I was about 50 hours in and still didn't know what the hell was going on properly. It was disappointing. 
 
 
However. Vs Xlll looks good.