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. 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
  2. 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.
  3. Laggron1111
    Apr 19, 2017
    0
    Final Fantasy XIII is a very bad Final Fantasy. This game is not interesting. The characters are really boring.
    The scenario is very bad. It's the worst Final Fantasy .
  4. qu4nt0
    Nov 14, 2014
    0
    This is the worst video-game I have ever played in my life. First of all there is no challenge, 90% of the game is just about walking narrow paths and have boring fights with enemies.
    Second the fights are more boring than in previous Final Fantasy games, because the system is doing everything for you. You basically just have to choose a class and the Game is doing the rest of the fight.    This is the worst video-game I have ever played in my life. First of all there is no challenge, 90% of the game is just about walking narrow paths and have boring fights with enemies.
    Second the fights are more boring than in previous Final Fantasy games, because the system is doing everything for you. You basically just have to choose a class and the Game is doing the rest of the fight.
    Please don't buy this video-game.    … Expand
  5. msg78
    Dec 6, 2016
    0
    I have absolutley nothing positive to say, this game is complete and utter garbage. All you do is walk in a linear line from one stupendously long cut-scene to the next. You can't even over-level yoursself if you're struggling to beat a boss, it's the most linear and restrictive RPG I've ever played. I hate it.
  6. estebambuco
    Nov 25, 2016
    1
    Una mierda no lo compres:
    -Mala historia
    -Mala traducción
    -Repetitivo y aburrido
    -Mucho cine poco juego
    -No hay exploración es una línea recta
    -Personajes nada interesantes
  7. 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
  8. nono5551212
    Aug 17, 2013
    1
    I was so excited for this to come out..... I thought I'd be up all night playing it..... After just a few hours I realized it was not a game at all but, just one big lame cut scene.... Walk a few steps, kill an enemy or two, cut scene, repeat indefinitely.... I think this was the most disappointed I've ever been in a game.... Should give it a zero
  9. CptThreepwood
    Feb 27, 2014
    3
    As a long time FF fan I was really looking forward to this game when it was first released. FF XII was a huge disappointment so I was expecting that this game would definitely be an improvement. Sadly, I was wrong. I could not adjust to any of the characters at all. I played this game for 40 hours, didn't finish it and the only character I started to like after several hours was Lightning,As a long time FF fan I was really looking forward to this game when it was first released. FF XII was a huge disappointment so I was expecting that this game would definitely be an improvement. Sadly, I was wrong. I could not adjust to any of the characters at all. I played this game for 40 hours, didn't finish it and the only character I started to like after several hours was Lightning, once she stopped acting like a total b*tch. One character is total pointless to the story, and the other characters just don't make sense. Years later I found out that if I had kept playing, there would have been a turn in the story and all the characters (except for the earlier mentioned one) would have made sense. but I never reached that point. Maybe I got spoiled by FF VII, IX and X which I played when I was quite younger, but FF XIII was easily the worst I have played. Anyways, I can recommend to give FF XIII-2 and Lightning Returns a shot! You don't really need to finish the first game to get the main plot because unsurprisingly they manage to summarize the whole story of FF XIII in a few sentences during the beginning of second game.… Expand
  10. cidgrad01
    Dec 10, 2013
    2
    Jim Sterling from Destructoid called this game a “pompous and masturbatory affair, creating seemingly to promote the developer’s ego first, and the player’s enjoyment second”. Speaking as someone who has been a rabid fan of the series since the very first one on the NES, I’ll say two things: Jim is exactly right, and playing this game broke my heart.

    The one and only positive I can give    Jim Sterling from Destructoid called this game a “pompous and masturbatory affair, creating seemingly to promote the developer’s ego first, and the player’s enjoyment second”. Speaking as someone who has been a rabid fan of the series since the very first one on the NES, I’ll say two things: Jim is exactly right, and playing this game broke my heart.

    The one and only positive I can give FF13 is that it has gorgeous visuals. That’s what the 2-score in my review is for. It fails in every other category so badly that it feels like some other company trying to make a knock-off FF game (think Sony’s Legend of Dragoon for PS1) rather than an officially sactioned entry into the series. It doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as classics like IV, VI, VII, or X. It’s unbelievable that Squeenix is granting an unprecedented two sequels to this game while utterly ignoring, for years on end, pleas from their fans to do a modern-day remake of 7, 6 or even 5.

    Why is it so bad? Let me count the ways. First of all, the story is weird & stupid. I stopped caring about it early on and didn’t like any of the characters. Secondly, there is practically no exploration. Almost the entire game is a brutally linear affair, and I mean that quite literally as areas tend to shuffle you through a completely straight path. No exploring towns, no buying weapons from the weapon shop, no hidden dungeon areas with secret chests, etc. Things finally open up at one point, but not for 30 or 40 hours or so and even then, it’s a relatively small environment that is boring to travel through. The music, usually a dependable staple of the series, is terrible as well. I mean, they put words in the chocobo song. Good grief, why? There isn’t a single memorable track.

    Gameplay is terrible, as well. There’s not a whole lot of thinking involved and it almost plays itself. The summoning system is truly bizarre (I did a facepalm when I saw the Shiva motorcycle; seriously, WTF is that about?) and the worst the series has ever seen. I played this game for a good, long while, about 75% through, before giving up on it in disgust. To give you some idea of how bad this game is, I didn’t care much at all for the story of FF12, either, but I still had fun with it. FF13 never gave me a moment of enjoyment. The entire package is dull & uninspired and I’m sorry to have wasted money on it.    … Expand
  11. var_stark
    Feb 2, 2016
    2
    I simply can't believe what i'm reading in the possitive comments.... First of all this game is linear as hell, it destroyed everything that made FF franchise make history, the RPG component, this is not an RPG this is an action game like Metal Gear Rising, more like a hit and run. It's Ok but it's not what final fantasy used to mean. "Oh but in final fantasy X you almost didn't have anyI simply can't believe what i'm reading in the possitive comments.... First of all this game is linear as hell, it destroyed everything that made FF franchise make history, the RPG component, this is not an RPG this is an action game like Metal Gear Rising, more like a hit and run. It's Ok but it's not what final fantasy used to mean. "Oh but in final fantasy X you almost didn't have any NPC or exploring" Excuse me? That's simply not true, X was one of the last properly made FFs even XII had a very clear exploration, crafting and leveling compound while the only thing that changed was the combat, this game changes the way you playd final fantasy almost completely. You don't even have the feeling of discovery anymore, even combats are rearanged, when you enter a new chapter you could even look up a guide and know exactly wich enemies are waiting for you and in what order.... please. What about the live your own adventure, what about discovering the world for your own, the whole game has no point in calling himself final fantasy, it could as well be called some Japanese medern pop action title instead "LIGHTING ULTRA ROBOT ADVENTURE ELECTRIC SONATA" yeah, that would be appropriate.

    To the point, it lacks all kind of exploration, the game is a path you must follow, items and enemies will appear suddenly, they are just there, waiting for you one by one... yeah you have some shortcuts you can take if you don't want to battle. So no NPCs, the shops appear just in the savepoints...

    The combat is not bad, in fact that's all the game is about, combat and trying all the different classes and combinations, is good for me, it kinda looks like turn based combat just with a lot of camera movement ( you cannot move the character though) and real time turn based fight, i mean, you have your cooldown and you can just give him like 3 commands at once, instead of stop, think what would each character do wait for the enemy attack.... yeah, it's not bad, i would have like to control and customize my team but.... i just fear what will be next. Changing your formations plays an important roll in the fights but its a piece of cake, since the attacks are almost automatic you just have to wait for the right time to change between the aggresive formation, healing formation, condition formation.... it's a game moew about waiting than planning, as the previous, yes, they were turn base but at least you were taking risks each time your turn arrived and so you have to plan how to deal maximum damage and survive at the same time, and i think you really got fond of the characters even if their plots weren't really interesting, but here linking a character or not just depends on the story itself, i don't even like vanille, it's so annoying but if at least i could controll her properly well maybe i would appreciate her as a healer, but like this is just like, well yeah, this girl that just.... heals me automatically... and talks with a high pitched voice.

    The story its ok, intense and memorable, but in general this game seems to have the urge to excite continuosly, not even one single shot is steady and peacefull, even the most dramatic scenes the camera is like," wow wow wow, so exciting, look, its so exciting, i can't stop moving, look a bird!!!! oh my god, so exciting, everything is so epic.!!!! " STOP, god, let me enjoy the plot, sometimes you just don't care about what they're saying because everything wants to be so fast paced...

    Anyways, for me is just another action game, but not a final fantasy game. Seriously change the name of the saga, so you can avoid being constantly compared to the old games.    … Expand
  12. alfok
    Jun 30, 2016
    2
    Boring, Repetitive, Lineal
    Is the worst title of the saga, Dunno why have that score...
    basically the only thing u need to do is pressing 3 buttons and go forward, damn even the worst game I remember have more entertaining than this... The only "good" thing us the graphics, but even that dont matter a little when you have this dumb storyline and linear gameplay.
  13. SCCMAESTRO
    Jul 8, 2016
    1
    This is the worst game I have ever played, partially because I can see how it could have been great. The visuals and music are beautiful, some of the best in the entire series. But everything else about the game is an unfinished, incoherent mess. The story is so poorly formed that half of it isn't explained at all and the other half is stuck in the in-game Wikipedia, the Datalog. TheThis is the worst game I have ever played, partially because I can see how it could have been great. The visuals and music are beautiful, some of the best in the entire series. But everything else about the game is an unfinished, incoherent mess. The story is so poorly formed that half of it isn't explained at all and the other half is stuck in the in-game Wikipedia, the Datalog. The writing is as repetitious and padded as the gameplay is. The gameplay itself is linear corridors of far too many battles where the strategy is the game literally playing itself. You can change the parameters for how the game plays itself, but it fundamentally is still beyond the player's control. It is an unfinished pile of waste and one of the worst pieces of media I have ever experienced. I played 20 hours and I am somber thinking of that time I will never, ever get back. A full day wasted on untalented, confused hacks.… Expand
  14. ZeroTrunks
    Feb 8, 2016
    3
    Linear game play, poor camera controls, undigestible story, and a script so bad I wanted to skip through all cut-scenes to reduce the feeling of a drill being forced through my head. The game basicly plays itself and is so unbalanced that if you die, you simply respawn as if the fight didn't occur. Some of the characters are just reprints of Squares older work Lightning = Cloud, Snow =Linear game play, poor camera controls, undigestible story, and a script so bad I wanted to skip through all cut-scenes to reduce the feeling of a drill being forced through my head. The game basicly plays itself and is so unbalanced that if you die, you simply respawn as if the fight didn't occur. Some of the characters are just reprints of Squares older work Lightning = Cloud, Snow = Zell, Sazh? I don't know what they were doing there...

    It is obvious that this game was handled poorly by the director who had a difficult time getting reigning in all the departments under the same banner. This game is rushed, and is starting a trend that SquareEnix does not know what they are doing in the gaming world anymore. This game deeply saddens me, and makes me nauseous thinking about what has become of my childhood.

    The only redeeming thing about this game are it's beautiful graphics and some of the new monster concepts and models.

    Overall a very difficult game to endure D-    … Expand
  15. pelonchascomes
    Sep 20, 2017
    0
    As a big fan of the FF saga, I must say that this game made me feel bad. Horrible. The worst FF game to me. It was disappointing, gameplay is an insult, the combat system is a joke. I've played almost the entire FF saga, and I can say that this is the worst one. Characters look incredible, but the maps? the environment looks dead and horribly made. This is an insult to all the FF fans. AndAs a big fan of the FF saga, I must say that this game made me feel bad. Horrible. The worst FF game to me. It was disappointing, gameplay is an insult, the combat system is a joke. I've played almost the entire FF saga, and I can say that this is the worst one. Characters look incredible, but the maps? the environment looks dead and horribly made. This is an insult to all the FF fans. And the story is so bad and confusing. Exploration is non-existing because you walk through straight paths! Characters are cliches and forgettable, and the main character is the worst main character ever I hate her I cannot stand her. And I mean, I really really tried to play this, I really did but this game made me angry. I regret buying it. Where's the exploration? Where's the customization? This game don't deserve to be called a "Final Fantasy". So disappointing. If you are a fan of FF saga, buy it under your own risk.
    Bad story, bad combat system, boring characters... and a boring experience in general. Soundtrack is good and graphics are ok too. But as a FF this is the worst one I've ever played.    … Expand
  16. LeonStrife
    Jan 28, 2018
    0
    Worst Final Fantasy ever made.

    Simply put , no cities , no exploration , linear as hell. The whole game feels like a huge hallway. Avoid at all costs , play anything else.
  17. 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
  18. DirtyBird07
    Dec 29, 2015
    1
    This game is so bad. like I am not kidding.
    It's so bad. I think it got 1500 positive reviews because SquareEnix paid people to give it good reviews.

    Do not buy this pile of garbage. You will regret it. I promise.

    Has an overly convoluted story. Characters are cheesy and the Voice Acting is bad.
    Graphics are beautiful, but game play quickly destroys it.
    Not enjoyable in the slightest.
  19. GrumpyTheNick
    Mar 13, 2013
    2
    I have been a Final Fantasy fan since I was 10 years old. I was very excited about this game. Needless to say, I was disappointed. Square-Enix no longer exhibits any sort of real inspiration. This game suffers from a number of problems stemming from this one factor. The battle are pretty, but after you become familiar with the patterns it becomes a boring and uneventful slog. The story isI have been a Final Fantasy fan since I was 10 years old. I was very excited about this game. Needless to say, I was disappointed. Square-Enix no longer exhibits any sort of real inspiration. This game suffers from a number of problems stemming from this one factor. The battle are pretty, but after you become familiar with the patterns it becomes a boring and uneventful slog. The story is mediocre and linear in the extreme. There is little to no exploration or discovery of any kind until near the very end of game, by which point you no longer care. And the characters...Oh, the characters. I would rate a few of them as the most stupidly annoying I have ever encountered in a game. The JRPG melodrama in FFXIII is incredibly cloying and is absolutely terrible. If you care about a solid, interesting, experience, don't play this game.… Expand
  20. MisterNoodles
    May 17, 2013
    3
    I have played only a few Final Fantasy games. So ya this was terrible compared to the one other Final Fantasy game. The gameplay was crappy and you felt like the game was almost playing itself. The only real positive to this game was the story. It was the ONLY thing keeping me going. It would have gotten a ZERO if it wasn't for that story. Now in opinion the best part of the game is theI have played only a few Final Fantasy games. So ya this was terrible compared to the one other Final Fantasy game. The gameplay was crappy and you felt like the game was almost playing itself. The only real positive to this game was the story. It was the ONLY thing keeping me going. It would have gotten a ZERO if it wasn't for that story. Now in opinion the best part of the game is the story, but this story could not carry the game...… Expand
  21. Yukari
    May 3, 2013
    3
    This is game is just aw full! Yes it has amazing graphics but the rest is just wrong. The story is so bad and beside the characters are very well design their personality is just aw full and annoying. The game play is linear and the battle system it looks like it has been butcher. It makes me so sad to talk bad about a Final Fantasy game but it's one is just.....god aw full!!
  22. TimothyTuatara
    Nov 27, 2013
    1
    Boasting stunning graphics, many gamers will easily be swayed to believe that XIII is the best Final Fantasy has to offer. However, the game is just too freaking long. When I asked fanboys "dude wtf this sucks isn't there a world map? when does it get decent?" they have acutally responded "aw man dude don't worry keep on chuggin it gets really awesome at about the 30 hour mark". I don'tBoasting stunning graphics, many gamers will easily be swayed to believe that XIII is the best Final Fantasy has to offer. However, the game is just too freaking long. When I asked fanboys "dude wtf this sucks isn't there a world map? when does it get decent?" they have acutally responded "aw man dude don't worry keep on chuggin it gets really awesome at about the 30 hour mark". I don't want to wade through 30 hours of absolute cringe to get to something good. What really drives this home is how freaking annoying the characters are. Lightning is supposed to be cool and brooding, but mainly just comes off as square weakly attempting to emulate cloud with added fanservice. The battle system is ok to begin with, but they get far too long and the fact that my party is healed after every battle unexplainably is disgusting. Every thing I loved about Final Fantasy has been thrown down the drain. But still, pretty graphics! ooh shiny… Expand
  23. kmj856
    Oct 5, 2013
    3
    This is not a good FF game. The first 40 hours are spent running in a complete straight line, reading mountainous piles of extra text to try to figure out what's going on and who all these people and different factions and organizations are. The game won't open up for you until you've run in a straight line for 30-40 hours.
  24. SrDBZ
    Nov 25, 2013
    1
    One of the worst games that have come in these last years, simple boring, empty, with characters flatter than a piece of paper.

    This is not a Final Fantasy
  25. 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
  26. MarcinOS
    Dec 27, 2013
    3
    The worst part of the Final Fantasy series ever. The game is just boring. I'm a big fan of the Final Fantasy series, but I'm completely disappointed. Music is weak, what surprising, since each part of the FF can boast a fine soundtrack. Gameplay worse. Just constantly press the X button and directional buttons. The game is very linear. Characters are boring too, without expression No mapThe worst part of the Final Fantasy series ever. The game is just boring. I'm a big fan of the Final Fantasy series, but I'm completely disappointed. Music is weak, what surprising, since each part of the FF can boast a fine soundtrack. Gameplay worse. Just constantly press the X button and directional buttons. The game is very linear. Characters are boring too, without expression No map of the world is a huge minus. The only plus is the graphics and cut scenes, but the locations are boring for me. The title has sold so well probably only because we all flew to the magic of the series. I also I regret.… Expand
  27. 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
  28. todesmilch
    Dec 29, 2015
    1
    My very first experience with RPG games was with Final Fantasy VII. I have been in love with RPGs, and the FF series, ever since. I have loved and been invested in FF for a long time. I know I am late on reviewing this, but this game is the worst FF (in series/non-spinoff) game I have ever played. It literally ruined the series for me. I want to know what game these people played whoMy very first experience with RPG games was with Final Fantasy VII. I have been in love with RPGs, and the FF series, ever since. I have loved and been invested in FF for a long time. I know I am late on reviewing this, but this game is the worst FF (in series/non-spinoff) game I have ever played. It literally ruined the series for me. I want to know what game these people played who say that the story is rich and the characters are compelling. The story is VERY vapid, and the characters reflect this exponentially. All of the characters have trite personalities, and by the end of the game I had no emotions invested in a SINGLE one of them. It took me over two years to finally beat this game, 'cause I had to finish it. (some of you know what I mean) If I wasn't compelled to beat it as a gamer, I never would have. I will give credit to the combat, I enjoyed it a little. Seriously nothing else about the game was fun. I am a fanboy, yes. My favorite FF is IX, that game had such a rich world that you could feel there was a history to it. It is unimaginable, to me, that anyone would enjoy this game having played the other Final Fantasy titles in the series. I really wish Square would abandon the **** Tokyo-fashion style of their characters, they all look like some weak attempt was made to make them fashionable and trendy. To my mind, X was the last truly good FF, and XII was last remotely good title in the main series. If you agree with me, then you are better off avoiding this colossal disappointment.… Expand
  29. Tyrus
    Sep 7, 2016
    2
    I'm replaying this game again after initially buying it, playing all the way through, and then not remembering ever having hated a game so much.
    I thought I'd give it another shot. It's not any better.
    A hyper linear game, you spend most of your time for the first half merely walking forward and pressing X. Eventually, you have a little bit of strategy involved. Very little. By the    I'm replaying this game again after initially buying it, playing all the way through, and then not remembering ever having hated a game so much.
    I thought I'd give it another shot. It's not any better.
    A hyper linear game, you spend most of your time for the first half merely walking forward and pressing X. Eventually, you have a little bit of strategy involved. Very little. By the second half of the game, every fight become long, tedious, and unavoidable. The entire combat system is really based on micro managing, since you don't actually select moves for more than one character, and the game will auto-pick those for you, too, since there are few anyway, and there isn't a whole lot of tact required.
    And as those fights get longer and longer, there's extremely little you can do to speed things up. You can't really grind like in other games, because your stats quickly max out for the moment you're in. I get WHY they do that, forcing you to actually play the battles rather than get overpowered for them, but then you end up on boss fights, where all you're doing is saying, "Fight... heal... fight... heal..."
    The monotony it's intended to break up isn't broken up.
    I can't fathom anyone liking this game. I've never met anyone personally who did. I get that there are positive reviews, but this game is the crown jewel of the new class of Square Enix games that just want to be pretty, and not have any guts or substance. 12 bordered on that, but managed to get enough moving around, enough thought by the player to manage to be a good game. 10 was TOO much character switching, but it was passable. This is just an awful, linear, boring game. The story is as convoluted as a political conspiracy theory. It's an awful game, and I'll give it the 2 that I did because it was made by a professional company, it DOES have good graphics, and honestly, because it's in the Final Fantasy franchise, which I've been playing for just about 30 years now.
    But this game is simply awful. I again find myself only getting through it to say that I did, again. And that's not a good reason. I should really stop myself.    … Expand
  30. Broyax
    Apr 15, 2017
    2
    Je donne tout de même 2 points pour la direction artistique, certes parfois à la limite du mauvais goût mais la plupart du temps, c'est fort dépaysant. On ne voit nulle part ailleurs des trucs pareils, décors, effets... aussi maniérés et précieux et avec autant de couleurs ou des costumes et monstres complètement chtarbés. Et techniquement c'est du beau travail.

    Pour le reste, la    Je donne tout de même 2 points pour la direction artistique, certes parfois à la limite du mauvais goût mais la plupart du temps, c'est fort dépaysant. On ne voit nulle part ailleurs des trucs pareils, décors, effets... aussi maniérés et précieux et avec autant de couleurs ou des costumes et monstres complètement chtarbés. Et techniquement c'est du beau travail.

    Pour le reste, la niaiserie est à vomir, les dialogues d'une bêtise à se tirer une balle et la musique à se pendre. Les combats qui ne sont ni en temps réel ni en tour par tour consistent à appuyer sur X pendant de longues heures pour éventuellement s'intensifier de longues heures plus tard en zappant d'une attaque à l'autre aussi vite que possible comme dans un jeu de merde en stratégie temps réel afin d'éviter que l'un des ados ne reste plus de 0,5 s sans rien faire, ce qui le mènerait à une mort stupide.

    Quant à l'histoire, entre de nombreuses cinématiques à piquer un roupillon et des combats abrutissants, on se demande quand elle commence. On se demande même parfois s'il y a une galette dans le lecteur et ce qu'on est en train de faire, à perdre son temps devant une telle, une abominable japoniaiserie.    … Expand
  31. jugadorhardcore
    Feb 1, 2018
    0
    The worst FF ever. That for real. They almost blew up one of the biggest saga in the industry. This game just have nice grafics on the caracters and nothing more. Storyline is unexistant, an extremtly easy game, is not open world just move the caracter forward. A complete joke for the fans...
  32. dmasz91
    Jan 23, 2017
    3
    There are so many more negative things than positive about this game. I've been a long time FF fan and I lost interest in the game within the first day of playing it. It's so linear, and the story plot is so boring and doesn't make any sense at all, making it just horrendous compared to the previous FF games in the past. The only thing that makes it bearable is the flashy graphics, butThere are so many more negative things than positive about this game. I've been a long time FF fan and I lost interest in the game within the first day of playing it. It's so linear, and the story plot is so boring and doesn't make any sense at all, making it just horrendous compared to the previous FF games in the past. The only thing that makes it bearable is the flashy graphics, but still there are way too many long cut-scenes. The characters don't seem to have a goal that makes sense. I kept asking myself, 'what is their goal'? It's cool to get to summon eidolons, but there was no real tutorial on how to use their moves in gesalt mode with regards to the arrow pointer. the crystarium thing is also very linear. You're not truly getting control over their special abilities because by the time you can level up their abilities, you've pretty much filled out all the slots anyway. Another big negative factor is that there's no more free-roaming like an RPG, no world map to travel and explore. There aren't even good treasure finds along the path. It's just as bland as it gets, maybe made for an even younger audience to play. The only thing that was positive about the game is that you can see your enemies in the path rather than having invisible enemies pop up every so often, which was always annoying, but it's such a disappointment and not worth buying. I don't know if they've improved the FF games since this one, but i would definitely recommend skipping over this game. I agree with what other negative reviews are saying, it was annoying to not be able to level yourself up more if you have trouble beating a boss.… Expand
  33. Nidave
    Jan 12, 2017
    3
    Worst game in the series.

    I remember how hype I was for this game when it released only to get disappointed 5 chapters in. It also didn't help that this game was a straight line from chapter 1-11.
  34. Revoltado
    May 16, 2018
    0
    Sem dúvida, o pior FF de todos:
    - personagens super desinteressantes, a personagem principal é a mais sem sal da história
    - Linear ao extremo, pessoas que acham o X linear não jogaram esse que nem cidade tem - Evolução dos personagens é linear e limitada e seu personagem não evolui mais enquanto não derrotar o boss da área - Sistema de combate pior de todos, odiei o sistema de    Sem dúvida, o pior FF de todos:
    - personagens super desinteressantes, a personagem principal é a mais sem sal da história
    - Linear ao extremo, pessoas que acham o X linear não jogaram esse que nem cidade tem
    - Evolução dos personagens é linear e limitada e seu personagem não evolui mais enquanto não derrotar o boss da área
    - Sistema de combate pior de todos, odiei o sistema de paradigma... vc só usa a magia tal se estiver em tal paradigma...
    - lutas lentas demandam um monte de buff e debuff, entediante e não se pode controlar o movimento do personagem na luta... ficam andando sem propósito... mais atrapalha do que ajuda
    - Evocações robóticas - TODAS
    - História boa na essência mas porcamente executada (confusa ao extremo)
    - Nem as músicas gostei
    - Péssima dublagem, vide Vanille    … Expand
  35. spi280
    Dec 31, 2014
    3
    bland characters, a crap story that requires you to read through tons of flavour text to even understand it and of course you probably already know that every level is very linear. the only positive thing this game has going for it are its great music and how the cutscenes are very well animated.
  36. vahn
    Jan 23, 2020
    1
    I don't know what crazy thought went through my head after new year's eve, but I decided to try this game again after 10 years it came out - or close to 10 years - and only today I managed to finally finish it and get over it and I'm glad to say It doesn't disappoint in disappointing.

    It's not a surprise if this game was THE game that made Square Enix become the laughing stock they are    I don't know what crazy thought went through my head after new year's eve, but I decided to try this game again after 10 years it came out - or close to 10 years - and only today I managed to finally finish it and get over it and I'm glad to say It doesn't disappoint in disappointing.

    It's not a surprise if this game was THE game that made Square Enix become the laughing stock they are in current year and for good reasons: plot is non-sensical, has glaring plot-holes that eventually keep stacking up, there's barely any explanation for anything, characters are unlikable, combat is a chore, game is so linear it makes Call of duty look open world in comparison, and many MANY more issues.

    Let's start with the plot: Lightning and the gang are humans who turn into l'cie, which are essentially tools for beings called fal'Cie, and are given a focus to complete. If they manage to complete said focus they will be turning into crystal but if they lose they'll be turned into crystal zombies. What's the focus? We don't know because the writers didn't know how to make it any more idiotic and instead actually telling us "we have to figure it out ourselves" they relied on images and dreams because "deep".
    The main cast is also abhorrent to say the least: Lightning is a totally unlikable B, Hope is your whiny teen boy who cries for half the game, Vanille is your generic japanese school girl if she was australian and a dressed like a native american, Snow is an idiot and Fang is a man but turned into a woman at the last minute but without changing her dialogue or even how she behaves. Sazh is probably the only good character but because Square wanted to make him a comedy relief they tried to make him that, resulting in a mishmash of ideas.
    In addition a lot of plot details aren't explained ingame, which is a role given to the datalog...yeah, if you don't know what a l'cie is check the datalog. What's the PSICOM? check the datalog. Don't you love having to do homework for following a plot? I don't!

    There's more I could say about the plot but bottom line it's borderline boring and insipid: there's no flow, there's no pacing, characters keep repeating the same thing all the time and the deus ex machina at the end is so **** it would make anyone lose credibility this plot had any potential. I played bad stories before but this one isn't even that bad, it's just boring and uninspired.

    But let's step into the main part of a game, the gameplay, and oh my Lord this game is terrible: for starters the game is extremely linear and for at least 20-30 hours you will have long hallways of fights to do in order to complete the game, which aren't funny nor are exciting. Secondly, when the game opens up you are required to grind a lot of in order to be "acceptable" later in the game, as enemies in Pulse hit like trucks. And third the combat is so unfun, so repetitive that at the end fo the game I couldn't bother fight anymore and went straight to the end boss.

    Infact let's put the focus - HAHAHA - on the combat: the combat is turn based and you'll be controlling one character per time, and if the leader dies it's game over. That's a good start isn't it?
    Secondly, the game is based around "classes" such as dps tank, healer and buffer and shifting paradigms to change formation each time required to kill the enemies. However there's one major fact in the game which is the "stagger" system", which after a certain amount of damage your enemy will be staggered, turn orange, and for a short time will take X more amount of damage shown in the stagger bar, and after the bar ends you fill it again.

    That's the entire combat for the rest of the game: you quite literally do this over, and over, and OVER again, for 50-60 hours, non-stop. Bosses cannot be killed normally - I mean last boss has 6 million hp! - so you NEED stagger to kill any enemy with more than regular hp, which is all of them, and this makes combat not only redundant but also not fun or exciting. There's no variety, no real tactics or anything: all you do is stagger and kill. Close to death? Heal, buff, then stagger again, until they die.
    Of course unless the enemy will suddenly decide to insta-kill your leader and make your entire 10-15 minute boss fight go to waste...which is so nice and totally didn't make me wanna rage quit one single bit!

    So, bottom line, do I recommend this? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Stay away as far as possible from this abomination!. There is a reason Square Enix - not Square SOFT - has been going downhill for a while and this game is the proof of all that: it has no "focus", it has no passion, it has no love, it has no sense, it literally has nothing going for it. It's simply a shallow game with a famous brand name on top of it which meant it sold a lot, even had 2 sequels, but no quality into it.

    I just wished I finished it 10 years ago so I would return it but alas, this game will stain my collection forever and ever...    … Expand
  37. Darkleliel
    Apr 12, 2014
    1
    This game was absolutely horrible. It took me a year to get through because the first time I played it, I had to put it down for MONTHS on end because it was so bad. The dialogue is predictable and boring, the story, while it HAD potential, feels like it's nothing more than something a sixth-grader might come up with in their creative writing class. By the end of the game, the entire thingThis game was absolutely horrible. It took me a year to get through because the first time I played it, I had to put it down for MONTHS on end because it was so bad. The dialogue is predictable and boring, the story, while it HAD potential, feels like it's nothing more than something a sixth-grader might come up with in their creative writing class. By the end of the game, the entire thing devolves into one big cliche, each character boiling down to nothing more than the few idioms they seem to know. It's also very tunnel-visioned; there's no room to roam around, the game just feels like one long corridor where you go from one cinematic to the next, with little to nothing in between. The battles are endless, and while it is definitely a pretty game, that seems to be all that it has going for it.… Expand
  38. Anebriate
    Jan 15, 2014
    2
    This is one of the worst games I have ever played. How in God's name it has a 7.7 user score on this site is completely beyond me.

    I've heard it said that it gets better towards the end, but something this bad can't be redeemed, regardless of how it ends. Every character is a pathetic cliche. The battle system is rigid, formulaic, tedious and repetitive. In fact, that describes the    This is one of the worst games I have ever played. How in God's name it has a 7.7 user score on this site is completely beyond me.

    I've heard it said that it gets better towards the end, but something this bad can't be redeemed, regardless of how it ends.

    Every character is a pathetic cliche. The battle system is rigid, formulaic, tedious and repetitive. In fact, that describes the entire game--a 10-20 minute jaunt through poorly-balanced, often unavoidable encounters against a handful of boring enemies followed by a cut-scene, ad infinitum, all in one giant straight line from point A to point B. I was bored after 30 minutes of this.

    The graphics earn it 2 points, even though the hand all look like turds. The fact that they released this game to the public as it is means they aren't even trying anymore. The fact that they are making this cesspool a trilogy means something is horribly wrong with the world.    … Expand
  39. orsonriven
    Mar 3, 2014
    1
    its crap, this is not a true final fantasy, its a movie that make believes its a game, if you are looking for a great game go and pull up the PS network and grab some on the older games in the series.
  40. PandaWhisperer
    May 5, 2014
    2
    Final Fantasy XIII felt like a punch to the face for some old school Final Fantasy fans like myself. Final Fantasy characters, although fantasy, used to be relatable. Sorry to get sidetracked; in FF7, Cloud never achieved his dream and coped with this throughout the game. He stole someone else's identity, he broke down, and eventually accepted this and recovered. Cloud was a complexFinal Fantasy XIII felt like a punch to the face for some old school Final Fantasy fans like myself. Final Fantasy characters, although fantasy, used to be relatable. Sorry to get sidetracked; in FF7, Cloud never achieved his dream and coped with this throughout the game. He stole someone else's identity, he broke down, and eventually accepted this and recovered. Cloud was a complex character with flaws; I believe that is a huge reason FF7 was so successful and critically acclaimed. The majority of characters in XIII were shallow and one note. Everyone seemed like they had one singular reason to carry on with the story. This story became bland very fast. There is very little exploration, meaning that the story was critical to pull off; sadly this was not the case. The main reason I am writing the negative review is that this was the first Final Fantasy game that was released that just didn't seem very much like a Final Fantasy game to me at all. Sure, FF12 was a huge departure from where the series started, at least I could understand these changes (although, I felt like FF12 was a way to shift the console fan-base to their MMO's for more profit). Many of the decisions in XIII simply confuse me. There was very little redeeming value here. Lost Odyssey felt more like a Final Fantasy game than this one.… Expand
  41. Reaperplot
    May 30, 2014
    2
    Final Fantasy XIII can summed up with two words; pretentious and lack-luster.

    Graphics were technically good, but mechanical, failing to produce an atmosphere. The game play was incredibly linear, driven along by a story which acted more like a train headed to Auschwitz, than an adventure. The combat in the game was the most disappoint aspect of this game for me, there was no skill    Final Fantasy XIII can summed up with two words; pretentious and lack-luster.

    Graphics were technically good, but mechanical, failing to produce an atmosphere. The game play was incredibly linear, driven along by a story which acted more like a train headed to Auschwitz, than an adventure.

    The combat in the game was the most disappoint aspect of this game for me, there was no skill involved, it was as though the developer thought their audience had lost all ability to play video games, and that they were starting with a group wholly unfamiliar with the concept of gaming.

    I hope that this game goes down in history as one of the worst games ever made.    … Expand
  42. Nioji
    Jun 2, 2014
    2
    I think FFXIII is the worst RPG I ever played. Why ? Well, the story-telling is AWFUL. Not a single character explains anything about the universe, and the reason why the Big Bad want to destroy the world (no spoilers, it's a JRPG) is only explained in a sub-entry inside the game's Codex. The Paradigm Shift system destroys all the preparation of a job-based RPG, since you can change jobsI think FFXIII is the worst RPG I ever played. Why ? Well, the story-telling is AWFUL. Not a single character explains anything about the universe, and the reason why the Big Bad want to destroy the world (no spoilers, it's a JRPG) is only explained in a sub-entry inside the game's Codex. The Paradigm Shift system destroys all the preparation of a job-based RPG, since you can change jobs during a fight. The characters are all annoying. don't buy this game. Seriously.… Expand
  43. TornadoCreator
    Jul 16, 2014
    2
    This games gets a 2 for being technically functional, that's the best I can say about it. Final Fantasy XIII Is an insult to the franchises heritage and an obvious lazy cash-in by Square Enix who've clearly given up long ago.

    Gameplay wise, there really isn't any. The game isn't just linear, it's a straight f*cking line. You walk down a corridor for about 80 hours, that's it. There are    This games gets a 2 for being technically functional, that's the best I can say about it. Final Fantasy XIII Is an insult to the franchises heritage and an obvious lazy cash-in by Square Enix who've clearly given up long ago.

    Gameplay wise, there really isn't any. The game isn't just linear, it's a straight f*cking line. You walk down a corridor for about 80 hours, that's it. There are no towns, no NPCs, no side quests, no exploration, no collectibles, no intrigue... nothing. Crash Bandicoot is less linear than this game. Add in that character customisation is a joke, and combat is so convoluted that you can win everything without even paying attention and you have the most boring game ever. The first 40 hours is a tutorial explaining how the game plays itself, which you can ignore as you can win all the combat by just mashing the X button for the most part. Some people claim the combat opens up in the late game but that's simply not true, it's still just as broken then and once Lightning learns the move 'Army Of One' you can pretty much kill anything through a combination of poisoning and using that one move. There's more tactical decision-making in tic-tac-toe.

    So what about the story? What story?! What passes for a narrative is only explained through hidden away data longs that you're not prompted to read, and even with this mountain of poorly written exposition, the story is still an incomprehensible mess with plot holes you could drive a plane through, inconsistencies as standard, character motivations that make no sense, and a world setting that's not explained or explored in any way; mainly because you never actually go there because you never leave the damn corridor.

    This is a painfully bad game, don't waste your time on it.    … Expand
  44. 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.
  45. Cleanshooter
    Oct 17, 2014
    2
    This is one of the worst games in the series. If you enjoy running through endless tunnels (this game coined the phrase "ultra-linear"), a combat system that requires next to no user interaction, characters with little depth and a story line you won't care about because you just want the entire affair to end... and STUNNING VISUALS then get the game.

    Otherwise don't waste your time or    This is one of the worst games in the series. If you enjoy running through endless tunnels (this game coined the phrase "ultra-linear"), a combat system that requires next to no user interaction, characters with little depth and a story line you won't care about because you just want the entire affair to end... and STUNNING VISUALS then get the game.

    Otherwise don't waste your time or money... the only reason I played it is because I'm a fan of the franchise.    … Expand
  46. 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
  47. HopelessVoice
    Feb 1, 2015
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. FFXIII has no gameplay elements to serve a place in the series, or as a RPG game at all. Although taste is subjective, there are several facts that just show how thin the game is. If one likes the game for being a limited storydriven CGI movie, then there's no arguing. But here's some facts:

    - Character customization & building? = Nope, just mash the X button on Crystarium. The stat growth in the tree should be automatic, as there are no choices anyway. The paradigm system is a joke compared to the likes of FFV job system, FFVII materia system and even FFVIII junction system (at least you could build your characters freely on that one)
    - Exploration & item hunting? = Nope, just run the hallway and loot the flying boxes. The game opens up a bit much later on but by that time its too late and too minor to have any impact. There's nothing even close to the sidequests of 1-12. No open world to explore, no hidden caverns beneath the ocean to reveal hidden weapons, no hidden islands behind the map that you only reach with a golden chocobo. There's only the endless hallway. Remember the optional mansion in VII where you needed to unlock the hidden door to reveal a hidden playable character? Well there's no optional places so there can't be optional characters to play with either. Remember the optional battle arenas that when conquered gave you endgame skills and items? There's nothing even close to that.
    - Special attacks, skills, limit breaks or any other form of unique combat? = Nope, there's a "stagger" bar that goes up when you mash the X button long enough, which only makes the characters do more damage, and then you mash X some more. No epic Omnislash, Lionheart or Blitz Ace to save for a difficult boss battle.
    - Unique weapon models? = Nope, they all share the same skin on one charachter. No Masamune, Excalibur, Ultima Weapon and so forth here.
    - Optional bosses that require various strategy to defeat = Not really, although there are optional bosses. However, as they only require you to max grind your characters and then mash the X button there's really no purpose. No Ruby where you have to figure out to have two characthers dead when entering the battle, No Emerald where you need to figure out how to surivive his final attack, No Penance where you need just the correct characters to even have a chance, No dark aeons, No Omega Weapon etc.

    There's so little RPG-elements in this game to even call it RPG. It is an interactive (debatable) movie, and whether one likes the story or not is a matter of taste. The graphics and CGI of the game is high quality, but so is the quality of the CGI in the Hobbit movies. No-one is calling those movies RPG-games though.

    I'll give the 1 point for the game having no apparent or gamebreaking bugs.    … Expand
  48. Signas501
    Mar 22, 2015
    3
    Final fantasy XIII introduces the newcomer lightning, as she and several other characters attempt to raid the city of cocoon. After destroying the cities core, (and several flashbacks and future insights) you are able to freely roam the world, meeting new members to the group along the way.
  49. Lion7
    May 7, 2015
    2
    This game lacks depth or engagement. Even the earlier Final Fantasy games--where you are generic heroes gathering crystals--have more to them than this week long movie. You don't even get the pleasure of hearing Nobuo Uematsu's work.

    I played this game as a part of the Playstation Now service, and I still feel like I was ripped off for playing a "free" game. I would not pay for this    This game lacks depth or engagement. Even the earlier Final Fantasy games--where you are generic heroes gathering crystals--have more to them than this week long movie. You don't even get the pleasure of hearing Nobuo Uematsu's work.

    I played this game as a part of the Playstation Now service, and I still feel like I was ripped off for playing a "free" game. I would not pay for this game.

    STORY: That's all there is, and it's not even very good at that. Hours of watching the characters interact through various rendered cutscenes and FMVs. They don't even do a good job with that. Out of your six main characters, only one really has an interesting personal story. The rest waver between deciding if they want to fight back against their overlords, or buckling from the pressure of being mankind's hated enemy by doing it. Their personalities are about as generic as their names (Snow, Hope, Lightning...) and the buildup to fighting one of the major antagonists... I honestly forgot who he was and why we were fighting him at that point.

    GAMEPLAY: What little there is, is rather boring. The formula for the first half of the game boils down to this: Cutscene, maneuver down a small hallway-like map, reach a save point, enter a "boss battle". To switch it up, your party is broken down into 2-3 sub-parties who repeat the formula. 10 hours into the game (I still hadn't unlocked the ability to make your own party yet) I was actively trying to avoid fights, because they weren't entertaining at all.

    There was a joke that this game should be called Final Hallway 13. I definitely agree. 20 hours into the game I gave up. I couldn't remember any of the areas I had been through, and they're one-path treks through a generic forest, junkyard, or ice land. Even the cities set you down one track and your characters can't interact with them at all.

    BATTLE: The battle system is a neat interpretation of the ATB System, but the problem is, aside from a handful of tough battle here and there requiring a MED character, you can get through the game with little trouble using just COM/RAV/RAV and a small stack of Potions. Because of the role-shifting nature of the class, the lack of control over your party members, and that everyone can do just about anything, the genericness of the characters is further compounded. Everyone can be a warrior, a black mage, and a subset of a white mage.

    MUSIC: One of the few Final Fantasy games not composed by Nobou Uematsu. The battle theme is catchy, and variations of the main theme are done nice. There are some annoying pieces throughout the game, but overall... it's alright. Blinded by Light (Lightning's theme, main battle theme) is the earworm of the game, and after hours of hearing it, I still like it.    … Expand
  50. LaiusBunansa
    Jul 11, 2015
    2
    I have played every single FF main installment and I daresay that this could provide an alienating feeling to new comers. I barely finished this game due to boredom. This is blasphemy to the great FF legacy and another proof that Graphics cannot lift the game wholly. I cannot even freakin imagine why did this had its own saga.
  51. 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.
  52. BarelyLewd
    Mar 15, 2019
    2
    The second worst FF game I have ever played only eclipsed by ffx-2, stay far away from this game, this game suffers from the linear story, the awful characters, the below average voice acting, and the terrible terrible battle system, stay far away from this **** sandwich, trust me you don't want it.
  53. vanvejar1
    Dec 16, 2019
    1
    El peor final fantasy de la saga, pasillero el 100% del juego, no tiene personalizacion alguna, la protagonista bipolar es odiosa, los personajes terriblemente elegidos, las graficas son un engaño ya que el entorno parace de nintendo 64, tocan por 40 horas las mismas 2 canciones, me recuerda a the order 1886 asi de malo es el juego, solo causa pasar un mal rato
  54. ArcCoat
    Jun 12, 2019
    3
    Boooooorrrrriiiinnngggg.

    This game is extremely linear, the battle system is uninteresting, the story is an incomprehensible boring mess, the characters are some of the worst cast that I've seen in video game history. The only good thing about this game are the graphics, but I would rather play a low graphic game with great content than a high graphic game with bad content. The game    Boooooorrrrriiiinnngggg.

    This game is extremely linear, the battle system is uninteresting, the story is an incomprehensible boring mess, the characters are some of the worst cast that I've seen in video game history.
    The only good thing about this game are the graphics, but I would rather play a low graphic game with great content than a high graphic game with bad content.

    The game starts to open up eventually, but only towards the very end of the game and the sound track is not too bad.

    Conclusion: 1 point for effort, 1 points for graphics and 1 point for good soundtrack.    … Expand
  55. MazrimTaim14
    Nov 3, 2019
    3
    What. A. Mess. Of. A. Game

    Main Character was offputting which showed the emo type characters of Cloud and Squall are better off in text based dialogues and cutscenes. The archetype suffered in the current cutscenes where can see nuances of their facial and body expressions. Story went needlessly convoluted halfway thru and this time the linear progression is more damning since we    What. A. Mess. Of. A. Game

    Main Character was offputting which showed the emo type characters of Cloud and Squall are better off in text based dialogues and cutscenes. The archetype suffered in the current cutscenes where can see nuances of their facial and body expressions.

    Story went needlessly convoluted halfway thru and this time the linear progression is more damning since we keep on changing perspectives over and over with the characters leaving no impression in me since we just go from pt a to pt b then change characters.

    Battle system was refreshing and challenging which is one of the positives i get from this game.

    Making a bad entry into the final fantasy series is understandable since we can't get all hits but not only doubling down but TRIPLING down on this mess of a title really breaks the momentum of the series. Relegating it from the top of the echelon of great series.    … Expand
  56. SporadicDeviant
    Dec 6, 2019
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is not a troll review. This is me explaining why I hate this game.
    The game is linear, that's not a surprise. Linearity is not a bad thing, in and of itself. The problem is the tedium that comes with FFXIII's linearity. The main thing you do in this game is walk forward, fight, walk forward, fight, watch cutscene, walk forward, fight, walk forward, watch cutscene, walk forward, fight, walk forward, watch cutscene, fight, walk forward, and on and on. It gets tiresome. Even after the game "opens up", 25 hours into the game, the gameplay loop is still the same. Just replace "walk forward" with "walk around".
    The battle system is laughably bad. Square tries to make combat strategic with the paradigm system, but with the autobattle function and the Diversity paradigm, you can make it through 95% of the enemy encounters in the game with no trouble. The fact that combat boils down to "press x" multiple times doesn't help FFXIII's tedium issue.
    The story is a mess. The game expects you to read paragraph upon paragraph of lore found in the pause menu instead of properly telling the story in game. Character motivations change on the spot, and the characters themselves are either annoying or forgettable.
    There is one exception, Sazh Katzroy. He's is without a doubt the best thing about FFXIII. He's charming, his motivations are clear and never change, he's the only character in the game that acts like a real person, and he's just a relatable, sympathetic character. I also have to give the writers credit for holding off on revealing that Sazh has a family until after the player can get to know him as a character. Other stories would just shove a character's family into the player's face and expect the player to get automatically invested in the character, but they showed restraint, and that's commendable. Sazh might just be in my Top 5 favorite Final Fantasy characters ever, he's that good. Aside from the good visuals and great music, Sazh is the lone bright spot of the game.
    If you genuinely like this game, that's fine. There's nothing wrong with liking this game or any game that most (or half) of the people don't like. Understand that there is a reason why FFXIII gets a mixed reception. Like Far Cry 2 and The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword, FFXIII decided to try to experiment with its mechanics. Unlike Far Cry 2 and Skyward Sword, in my opinion, FFXIII did not succeed in doing so.    … Expand
  57. caiomachi
    Jul 5, 2020
    3
    Pros:
    • Characters
    • Story
    • Graphics
    • Innovative battle system
    • Bosses

    Cons:
    • Too linear
    • Too long
    • Too many boring and repetitive mob battles
  58. DarkwingSchmuck
    Mar 3, 2022
    4
    The worst single-player game in the mainline Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XIII is a misfire in nearly every way. From its immense lack of self-awareness, to its bland cast and sterilized story, Final Fantasy XIII feels like it was manufactured by machines into a heavily focus tested, cynical corporate product. The one area with any sort of promise is its battle system, which isThe worst single-player game in the mainline Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XIII is a misfire in nearly every way. From its immense lack of self-awareness, to its bland cast and sterilized story, Final Fantasy XIII feels like it was manufactured by machines into a heavily focus tested, cynical corporate product. The one area with any sort of promise is its battle system, which is completely ruined as the system's are drip fed to you through 20-hours worth of tutorials. Final Fantasy XIII is a bore.… Expand
  59. Yucuvu
    Oct 2, 2022
    0
    One of the worst games I've ever had the misfortune to play. And essentially the worst Final Fantasy game ever made.

    - 0 city - 0 NPCs to talk to - 0 minigames - 0 exploration (because there are only corridor maps for 95% of the game, literally) - 0 plot (since it is an incomprehensible mess and without any logic or sense) - 0 gameplay (since every battle is actomatic, literally)    One of the worst games I've ever had the misfortune to play. And essentially the worst Final Fantasy game ever made.

    - 0 city
    - 0 NPCs to talk to
    - 0 minigames
    - 0 exploration (because there are only corridor maps for 95% of the game, literally)
    - 0 plot (since it is an incomprehensible mess and without any logic or sense)
    - 0 gameplay (since every battle is actomatic, literally)

    In short, avoid this horrible trash game
    Because it's a tedious disaster    … Expand
  60. XenobladeFan007
    Jun 10, 2022
    0
    I discovered the series with this FF 13 is the magic and very present, The graphics are simply sumptuous, the charm of the game is partly due to its magical environments and wonderfully
    and has an extremely successful scenario with endearing characters with a crazy back ground all right away I think of (sazh, noel, lightning, hope and vanilla) this game is only good memories: heart: I    I discovered the series with this FF 13 is the magic and very present, The graphics are simply sumptuous, the charm of the game is partly due to its magical environments and wonderfully
    and has an extremely successful scenario with endearing characters with a crazy back ground all right away I think of (sazh, noel, lightning, hope and vanilla) this game is only good memories: heart: I would like if he released the trilogy on switch/ps4 that would be cool.    … Expand
  61. Sequn
    Aug 2, 2022
    1
    This is the worst piece of crap game I've ever played.
    A disastrously and aggressive waste of my time.
    Since this sh#t game it plays itself for the most of the time.
    Oh, and there's isn't literally nothing to discover, since it's a tremendous corridor simulator, with a trash "story".
    I suggest you to stay far away from this piece of crap
  62. Toxsick
    Aug 4, 2023
    1
    Incredibly boring corridor guided jrpg with action elements. By far the worst and least engaging FF, took a lot of steps back compared to even the now almost 30 years old entries for the sake of simplifying the gameplay. Another example of publisher trading creativity and innovation for marketing driven goals.
  63. ZXSth
    Feb 4, 2023
    4
    To see such a legendary franchise create such a pretty-looking yet abysmal game was shocking. I recall playing this game for about 30 minutes before recognizing my own immense boredom and frustration. This was one of the first games I played that I would have truly considered to be "bad," and was taken aback by my own boredom.

    If you have enjoyed other Final Fantasy games, you might    To see such a legendary franchise create such a pretty-looking yet abysmal game was shocking. I recall playing this game for about 30 minutes before recognizing my own immense boredom and frustration. This was one of the first games I played that I would have truly considered to be "bad," and was taken aback by my own boredom.

    If you have enjoyed other Final Fantasy games, you might find this marginally tolerable. Otherwise, do yourself a favour and give it a pass.    … Expand
  64. Toshi_inu
    Jun 16, 2023
    0
    muy mal videojuego, lineal, las batalla son malas, o tiene casi nada de rpg, personajes genéricos, lo único bueno es la banda sonora,
  65. Vhofa
    Dec 31, 2022
    0
    To this day, FF13 remains the worst Final Fantasy game ever created. A tedious and boring atrocity, without any creative inspiration, and with a horrible story from all points of view. And the automated gameplay sucks.
    Don't waste your time in this garbage.
  66. Yased
    Jan 15, 2023
    0
    Atrocious and boring piece of trash.
    Final Fantasy 13 is literally the worst jrpg I've ever played, and also the worst Final Fantasy game. 0 explorable city, 0 NPC, 99% linear maps, transformers trash Summons, ridiculous monsters design, forgettable ost, ecc....
    Pitifully bad in every single way, especially the trash plot and the sh*tty automatic gameplay.
  67. Riplyco
    Jan 28, 2023
    0
    Horrendous game.
    This is Final Fantasy 13, the worst mainline Final Fantasy game.
    One of the worst jrpg I've ever played in my whole life
    Don't waste your time and money in this piece of crap
  68. Rasilou
    Mar 15, 2023
    0
    FF13 è il peggior jrpg che io abbia mai giocato.
    Ed è anche il peggior gioco di Final Fantasy di sempre.
    Un'esperienza ridicola, piatta, triste, ed orribilmente brutta a causa di una pessima storia dei pessimi personaggi una ridicola lore, ed un pessimo gameplay automatizzato. Una perdita di tempo che non augurerei a nessuno. Per questi motivi FF13 dovrebbe essere evitato da tutti, in    FF13 è il peggior jrpg che io abbia mai giocato.
    Ed è anche il peggior gioco di Final Fantasy di sempre.
    Un'esperienza ridicola, piatta, triste, ed orribilmente brutta a causa di una pessima storia dei pessimi personaggi una ridicola lore, ed un pessimo gameplay automatizzato.
    Una perdita di tempo che non augurerei a nessuno.
    Per questi motivi FF13 dovrebbe essere evitato da tutti, in quanto orribile gioco costruito male e realizzato peggio.    … Expand
  69. Mekoci
    Mar 24, 2023
    1
    Final Fantasy 13 is not a Final Fantasy game.
    It's just some crappy garbage put together to sell a horrible product.
    Avoid this, because it's one of the worst games I've ever played
  70. Mazody
    Apr 7, 2023
    0
    Un pessimo gioco sotto tutti i punti di vista.
    Trama stupida oltre ogni senso logico, personaggi scritti malissimo, gameplay automatico, zero esplorazione (visto che sono tutti corridoi), Summons schifose, colonna sonora dimenticabile e ripetitiva.
    Un pessimo gioco di Final Fantasy ed un pessimo JRPG.
    Non buttate mai i vostri soldi in spazzatura come questo orrendo gioco noioso
  71. Ologreek
    Jan 31, 2023
    1
    A piece of crap game.
    Since it's a completely linear game, with a sh/t automatic gameplay, a ridiculous plot, and horrible characters.
    One of the worst games I ever played
  72. Jesol
    Jun 3, 2023
    0
    An horrible game that fails in every single aspect
    That kind of bad games that should be avoided
  73. Roxu
    Aug 3, 2023
    0
    The most empty final fantasy game ever
    This linear corridor simulator with an even more trash plot than the recent last entry made by Nomura and the idiot YoshiP
  74. Cedex
    Jul 1, 2023
    0
    Peggior Final Fantasy di sempre
    E peggior jrpg realizzato nell'era PS3
    Il consiglio che vi dò è, state lontani da questa spazzatura
    Atrocemente pessimo sotto tutti i punti di vista
  75. Nivhu
    Jun 26, 2023
    0
    This linear and automatic garbage game it fails to entertain everyone
    Since it's build in the most boring and lifeless possible way
    The worst Final Fantasy game easily
  76. Toryi
    Jul 22, 2023
    0
    One of the worst Final Fantasy games ever
    I suggest you to stay far away from this garbage
  77. Nocho
    Jul 10, 2023
    0
    Easily the worst Final Fantasy game
    A trash tier jrpg with garbage characters and garbage gameplay.
    Without any city and without any kind of exploration at all
    Just stay away from this train wreck mess
  78. Nagha
    Aug 15, 2023
    0
    A boring piace of garbage
    Boring garbage plot, boring characters, garbage plot and garbage gameplay
    One of the worst indeed
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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

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »