Final Fantasy XIII

 PlayStation 3
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2976 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,797 out of 2976
  2. Mixed: 513 out of 2976
  3. Negative: 666 out of 2976
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  1. DanH.
    Mar 12, 2010
    4
    I'm as big a Final Fantasy fan as they come. So, you can imagine my excitement when this game finally came out. One of the two reasons I originally bought the Playstation 3. And... the game fell flat on it's face. I may be a huge fan of the series, but I will not blindly accept this garbage they sold us. There is no exploration in this game. Here is the formula: fight mobs > I'm as big a Final Fantasy fan as they come. So, you can imagine my excitement when this game finally came out. One of the two reasons I originally bought the Playstation 3. And... the game fell flat on it's face. I may be a huge fan of the series, but I will not blindly accept this garbage they sold us. There is no exploration in this game. Here is the formula: fight mobs > fight boss > LOST cutscene (flashback). On top of that the story is incredibly boring and elementary with characters who are strongly influenced by Japanese Anime stereotypes... I had to hold back the vomit while playing this game. I want to know what pill these other reviewers took before playing. The only redeeming part was the experimental battle system which could still use some work.… Expand
  2. NoneNone
    Apr 9, 2010
    4
    More of an action game than an RPG. No exploration. Very guided character building. Extremely linear "hallway" maps. Poor storytelling and writing. You'll need to read the volumes of text in the in-game database to have even a basic understanding of the story. The battle system is the only the developers seemed to have spent time on gameplay-wise. You'll be fighting battle More of an action game than an RPG. No exploration. Very guided character building. Extremely linear "hallway" maps. Poor storytelling and writing. You'll need to read the volumes of text in the in-game database to have even a basic understanding of the story. The battle system is the only the developers seemed to have spent time on gameplay-wise. You'll be fighting battle incessantly from beginning to end. Overall, a poor outing. Would have worked better as a 9-hour action game than a 40-hour epic since the game's only strength is the battle-system.… Expand
  3. ChristopherC.
    Mar 14, 2010
    4
    How oh how in the world could any self-respecting Final Fantasy Fan call this hyperactive/repetitive action mess a true Final Fantasy game? This game has nothing of the deep heart-felt aspects that have always defined the Final Fantasy series, slowly bringing you into the world and story and characters so that you never want to ever leave. I'm afraid this is the death-knell for the How oh how in the world could any self-respecting Final Fantasy Fan call this hyperactive/repetitive action mess a true Final Fantasy game? This game has nothing of the deep heart-felt aspects that have always defined the Final Fantasy series, slowly bringing you into the world and story and characters so that you never want to ever leave. I'm afraid this is the death-knell for the series, and the trend of most video games in general. It is as if the developers now think that just throwing more hyper-kinetic activity at the player will hold the gamer's attention (especially if the little young gamer's Ritalin is wearing off. Heaven forbid they should have a moment to look around and absorb the nuances of the game, we might lose their MTV attention span.) Or, let's give them better graphics and that will make up for the lack of any real substance. I'm convinced that if there is a smart developer out there who's listening, try putting out an old-school graphic game but with a story and world that Square-Enix has now lost their way to create. You will make bank now that Final Fantasy is giving up the mold that first put them on the map and gave them their repected reputation (mostly Square). Hell, I can go back and play not only old-school FF but Grandia or Zelda and have WAY more fun than what passes for a fantasy RPG on the new generation consoles. Somebody please capatilize on Square-Enix's folly! Final Fantasy is about wanting to spend more time in the Final Fantasy world, but there is NOTHING about this game that will make you truly care about the characters or stories. Besides the major mistake of trying to build drama through flashbacks; which any writer will tell you is not the most effective way to build character sympathy, through exposition and the characters having to explain themselves and their motives; but the folklore of the world itself is BORING despite what other reviewers are claiming. Taken objectively, after every cutscene/character interaction, the upshot of the whole drama was dully repeated with the phrase, "We are enemies of Cocoon." Boring, and nothing epic here, unless you want to geek out debating the difference between a Fal'cie and and L'cie (I don't even care about the spelling!) However and above all, the worst offense this game puts on the true Final Fantasy Fan is the inability for the player to feel a true part of the experience. You cannot explore, interact (unless you call standing in front of a NPC and listening to them rattle on as interactive), cannot shop and customize to a "feel-able" degree, and CANNOT EXPERIENCE THAT YOU ARE TRULY POWERFUL AS YOU GAIN NEW SKILLS/MAGIC/STRENGTH. In a true Final Fantasy game you level up and then get to go try out your new power and revel in all your awesomeness. In this waste slapped with a number 13, the action takes precedence and is so fast you cannot tell if your leveling up really made any difference at all and definitely does not contribute to any real strategy. I just gained the skill to do such and such, why can't I sit back and SEE IT! (Yes, I know you get to see Launch, one of the few, but it grows beyond tiresome after the thousand's time.) The music, which to me is intergral to the Final Fantasy experience, and I own every soundtrack available, is as throw-away as a meal at a fast food restaurant, enjoyable for a moment and then entirely forgettable. For those of you who felt FF had lost it's beating heart with 12, and the wooden, expressionless, character-less Vaan, just standing there like a dork, this lack of heart applies to the Brittany Spears pop soundtrack of 13. I remember creating multiple save points on my old systems to go back and re-watch/enjoy the cut-scenes and music, not this time. I know I was ruined for future FF games, for despite all it's flaws, FF 10 was the first RPG I had experienced. Bear with me those of you who hated on 10, you cannot deny that it had heart. It is one of less than a handful number of games that has actually brought tears to player's eyes because the game knew how to hook the player emotionally. Final Fantasy without the emotion is not Final Fantasy. Period. If this game had come out from a different developer and under a different name, I would maybe rate it a 6 for technical achievements such as the graphics and lip-synching to English audiences, that is objectively impressive. But, those of us who have played all of the previous games and supported the Final Fantasy series for years, we may be witnessing the destruction of what made the games so unique, powerful, and worth waiting years for them to release in the West. Now there is talk from the developers about the interest in a FF13-2 which is probably all we have to look forward to as well as more multiplayer online stuff. Do any of the true fans remember not being able to wait to get home and fire up the console to go back to that FF world that was so incredible you stayed up all night and went to work the next day without sleeping? That has been lost somewhere along the way in trying to out develop other developers with graphics, gore, bust-lines that bounce realistically, and anything else they think will appeal to the kids that have to use Mom or Dad's credit card to pre-order their games. Last thing I wish to say, if you are a true Final Fantasy Fan, be careful about supporting this game with such high rankings because you are voting with Square-Enix to give up what made Final Fantasy so special. Hell, even Advent Children was emotionally touching. Please don't support the execs deciding what we want to see in future FF games. Think about it. I encourage all who agree to also write and vote in the hopes that maybe somebody who can make a difference, either within Square-Enix or another rogue developer who wants to grab for the carrot of a true fantasy RPG that we have not so far seen on the next generation consoles, will see it and make a difference. Peace.… Expand
  4. JesseC
    Mar 19, 2010
    4
    The problem I have with FF13, is that it claims to be an RPG, but pulls that off terribly. This game has value in of itself, for what it really is, but it is far from being an RPG. Also, it sets expectations, being a title of the Final Fantasy series, that it was not able to live up to. This title felt more like a random, no-name JRPG that could have been randomly picked up at any game The problem I have with FF13, is that it claims to be an RPG, but pulls that off terribly. This game has value in of itself, for what it really is, but it is far from being an RPG. Also, it sets expectations, being a title of the Final Fantasy series, that it was not able to live up to. This title felt more like a random, no-name JRPG that could have been randomly picked up at any game store, on discount, rather than another epic produced by Square. Sorry, but because of all this, I'm going to have to give it a 4.… Expand
  5. RyanM
    Mar 30, 2010
    4
    I've played the game to completion over 60 hours. What an irritating mess. The characters are all terrible and horribly translated from Japanese (unless they sucked this bad in the JP version too). Why does every character have to either grunt, sigh, or moan while onscreen? Why can my group of 3 take down a 20 ft tall turtle monster, but in the following cutscene they walk ten steps I've played the game to completion over 60 hours. What an irritating mess. The characters are all terrible and horribly translated from Japanese (unless they sucked this bad in the JP version too). Why does every character have to either grunt, sigh, or moan while onscreen? Why can my group of 3 take down a 20 ft tall turtle monster, but in the following cutscene they walk ten steps and are all out of breath. This game sounds like a porno if you're just listening to the characters voice tracks. The writing is horrid, I never want to hear the words L'Cie, Fal'Cie, Pulse, Cocoon, or Focus, ever again. On top of all that, the sound effect they use for the characters footsteps is way too loud and is the identical sound for all characters and the same for all surfaces. It sounds like a minor gripe I guess, but you'll be listening to the same sound on repeat for 60 hours (well maybe 40 hours if you subtract all the non-interactive scenes). You do nothing but press the X button for the first ten hours. After that a reasonably designed combat system is slowly introduced to you like you're some kind of retard who's never played a game before. Seriously, there have been 12 other FF games, half the fun is figuring out the battle system. I'd give the actual gameplay elements a 7 or 8 because of the beautiful presentation, but the "Movie" part of the game drags it down to a 4. This is a terrible, poorly translated, nonsensical, anime with very pretty graphics. I've played every FF game since FF2 on the SNES and I've never been so generally annoyed by FF characters. There is no point in the story where you're given any reason to care about any of them. You never give a shit about the Cocoon they're trying to save, it seems like a crappy place full of d-bags. I'd blow it up and go live on Pulse, at least I'd get to wander around and hunt monsters there. In summary, this game is a beautiful mess. It's an ok linear J-RPG stuck to a conceptually interesting story with the worst characters and voice acting since Resident Evil 1 (Ok, maybe not that bad, but...). A lot of the action you'll be watching is completely out of your control and is extraneous to the story and the characters. It's like they had a rough outline of a story, then the art department made a bunch of cool cutscenes, monsters, and character models, then they tried to fill in the gaps with a hackneyed script and linear stitched together dungeons. Easily the worst FF I've ever played.… Expand
  6. JoeR
    Mar 11, 2010
    4
    OMG what a disaster, awful characters that will get on your nerves, a mediocre story, unsurprising cinematics and 0, I repeat 0 feeling that you are actually in an RPG adventure this felt more like an interactive movie. This is my goodbye to J-RPGs specially the ones from Square-enix, Im a Bioware guy now.
  7. GoogooG.
    Mar 25, 2010
    4
    Bought my PS2 and PS3 systems to play FF games.. just finished the game am am left with a decidable dirty taste in my mouth as if the Square team have just shoved a large phallic salami down my through and told me to swallow because this is good. im all for experimentation but this is just cud, yes spat out, reworked, Spat out and reworked one more time before final packaging. I remember Bought my PS2 and PS3 systems to play FF games.. just finished the game am am left with a decidable dirty taste in my mouth as if the Square team have just shoved a large phallic salami down my through and told me to swallow because this is good. im all for experimentation but this is just cud, yes spat out, reworked, Spat out and reworked one more time before final packaging. I remember seeing my first final fantasy game and being blown away, how it pushed the envelope it was jaw dropping , now i wouldnt drop my pants to piss on it . Yawn you lazy poor excuse for a FF development team. Battle system was interesting though .good job on that. next time maby we can interact with the world before being mindlessly thrown into battles or mindless running in straigth lines. Dear sqaure please rent some games that were made in the last 3 years and play them see if you can learn something called immersion either that or give me my money back.… Expand
  8. ArkonBlade
    Jul 12, 2011
    4
    i heard such mixed reviews from my friends and other on this game that i waited awhile to buy it and since sqaure's track record hasnt been very good lately on RPG's. the first thing ill say is wow the graphics are fantastic it looks amazing . then you start playing and you are like huh? what the hell is going on? and after 7 hours i was still asking myself that . the combat system justi heard such mixed reviews from my friends and other on this game that i waited awhile to buy it and since sqaure's track record hasnt been very good lately on RPG's. the first thing ill say is wow the graphics are fantastic it looks amazing . then you start playing and you are like huh? what the hell is going on? and after 7 hours i was still asking myself that . the combat system just sucked and sucked so hard . honetsly this makes FF8's combat system look kinda good . the ability to control only 1 charicter just burned me . when i play a RPG i want 100% control on what my party is doing . not i control the leader which by the way swiches up every 30 minuites and annoyed the living hell out of me and have my other 2 party members doing what they want. so what they have instead is this switch tactics mode which feels so very very very very very off and HORRABLE! i mean usaully i can get through a crappy combat system if the story is solid like FF8 i mean that combat system in that game sucked but the charicters and story are very well done and i could get past that . but after 7 hours of going WTF IS GOING ON!? i couldnt do it any more . i mean the charicters seemed like they might get intresting and they wernt badly voice acted at all but after 7 hours i just couldnt care any more .… Expand
  9. Seraphy
    Aug 16, 2010
    4
    Gamepro descriped this game best: "a long hallway toward an orange target symbol on your mini-map that triggers a cutscene, a boss fight, or both. Frankly for the first six chapters I thought this game had longest tutorial ever, with total lack of towns, exploration or people to talk to. In short anything fun. There are some good points in the game of course. Story isn't horrible, it isn'tGamepro descriped this game best: "a long hallway toward an orange target symbol on your mini-map that triggers a cutscene, a boss fight, or both. Frankly for the first six chapters I thought this game had longest tutorial ever, with total lack of towns, exploration or people to talk to. In short anything fun. There are some good points in the game of course. Story isn't horrible, it isn't anything to write home about either, and combat is much improved, however all together game is just bad even with all the improvements. If you want to play final fantasy I suggest you play any other number from I-XII, they are all better than this one.… Expand
  10. lgndsgn
    Aug 24, 2010
    4
    Before buying FF13 I knew of two crushing facts about it - no overworld map/controllable airship and extremely linear gameplay. One of the main reasons I bought a PS3 was for this game, so even after learning of the disappointments I still gave it a try. Now I've been an rpg fan for a long time. Playing through Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 6, and Secret of Mana were some of the mostBefore buying FF13 I knew of two crushing facts about it - no overworld map/controllable airship and extremely linear gameplay. One of the main reasons I bought a PS3 was for this game, so even after learning of the disappointments I still gave it a try. Now I've been an rpg fan for a long time. Playing through Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 6, and Secret of Mana were some of the most memorable expereices I've had. These games have a certain charm, a certain soul, that I believe Square has lost. Indeed, the brilliant minds behind these games are no longer working together (Sakaguchi, Amano, Uematsu, etc.). FF6 I believe was the pinacle, with my enjoyment declining with each subsequent release. There's something quite endearing about the old overhead-view and world maps. You're able to take it all in, your imagination turns, and you feel a real sense of the universe that's being portrayed. But now because of cut-scenes, fixed viewpoints or locations, and flashy graphics we're given a much more controlled and limited environment. With that said, I did enjoy FF7 and I wish they would have stuck with that format at least. I honestly cannot comprehend how they thought taking away a free-roaming world and airship travel would be received well by fans. Actually, I'm sure they realized it wouldn't be, but instead did not care and opted to appeal to a newer generation, thus making more money. Overall, this Final Fantasy is not for me, and I am ok with that. But it is a shame that the days of Final Fantasy as I knew it are gone.

    Ok, as far as FF13 goes... after 15 hours of playing I have completely lost interest. The story is the only reason I played this far, though at this point I feel as though I understand it enough to not continue with it. The major things that prevent me from finishing are the core gameplay (as I mentioned earlier) and the characters. The characters have stupid names. There I said it. Vanille, Snow, Lightning... Anyone of those is fine by itself but all 3 together? They act too childish. And with all their action, vibrancy of colors, their whining and shouting, I am somehow still left with a vapid taste in my mouth; not to mention how annoying some of the voices are. Most everything about this game comes off as way too contrived. Another thing that has not sat well with me since it was introduced are fight scenes, or cut-scenes in general. This is just a way of making the game more presentable and easier to consume by the masses, who by and large appreciate this and find it entertaining. I do not. I am not a huge movie/television fan to begin with so it does not appeal to me in the least. Maybe a few cut-scenes here and there are fine (like with FF7), but when it's done as much as it is in FF13 you feel as though you're playing an interactive movie, and in an essence that is really what it has become. So if you are new to Final Fantasy, I urge to to take a look at the older ones (or older Squaresoft games like Chrono Trigger or Secret of Mana), and try to have some patience and imagination and I am sure you will find a much more rewarding experience.    … Expand
  11. Tridus
    May 20, 2011
    4
    This game got high praise because of its name, and because it's got very shiny graphics. As a game, it fails. Player involvement is minimal, and uninteresting when it does actually need you. There's no exploration at all, and for most of the game not even a need to go any direction other then forward. As a corridor simulation it's great, though.
  12. nmaxw63
    Jan 14, 2011
    4
    What a waste of money. Only a FF fanboy could like this drivel.
    Amazing graphics. Silly story. Mindless combat (kept waiting 4 combat 2 get interesting). Annoying cliched characters. Good voice acting.
    Worst rpg in long time. Dragon Age is way better. Hell, Eternal Sonata is better (combat has element of strategy).
  13. MOGEnrique
    Apr 10, 2011
    4
    Final Fantasy XIII is probably one of the biggest disappointments of the 7th generation of gaming. Role-playing elements are inexistent, combat mechanics are anything but innovative, you need very little strategy and tougher enemies are beaten with the same formula you use with weaker ones. Its level design is simplistic and uninspiring. The story is cliche and boring, so as theFinal Fantasy XIII is probably one of the biggest disappointments of the 7th generation of gaming. Role-playing elements are inexistent, combat mechanics are anything but innovative, you need very little strategy and tougher enemies are beaten with the same formula you use with weaker ones. Its level design is simplistic and uninspiring. The story is cliche and boring, so as the characters. Everything is told with cutscenes making the player feel that there's a wall between him/her and the game world. In-game visuals are average at best and the soundtrack is forgettable. Square Enix's only purpose to make Final Fantasy XIII was to tell a story but forgot it was supposed to be a game.… Expand
  14. GooGooguru
    May 18, 2011
    4
    Having Played Several FF games over the years i was deeply disappointed in this title, Bland uninteresting Story, Forgettable uninteresting characters, Unengaging Combat that practically plays the game for you.. color me unsatisfied
  15. Le_Shorte
    Mar 3, 2013
    4
    I can't stand to play more, and I've gotten about 6 and a half hours in. I don't need to explain my rating, as every other review giving this a mediocre rating contains exactly what I would say.
  16. Cell1e
    Apr 1, 2013
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was exceedingly disappointed with this game, I thought the Final Fantasy games were supposed to be wonderful experiences. This sure wasnt.
    Initially I enjoyed the pretty graphics but pretty soon into the game I started to get annoyed with the linear corridors and wave after wave of awful same monsters. The character teams keep switching but the monsters and gameplay sure didnt. Only one way to level and it was to fight thousands of pointless and exceedingly boring monsters. No other form of leveling. The system for improving weapons was complicated and risky and really unrewarding too. The only shops were machines, no other npcs or interactions, I can't understand how this game could call itself an rpg.
    I got really tired of Vanilles squeals and noises during gameplay and her awful accent. Snow was an ass, Hope a misery and the only characters I could enjoy using were Sazh, Fang and Lightening (even tho for most of game she was a leaving the kids to fend for themselves)
    There was no difficulty setting in the game and some of those boss fights got really hard, for a first playthrough I found things getting really stressful as I tried to work out where I had gone wrong in my levelling and weapon development. Looking online I read you have to grind, grind, grind.... (Grinding should never leave mmos, never heard of any good single players with grind, should be able to level with gameplay quests and crafting) Money really hard to get, again the answer to that problem? More grind!
    So to sum up this isnt a game, its an exercise in futility with excessive and painful grinding, a poor story and poor character development enabling little or no emphathy for the existing characters. Totally NOT worth the money and I would not recommend anyone to buy this.    … Expand
  17. Ignatius_Reilly
    Jun 29, 2011
    4
    Final Fantasy is dead. This game is proof. It's a boring slog through one long corridor with little to no attention from the player. Everything is dumbed down to the point where an 8 year old could beat it with both hands tied behind their back. The storyline is needlessly complicated and just non sensical and all of the characters are insufferable. The creative well at Square Enix hasFinal Fantasy is dead. This game is proof. It's a boring slog through one long corridor with little to no attention from the player. Everything is dumbed down to the point where an 8 year old could beat it with both hands tied behind their back. The storyline is needlessly complicated and just non sensical and all of the characters are insufferable. The creative well at Square Enix has been dry for a long time and this game shows it. Long gone is Sakaguchi and all that is left is a bunch of amateurs drowning in a kiddie pool. This series has become a joke.… Expand
  18. DrBrogbo
    May 11, 2012
    4
    This is not what Final Fantasy is supposed to be. If anything, this is Final Fantasy for Dummies. There is no exploration, no leveling up, and no incentive to keep playing. The story is boring, the gameplay is UTTERLY linear, and the characters are annoying. Not only that, but it is way WAY too easy at first, then takes a drastic jump in difficulty. As for the individual characters, HopeThis is not what Final Fantasy is supposed to be. If anything, this is Final Fantasy for Dummies. There is no exploration, no leveling up, and no incentive to keep playing. The story is boring, the gameplay is UTTERLY linear, and the characters are annoying. Not only that, but it is way WAY too easy at first, then takes a drastic jump in difficulty. As for the individual characters, Hope is so annoyingly whiny he should be named Shinji, Vanille sounds like she's making sex noises all the time, Snow says stupid idiotic one-liners like "Heroes don't quit!" ALL THE TIME, Lightning goes through mood swings you wouldn't believe, and Sazh... well, I liked Sazh. He was funny, and the only character that didn't actively annoy me. I could forgive this game its shortcomings if the battle system actually required much input, OR if you could actually explore the beautiful environments, OR if it were more focused on gameplay and less cutscenes, OR if it were actually fun. Honestly this game came across as nothing more than Squenix trying to make a movie but failing, and then deciding to turn it into a game. If this is the big fantastic HD Final Fantasy game people have been clamoring for for years, then give me PS1 graphics back. Maybe then, a little more effort could be put into the gameplay. A mark of a good game is one that I can't wait to play again. THIS game, however, I can't wait for Gamefly to receive so they can send me my next game. Now excuse me while I go play a real RPG, like Xenoblade.… Expand
  19. JawnMan
    Feb 8, 2012
    4
    Final Fantasy XIII is the worst Final Fantasys I have played. I started out with IV and each Final Fantasy follows certain JRPG conventions that have stuck throughout not only the series but also other games because they work. Final Fantasy XIII ditches these conventions to create a more mainstream experience. This makes for an extremely dumbed down game with none of the excitement fromFinal Fantasy XIII is the worst Final Fantasys I have played. I started out with IV and each Final Fantasy follows certain JRPG conventions that have stuck throughout not only the series but also other games because they work. Final Fantasy XIII ditches these conventions to create a more mainstream experience. This makes for an extremely dumbed down game with none of the excitement from past titles and a whole lot of boredom. The list of why this game is bad is so long that it makes me angry just thinking about it. The plot is boring. The characters are uninteresting and the only thing theyâ… Expand
  20. Kowachi
    Aug 13, 2012
    4
    Final Fantasy XIII is awful.

    I consider myself a FF fan, but I am not a hardcore fan. I
  21. KezarHighwind
    Feb 7, 2013
    4
    Final Fantasy XIII is a mess. That simple. It has not only changed the face of the series, but has also damaged the image of the JRPG to the world. With an amazing concept of the floating world above Gran Pulse, where the people have been enslaved by god-like beings called the fal'cie, amazing a beautiful art, as well as memorable and majestic music, the game itself was only destined toFinal Fantasy XIII is a mess. That simple. It has not only changed the face of the series, but has also damaged the image of the JRPG to the world. With an amazing concept of the floating world above Gran Pulse, where the people have been enslaved by god-like beings called the fal'cie, amazing a beautiful art, as well as memorable and majestic music, the game itself was only destined to fail. Then, what happened? Aren't these things enough to make a good game? No, they aren't. Final Fantasy XIII is one of the most awful and annoying RPG's I've played. Indeed, the game can only be compared to a cheap iOS game in modern days. The story is so boring and confusing, that people can't even get what are Lightning and friends talking about. Not to mention the gameplay, which, again, was a good concept terribly executed. These new Final Fantasy titles are sinning of having extreme complexity, which it is supposed to be good, but this case is not. The gameplay is boring, frustrating and hard for both, simple gamers and hardcore RPG gamers, like me. The great factor that joined all these together, is the linearity of the game. You, are practically not playing at all, as 2/3 of the entire party is played by the AI. The linearity is described by Motomu Toriyama and Square Enix as a "story driven game", but don't cheat on me, it's like if you were playing a visual novel. I can't save much of Final Fantasy XIII, except the great wasted music, as well as the nice visuals, but this time Square Enix, that didn't save your game at all.… Expand
  22. Bradan
    Jun 26, 2013
    4
    I'm a bit biased because I'm a FF fanboy but I dont think it's as bad as people make it out to be, but it's still pretty bad. But before I start a review a bit of a warning: DONT TOUCH THIS GAME IF YOU PLAN ON PLAYING IT ON XBOX. It takes the tiny bit of enjoyability out of the game. The reason? It's not in HD. The box claims it is but thats a lie. Here's a link to an explanation:I'm a bit biased because I'm a FF fanboy but I dont think it's as bad as people make it out to be, but it's still pretty bad. But before I start a review a bit of a warning: DONT TOUCH THIS GAME IF YOU PLAN ON PLAYING IT ON XBOX. It takes the tiny bit of enjoyability out of the game. The reason? It's not in HD. The box claims it is but thats a lie. Here's a link to an explanation: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-final-fantasy-xiii-face-off

    The ps3 version easily contains the greatest cutscene graphics I've ever seen in a video game. As for everything else....its pretty bad. I enjoyed the story and managed to suck up the awful battle system to continue with the story but it really is the only redeeming quality other than the cutscenes. But therein lies the problem, you must first suffer through the battle system to experience the story. Actually, calling it a battle system is unfair. It's not a battle system it's an interactive cutscene where you just mash the X button. Square added an "auto battle" button which essentially ruins the point of playing a video game. You're not really playing the game, the game is playing itself.    … Expand
  23. darkprophet
    Nov 26, 2013
    4
    tldr XIII's concept of a beautiful gem that just happened to be covered in a steaming pile of fecal matter by whoever "assisted" with its development that almost completely obscures the excellent core idea. It is not a game because there is no actual fun involved in playing it or watching the non-plot character interactions.

    Attention to the story in its current form is only    tldr XIII's concept of a beautiful gem that just happened to be covered in a steaming pile of fecal matter by whoever "assisted" with its development that almost completely obscures the excellent core idea. It is not a game because there is no actual fun involved in playing it or watching the non-plot character interactions.

    Attention to the story in its current form is only recommended in extremely small doses with copious amounts of drugs and/or alcohol, otherwise a loss of faith in humanity and a urge to destroy Japan may occur. The only cure to this is to play FFXIII-2 which will remediate all of these urges except for the realization that it is what XIII SHOULD and COULD have been.

    Extended Cut Review
    This game makes me seethe and writhe in frustration because of all the wasted and lost potential. Where to begin?

    Frustrating, arbitrary and grueling battle system.
    The "easiest" enemies later in the game take 10-15 minutes each simply due to the vast amount of hp and their damage output. If you don't use autobattle and make it basically a interactive movie with minor control, then combat in this game will be beyond frustrating and irritating. My girlfriend and I are both veterans of the final fantasy series which is to say, since the original game, and into chapter 11 we reached a point where there was literally no reason for bashing our heads against the mechanical system despite a deep desire for both of us to get to the end of all the plot threads dangled. Don't get me started on Eidolon battles and certain bosses if you did not build exactly the way the devs wanted you to, hope you like hearing Vanille and everyone's death cries.

    Plot, coherence, and narrative or lack thereof
    There is a intruiging plot backbone in the background which is never fully explored or explained except for a fully formed codex at the start of the game which is interesting but completely detached from the narrative of the game. The character interactions in plot scenes are top notch and compelling, as characters should be, but in the rest of the game they are reduced to mere stereotypical archetypes with completely nonsense exchanges, "observations" and no true character development.

    Nothing is explained about why the events that occur occur, even when many examples clearly contradict the game's existing lore and established narrative. Why do the characters get sent where they do and then come back? Never explained, ever. The only explanation to many things that contradict everything else is "power of friendship", which is unacceptable without some further establishment or explanation.

    Pacing
    The main criticism of the game from the community has been its pacing. The 30 hour tutorial is not a exaggeration and it is just as frustrating as it sounds, given you only truly "start" the full open proper game in the last 3 or 4 chapters of chapter 13. Compounded with the resounding question of "why are we here?" that is never truly answered, giving any thought to the game will give you aneurisms.

    Music and Sound
    The basic battle theme made me want to gouge out my ears. There were a couple of themes that were great, like Snow's, but some of them were completely discontinious like Sazh's. The repetitive battle effects and character combat lines were made worse by the ridiculious length of the battles.Overall, I preferred to listen to something else.

    I do not understand why this game is rated inferior to Final Fantasy XIII-2, which is superior to it every way. There was clearly a great conceptual idea that was handed off to a team of incompetent monkeys for implementation of certain core parts who butchered them completely. There were at least two main character writing teams, one for plot events (the great one) and one for side conversations the trash one), which held no standard continuity between the two. Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a vast improvement upon the two, with a streamlined battle system that SHOULD have been, a unified narrative, characterization, and a incredible soundtrack.    … Expand
  24. vank
    Feb 21, 2014
    4
    This game was an unfortunate attempt to pander to the LCD of gamers. I have (a slipping) faith in Square Enix, and like to see merit in most anything they produce. Still as a longstanding fan of the Final Fantasy series, and after waiting for years for something to come out after FFXII, this came, at the very least, as a disappointment to me. To me, what makes an RPG good: round, humanThis game was an unfortunate attempt to pander to the LCD of gamers. I have (a slipping) faith in Square Enix, and like to see merit in most anything they produce. Still as a longstanding fan of the Final Fantasy series, and after waiting for years for something to come out after FFXII, this came, at the very least, as a disappointment to me. To me, what makes an RPG good: round, human characters that are able to be identified with; an intricate story that is mysterious (not confusing!); the ability to customize characters; a sort of real-world verisimilitude (shops, inns, money); a requirement for a player to carefully consider his game-play actions that is challenging yet manageable; and an extensive world that allows for exploring and revisitation. FFXIII had very little of these qualities. The story was hardly engaging for me (I didn't give a damn about the l'Cie and that... and I still don't know what Orphan is all about?); the characters were distant and a player doesn't really get to see enough of them to begin to identify with them (Yeah, Lightning, you're an icy wench, we get it); and the biggest irritation was the game play, specifically the battles, which is supposed to be the part where the gamer has most control and actually "plays" was simply a holding down of a singular button to continually select "auto-battle." It wasn't fun, and will probably only be remembered to me as the worst FF game I've ever played.… Expand
  25. bigboss1964
    Nov 21, 2015
    4
    Final Fantasy XIII

    Game-Play:The game-play is turn based but not traditional I usually like that kind of game-play but the way they made it is very frustrating and i got bored quickly but I kept playing it because I am a huge final fantasy fan but in the end there was nothing special in the game-play. Story:The plot is boring with a ton of uninteresting characters and it was one of    Final Fantasy XIII

    Game-Play:The game-play is turn based but not traditional I usually like that kind of game-play but the way they made it is very frustrating and i got bored quickly but I kept playing it because I am a huge final fantasy fan but in the end there was nothing special in the game-play.

    Story:The plot is boring with a ton of uninteresting characters and it was one of the few times that I complain about a game be to long this game is 50 hour long only for the story.

    Graphics:This is the part that the game is amazing .

    Notes:The FF-XIII is just an eye candy nothing more nothing less if you are a huge Final Fantasy Fan buy it at a big price drop like 70 or 80 % to everyone else rent it if you want play it .This game is just below average.    … Expand
  26. chris_1_s
    Sep 19, 2014
    4
    I can honestly say this is the worst Final Fantasy game I've ever played.
    - The story was completely broken and made little sense.
    - I personally found the characters to be dull, uninspired and had very little back story.
    - Pacing in the game wasn't very good.
    - You had to go searching the datalogs for any kind of exposition.
    - Visuals were nice though.
  27. Noin007
    Jan 4, 2015
    4
    The CGI was absolutely amazing.
    The musical score was straight up beautiful.
    There's nothing else good I have to say about Final Fantasy XIII. The characters' personalities are bland as can be. The character designs are bland and yet completely over-produced at the same time that just scream that they're trying so hard to look like they're not trying too hard. The story is told quite    The CGI was absolutely amazing.
    The musical score was straight up beautiful.
    There's nothing else good I have to say about Final Fantasy XIII.
    The characters' personalities are bland as can be.
    The character designs are bland and yet completely over-produced at the same time that just scream that they're trying so hard to look like they're not trying too hard.
    The story is told quite possibly worse than any I've ever seen in a video game, and the story itself isn't even good. Basic story telling elements are completely left out and you're given an in-menu encyclopedia to read if you want to know what things are.
    I recommend this game to only the hardest of hardcore fans.    … Expand
  28. Aelvir
    Aug 19, 2015
    4
    It is straight-on insulting to be considered an RPG. The battle system is nothing more than a dummed-down pseudo real-time battle system. In the sense that its just turnbased while they move around on their own. And the worst of all is they restrict you to only one person to control. You can only control the party leader but guess what? You can choose who the party leader is. ..near theIt is straight-on insulting to be considered an RPG. The battle system is nothing more than a dummed-down pseudo real-time battle system. In the sense that its just turnbased while they move around on their own. And the worst of all is they restrict you to only one person to control. You can only control the party leader but guess what? You can choose who the party leader is. ..near the end of the game. Whoop-de-freakin' do. And Masashi Hamauzu does god-awful music in this. Blinded By Light is the only thing remotely close to decent song in the game. We couldn't have Takeharu Ishimoto do the music again? No, no, we had to put this random guy no one knows of. The game layout is nothing more than a straight hallway. It's even more insulting that SQUARE thought this would sell and not Saga 3 DS, saying Saga 3 wouldn't sell very well That's a pure insult .Play FFXII or Saga 3. They are far better.… Expand
  29. Necroatoan
    Jul 10, 2017
    4
    The linear level design, and boring combat made this game very hard to play. The characters were unique, but none of the resonated with me. The graphics were amazing, but that loses its effect once you realize that the environment cannot be explored. This was the only Final Fantasy I ever struggled to finish. Even the Final Fantasy MMO's had better story lines.
  30. egoBorder
    Aug 9, 2021
    4
    Certainly the worst in the series. This game has a ton of problems (alongside some genuinely great ideas) but the most urgent one is the story and writing. The entire game feels like it was written by a teenager trying to impress an infant. But not only are the themes uninteresting, the dialogue is rotten too. It makes it hard to latch onto any of the characters, so you're just stuckCertainly the worst in the series. This game has a ton of problems (alongside some genuinely great ideas) but the most urgent one is the story and writing. The entire game feels like it was written by a teenager trying to impress an infant. But not only are the themes uninteresting, the dialogue is rotten too. It makes it hard to latch onto any of the characters, so you're just stuck with people you don't like on an adventure you won't enjoy. Gameplay? Well, the game id the very definition of the word "linear." Most progression is locked behind the story, so it is literally impossible to understand the mechanics fully until near the end of the game. Like, the last 5% of the game so I hope you're patient. And the game world appears interesting but you only experience it in long corridors, making it impossible to connect to it as a location. Bizarre choices like this make FF13 a charmless experience, save for a few quality aspects like the soundtrack. None but the most curious need apply.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

37
#37 Best PS3 Game of 2010
2
#2 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2010
3
#3 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 83 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 73 out of 83
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 83
  3. Negative: 1 out of 83
  1. RPG Fan
    81
    As an RPG, it is an excellent experience that provides a beautifully crafted world and engaging battle system. However, as a Final Fantasy game, it falls short of expectations somewhat.
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  2. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    90
    Ten hours in you might have doubts, but stay with it and you'll be smitten right through to the frankly unbelievable end. [Apr 2010, p.104]
  3. Everyeye.it
    85
    An unexpected Final Fantasy. The 13th chapter has a great story and some of the most incisive characters of the whole series, and even the battle system works very well, being deep and complex (even if you control only a single character). But on the other side the overwhelming linearity of the plot, the absence of cities to explore, and the small amount of side quest will disappoint fans' expectations.
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