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. PersonAHAHAH
    Nov 5, 2022
    10
    Great game I really loved it.
    the +
    - battle system
    - script
    - lifetime
    - we want to play the other opuses of the saga
  2. 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
  3. RichardT.
    Mar 12, 2010
    5
    Quite possibly the most beautiful looking console game out there, but very, very dull. Run down corridors, engage in pre-arranged (no random encounters or grinding here) quasi-turn based fights that involve figuring out the correct tactic for the particular enemy and spamming it endlessly. No town, no XP, no gambit system and very little control - your party fight under AI control similar Quite possibly the most beautiful looking console game out there, but very, very dull. Run down corridors, engage in pre-arranged (no random encounters or grinding here) quasi-turn based fights that involve figuring out the correct tactic for the particular enemy and spamming it endlessly. No town, no XP, no gambit system and very little control - your party fight under AI control similar to Mass Effect (although in Mass Effect you can at least control your party's use of powers). Very weak and generic story as well. Apparently it all gets a bit better after about 25 hours, but who has the time to play a boring game for that long? The Edge and Wired reviews nail it pretty much perfectly I think.… Expand
  4. SeanG
    Mar 16, 2010
    3
    The accessory & weapon upgrade system in this game is completely broken and they did a terrible job implementing it. Thats the main reason I stopped playing. Because at chapter 11, I was stuck. I had put experience in accessories that were quickly trumped by better random drops. No refund for experience spent. And my weapon, I upgraded it to the second level, but then found much better The accessory & weapon upgrade system in this game is completely broken and they did a terrible job implementing it. Thats the main reason I stopped playing. Because at chapter 11, I was stuck. I had put experience in accessories that were quickly trumped by better random drops. No refund for experience spent. And my weapon, I upgraded it to the second level, but then found much better weapons later I wish I could've upgraded instead, but with the vast lack of upgrade materials and lack of incoming GIL, you get terribly stuck. Plus, I found out there are ways to combine accessories to make better ones, but I found that out online in a forum, not in the game , so there I am retrying Bahamut and Carbuncle 7x each , when I could've upgraded my weapons and gear earlier in the game had they properly informed me. For all the hand holding early in the game, the complete silence on upgrading is a slap in the face. And furthermore the catalyst upgrade system is horrible. Why cap it? Why prevent me from moving on? If you just kept the CP tiered up, the rewards are diminishing for the amt of CP you are getting in the earlier chapters. Overall, I give the game a 5 for the graphics and battle system, but a 1 for the horrible story, horrible characters, horrible upgrade system and linear "on rails" progression system.… Expand
  5. James
    Mar 9, 2010
    2
    Wow, this is by far the worst Final Fantasy game I have ever played and I've played every game from and including FF7, how it is scoring so high is beyond me. The only good thing I can say about it is that it looks incredible, and it does. It;s probably the best looking console game I've ever seen, but that is where the praise ends. Everything that was great about the franchise Wow, this is by far the worst Final Fantasy game I have ever played and I've played every game from and including FF7, how it is scoring so high is beyond me. The only good thing I can say about it is that it looks incredible, and it does. It;s probably the best looking console game I've ever seen, but that is where the praise ends. Everything that was great about the franchise has been stripped out and replaced with either nothing at all or a bit pile of dumbed down blandness. The combat system is boring and shallow grind, meh is the perfect word to describe it. The world is a joke, it's just a series of corridors that you just have to keep grinding through. And when the world does open up (after 20 painfuly dull hours) it's just so underwhelming and WAY too little too late. Then theres the so called class levelling system, I say so called because in comparison to the FF games that came before it, not to mention every other RPG that you can buy today, it's beyond a joke. No real tactical choice can be made, just which of the available classes you want to spend your points in first. Even the camera controls suck ass, the crapness of this game go's all the way to the smallest detail, it's just that bad. If the developers were going fo a bland, grinding, boring JRPG with all of the awesomeness of the previous games removed and the memory of all that awesomeness completely shat on then the score of 8.3 is well deserved. The fact that this steaming pile of s**t is the first Final Fantasy game for this generation of consoles is just sad.… Expand
  6. BrettJ.
    Mar 12, 2010
    1
    I really dislike this game. For the comments related to this having some of the best graphics, you really need to go outside and play another game in your life, this must be your first one. Metal Gear Solid 4 which came out 2 years ago has better graphics, Killzone 2 last year has better. Crysis for PC came out 3 years ago has better... the list goes on and on. An extremely average I really dislike this game. For the comments related to this having some of the best graphics, you really need to go outside and play another game in your life, this must be your first one. Metal Gear Solid 4 which came out 2 years ago has better graphics, Killzone 2 last year has better. Crysis for PC came out 3 years ago has better... the list goes on and on. An extremely average graphics engine, nothing is going on in the environment, other than character models which look ok, everything looks generic and bland. A pathetically linear game for a jrpg. I have nothing against a linear game if its done well, but this is ridiculous for a game put into this genre. This is not a FF game. If it didn't have the name slapped on it, all these high scores would be no more than a 4. Blind love for the series is getting ridiculous. The battle system is ok, but it gets old. Unless your a 5 year old girl, you wont like the characters or plot (which is the same garbage we've seen 500 times before). Pass on this. It was only made for money, nothing more. I'm done with SquareEnix for good... there simply crap. Bioware can have my money now.… Expand
  7. JohnJ
    Mar 12, 2010
    3
    FF 13 does a great job of playing itself. The developers leave absolutely no room for the gamer to take ownership of the beautiful world they created. Graphics are the only positive. Story is average. Gameplay is absolutely terrible. As a long-time FF fan, I do not expect it to possess the open ended Fallout 3 or Mass Effect style. But the groupthink developers completely dropped the ball FF 13 does a great job of playing itself. The developers leave absolutely no room for the gamer to take ownership of the beautiful world they created. Graphics are the only positive. Story is average. Gameplay is absolutely terrible. As a long-time FF fan, I do not expect it to possess the open ended Fallout 3 or Mass Effect style. But the groupthink developers completely dropped the ball this time around. They must have been supremely confident in their vision of the game, because they leave no room for anyone else to jump into the fun.… Expand
  8. JimmyC
    Mar 15, 2010
    3
    Most of the reviewers have already narrowed it down but I needed to vent my frustrations for the game to more than just my wife who could care less about my video games so here it goes. The exploration is a joke. You run down corridors fighting packs of monsters trying to get in a pre-emptive strike over and over again. Battles consist of figuring out the right tactic for the right Most of the reviewers have already narrowed it down but I needed to vent my frustrations for the game to more than just my wife who could care less about my video games so here it goes. The exploration is a joke. You run down corridors fighting packs of monsters trying to get in a pre-emptive strike over and over again. Battles consist of figuring out the right tactic for the right monster and switching up your healer when your health is low. Eidolons are outrageously hideous but they are fun to use and fight with. The characters in the game are so insanely over-the-top anime cliche that I couldn't play the game after Vanille joined my party. I only played a few hours but I have never been so disappointed in my life at a video game besides possibly Fable 2. Anyway, trading it in today on God of War 3. The whole game was awful.… Expand
  9. HerrS
    Mar 17, 2010
    3
    Just a turd dressed in a very expensive and fancy dress, visually stunning, FMV's are mind blowing, but thats about it. No character development, or too much(Whine whine its hopeless). Characters are based of Anime sterotypes (The annoying 'I cant be bothered to watch this' kind.), No proper towns or sidequests till late in the game is a glaring oversight for any RPG that Just a turd dressed in a very expensive and fancy dress, visually stunning, FMV's are mind blowing, but thats about it. No character development, or too much(Whine whine its hopeless). Characters are based of Anime sterotypes (The annoying 'I cant be bothered to watch this' kind.), No proper towns or sidequests till late in the game is a glaring oversight for any RPG that wants to actually invite the player in and encompass them into the game world. They should of just re-made FF7 to be brutally honest.… Expand
  10. SeanR
    Mar 29, 2010
    6
    I can't understand how so many people give this game such high scores. A 6, at best, is what it deserves. JRPG's aren't exactly known for their steps in innovation, but they are at least consistent. The previous FF's added onto the previous one, or at least did something better. For XIII, Square Enix just chopped off whole elements and replaced it with cliches.
  11. Trevor
    Apr 7, 2010
    6
    I tried and tried through out the entire 60 hours to care about this games story and characters, but no matter how much I tried, I simply could not. The battle system is, for the most part, fun. However, the story is just horrible, I expected WAY more from the company who brought us FFVII and X. I tried to over look the lack of side quests and cities, but could not do so. This just feels I tried and tried through out the entire 60 hours to care about this games story and characters, but no matter how much I tried, I simply could not. The battle system is, for the most part, fun. However, the story is just horrible, I expected WAY more from the company who brought us FFVII and X. I tried to over look the lack of side quests and cities, but could not do so. This just feels like a mediocre game wrapped with the occasional FF reference. A definite rent, but be buy at your own risk. If you love FF VII and X's stories, prepare to be disappointed.… Expand
  12. cwinters710
    Nov 8, 2014
    10
    WOW! what a game! as soon as you begin your adventure into this action packed game you'll find yourself in the middle of a civil war and make your way through it, getting to know the characters and ultimately joining them all into a large party. The game has a leveling up system called the Chrystarium, and it works much like Final Fantasy's X, but you don't need items to actually level upWOW! what a game! as soon as you begin your adventure into this action packed game you'll find yourself in the middle of a civil war and make your way through it, getting to know the characters and ultimately joining them all into a large party. The game has a leveling up system called the Chrystarium, and it works much like Final Fantasy's X, but you don't need items to actually level up the character. The combat system is very different and action packed since you'll constantly be on guard to change your role or paradigm. In the beginning of the game each character has 2 or 3 paradigms but you will eventually be able to master them all with every character although not all character have the same abilities and some get some abilities before others making you think on your feet as you change your party constantly.

    You can also level up your weapons and there are a plethora of weapons with all sorts of abilities. The story is a bit confusing in the beginning but it all makes since as the story progresses. The graphics are gorgeous you can expect no less from Square Enix, and the music is very pretty although I found myself not enjoying the game's main theme as much. The game has over 120 hours of game play if you so choose to complete the trophies or Achievements. I recommend it to experienced RPG fans since nebs will find themselves confused with certain aspects of the game.    … Expand
  13. RyanK
    Mar 16, 2010
    3
    One of the worst RPGs I've ever played. Boring, poorly written, and terribly paced. The only grace is pretty graphics, but if you want pretty graphics only, then look out your window for free! The gaming press is easily fooled into thinking that nice graphics mean a quality game. As usual only Wired, Edge and Destructoid look at a game through an adults critical perspective. The One of the worst RPGs I've ever played. Boring, poorly written, and terribly paced. The only grace is pretty graphics, but if you want pretty graphics only, then look out your window for free! The gaming press is easily fooled into thinking that nice graphics mean a quality game. As usual only Wired, Edge and Destructoid look at a game through an adults critical perspective. The others may as well have been written by children dazzled by colorful lights.… Expand
  14. AnthonyP.
    Mar 12, 2010
    6
    Epic let down! First off id like to say this game is a fairly solid dungeon crawler/interactive movie. You jump from dungeon to dungeon, cutscene to cutscene. Minimal character interaction outside cutscenes, the best you will get is idle chatter while you explore the linear paths (Mostly stuff like "Hey this place is neat" or "Look at that") If you thought FF12's characters needed Epic let down! First off id like to say this game is a fairly solid dungeon crawler/interactive movie. You jump from dungeon to dungeon, cutscene to cutscene. Minimal character interaction outside cutscenes, the best you will get is idle chatter while you explore the linear paths (Mostly stuff like "Hey this place is neat" or "Look at that") If you thought FF12's characters needed more depth then you have not met Lightning the ex soldier without a personality...sounds like Cloud actually, but without the actual good plot twists that make him remotely interesting. The battles are either impossible or too easy, meaning if you know what to do they are simple but if you dont know the exact way 100% to fight a boss you cant win period. Why must I fight a boss EXACTLY one specific way ...that is boring. Moving on...Area's dont get interesting till chapter 10 (Out of 13), Summons are extremely cheesy...two blue sisters interlocking thier thighs making themselves into a motercycle is NOT my ideal Shiva. No towns, no shops, boring late-late game sidequests, boring item grinding, truly a dungeon crawler with cutscenes every 5 minutes. The game drops you in the middle of its storyline, it actually needs 10,000 flashbacks to explain itself, it feels almost like a cheap FF6 story, only without the ground breaking gameplay to make up for it. On a plus its graphics are great but not jaw dropping. The sound is amazing, voice acting is decent. On a side note character development is a pretty version of the sphere grid, only you cant really customize a character the way you want. Its monitered and capped in a way that basically everybody will end up with the same characters near endgame. I give this game a 7/10, but since its the most epic letdown of the past 10 years, it gets a 6/10 out of spite.… Expand
  15. Pat
    Mar 17, 2010
    6
    This game makes you appreciate final fantasy 12 so much. FF13 is Final Fantasy for dumb people. Go from point A to point B. Fight a few enemies. Fill up the predetermined skill path. Be annoyed by two characters, one that doesn't stop whining and one that just doesn't stop squealing giddily. "My feet hurt, this is too hard, its all your fault!," "Don't worry!, you have to This game makes you appreciate final fantasy 12 so much. FF13 is Final Fantasy for dumb people. Go from point A to point B. Fight a few enemies. Fill up the predetermined skill path. Be annoyed by two characters, one that doesn't stop whining and one that just doesn't stop squealing giddily. "My feet hurt, this is too hard, its all your fault!," "Don't worry!, you have to have hope, we can't give up!, everything will work out in the end!, HE HE!" After the first few hours of gameplay you figure out that you really only need to kill a few enemies every chapter to fill up the skill grid. They cap the grid so once you hit the cap, you just stop fighting until they raise it again. So then it becomes a game of how fast can you run to the next cutscene without punishment for being weak when you get to the next boss fight. Boss fights tend to be much easier than the normal fights oddly enough. Randomly their are very hard enemies. Advice to developers, if you are going to have a game where you lose when the party leader dies, do not put enemies that one shot you, it is annoying. Graphics wise, I am typically a PC gamer so this isn't all that great looking. CG cutscenes are still beautiful, characters other than the two I mentions are a bit better. But yeah, final fantasy 12 was the like the pinnacle of customization. Sure it was a bit overwhelming at first but once you get everything set up the way you like it was great. 13 is like hey, you are this, you get to use this move, spam it. I also do not get how people think the fight system is good. I just sit there tapping x and occasionally pressing L1 to change "paradigms." And it is not that I don't enjoy a big produced cinematic game. I loved 10. But it needs to be done right, 10 made you feel like part of the game. You were there with the characters, you cared about them, you wanted everything to work out. Thirteen does not do this, I don't care about anyone, they seem to blabber on about random crap that does not relate to anyone. Everyone's parents died when they were a child in the game. Like seriously, every time someone starts explaining their past in the game, its starts off with "I am an orphan, I never got to know my family much" Game is way too easy + some retarded annoying piss you off type hard parts. It doesn't just hold your hand it holds them both, and your feet, while giving you a back massage. I am hugely disappointed. I give it a 6 because the cutscenes are pretty.… Expand
  16. Grrsawn
    May 23, 2011
    8
    People giving this a score of below 5 are **** you--this game deserves a 5 at least for the sheer beauty of it. The gameplay is fun and addicting, but the story and dialogue can be awful. It's your typical save the world game spun into a miserable melodrama. My biggest gripe is that such a vast an beautiful world cannot really be explored at all, and myself being a huge fan of XII, feelPeople giving this a score of below 5 are **** you--this game deserves a 5 at least for the sheer beauty of it. The gameplay is fun and addicting, but the story and dialogue can be awful. It's your typical save the world game spun into a miserable melodrama. My biggest gripe is that such a vast an beautiful world cannot really be explored at all, and myself being a huge fan of XII, feel this especially hard. A decent but oh so pretty and fun game.… Expand
  17. RazgrizKnight
    Nov 4, 2011
    10
    Final Fantasy XIII is an interesting game to say the least. As an old time Final Fantasy fan since PSX Final Fantasy games, I was eagerly anticipating FFXIII. Before I bought it I heard a lot of controversial opinions about this game. In fact, my own opinion about it wasn't clear until about 2/3 of my own playthrough of FF13. The thing is, FF13 is different from its predecessors in manyFinal Fantasy XIII is an interesting game to say the least. As an old time Final Fantasy fan since PSX Final Fantasy games, I was eagerly anticipating FFXIII. Before I bought it I heard a lot of controversial opinions about this game. In fact, my own opinion about it wasn't clear until about 2/3 of my own playthrough of FF13. The thing is, FF13 is different from its predecessors in many ways, but there is one thing that is the same. The quality, my friends. This game was meant to be exactly what it is and the execution is pretty much perfect. And here comes the major problem. A lot of people are expecting traditional Final Fantasy elements to be in every new numbered Final Fantasy games, and they will see the lack of aforementioned elements as a major flaw. In short, don't buy this game if you're looking to see many traditional Final Fantasy elements, you will be severely disappointed. However, if you're looking for a good JRPG with high-production values, plot that focuses on main characters (personally, I haven't seen that in the main series since FF10, 10 years ago), fun and fast battle system, stunning design and graphics and an outstanding soundtrack from one of the FF10's composers then Final Fantasy XIII is definitely worth checking out.… Expand
  18. pg-shadowrunner
    Oct 8, 2011
    8
    There's no denying that Final Fantasy XIII is a devisive game, but I still believe it is a good one. I understand why some people don't like it, I really do- it's different. But it's still an enjoyable entry in a great series of games. The story is interesting. I've always been impressed in the lore behind each new FF game, and XIII doesn't dissapoint. Interesting themes concerning a warThere's no denying that Final Fantasy XIII is a devisive game, but I still believe it is a good one. I understand why some people don't like it, I really do- it's different. But it's still an enjoyable entry in a great series of games. The story is interesting. I've always been impressed in the lore behind each new FF game, and XIII doesn't dissapoint. Interesting themes concerning a war between utopias, great voice acting (for the most part) and complex characters add to a very epic storyline. The only flaw I feel is present is that the datalog sometimes becomes overbearing, carrying details about the plot that should have been weaved into the narrative. Still, not a dealbreaker.
    It's worth mentioning that the game is absolutely gorgeous. Square Enix put an incredible amount of detail into this game, and everything from the characters to the locations screams polish. Once you reach the beautiful Gran Pulse area, all bets are off, and you're free to explore a vast wilderness and undertake side quests. The music is fantastic as well, with many stirring tracks, including one of the best orchestral boss battle themes I've ever heard.
    Now, the gameplay, easily the most divisive part of XIII. The fact that the game is linear doesn't really bother me. After all, Final Fantasy X was linear, and I loved FFX. I honestly believe the linearity was a conscious decision on the developers part to carry the story, and I'm fine with that. The real meat of the game is in the combat. Now, I've heard the criticism that the game simply plays itself, and all the player needs to do is press X. This is a load of crap. XIII's combat does indeed feature an auto-battle option- which can be switched off- but even if you use it, you'll still be swept up in fast-paced combat, where quick reflexes mean just as much as your strategy. Using loadouts known as Paradigms, you give orders to your party, who follow your commands quite well using excellent AI. Having the right Paradigm loadouts is imperative, and being quick enough to pick the right abilities is important if you want to survive. XIII's combat is fast-paced and intense. As far as character growth goes, the Crystarium features a path of stat upgrades and new abilities (sort of like, I don't know, LEVELING UP), but allows each character to master new classes and learn abilities in each of the six roles available, and when upgrades start to get expensive, you'll have many touch choices concerning your character's builds.
    All in all, Final Fantasy XIII is a flawed, but still highly entertaining gem in this fantastic series. I loved it, and will continue to look forward to the future games in the series. FFXIII isn't perfect, but it's still good.    … Expand
  19. Schmooblidon
    Nov 15, 2011
    8
    First off, I absolutely loved this game. But my score may confuse you? Well even though i clocked around 150 hours in total into this game, i can still see a lot of flaws. The storyline is great but it has the classic "WTF" square enix feel, and can become confusing. on my second playthrough i understood a lot better however. the graphics, well they are absolutely stunning and theres noFirst off, I absolutely loved this game. But my score may confuse you? Well even though i clocked around 150 hours in total into this game, i can still see a lot of flaws. The storyline is great but it has the classic "WTF" square enix feel, and can become confusing. on my second playthrough i understood a lot better however. the graphics, well they are absolutely stunning and theres no question to that, the different areas are all very well designed and unique, unfortunately though my xbox copy lost framerate in the open world area. not sure what went wrong there, ive seen bigger worlds play better in other games. the sound is absolutely amazing and possibly my favourite part of the game. the soundtrack is possibly my favourite ff to date! but whilst still on sound, the voice for vanille became annoying fast. finally the gameplay, well there is a lot of debate on this. some people absolutely despise this game because of its linearity. but through my eyes i can hardly tell the difference between any other jrpg. all jrpgs are linear, they are all story driven. i guess too many people have been playing open world rpgs, that they forgot the structure of a jrpg. sure ffx had the airship, near the end of the game. xiii has the portal near the end of the game, no difference. as for combat, a lot of people are giving this grief aswell. they say its basic and dumbed down. i admit it starts slow but it has to, or it will confuse all of the new audience, which it did gain btw. id didnt annoy the first time around as i was locked into the story. anyway the battle system becomes very enjoyable as the game progresses and becomes quite hectic in boss battles. i for one think it was a brave move by square and i personally really enjoyed it. so my final score is around 8.3 as of course it could of been better, but gave it a good shot. lets see if they improve with xiii-2.… Expand
  20. Merr
    Dec 28, 2012
    10
    One of the best games of this generation of consoles. Beautiful graphics, interesting story, great world, deep characters, nice battle system.

    Only - is closed-corridors levels.
  21. GameEngineer94
    Aug 8, 2012
    10
    Look I KNOW this is not your typical FF game but that doesn't mean it is bad or that it abandoned its roots and all that BS, ALL the bad reviews for this game be it users or critics center around just one point: that it is not your typical FF game and by that most of the people mean FF 7 and FF 10, I am a gamer for more than 15 years and you know what: this game is AWESOME and then someLook I KNOW this is not your typical FF game but that doesn't mean it is bad or that it abandoned its roots and all that BS, ALL the bad reviews for this game be it users or critics center around just one point: that it is not your typical FF game and by that most of the people mean FF 7 and FF 10, I am a gamer for more than 15 years and you know what: this game is AWESOME and then some and the only thing that will bug you a bit is the weird ending (sad) but it has a sequel.
    I am a guy who respects other people's opinions but with all due respect to the negative review guys; if gaming did not develop past its "roots" then you will be bored and your negative reviews will be about how repetitive the game is.
    TO SUMMARISE: this is a great game with great graphics, story, gameplay and above all else deep and engaging characters that you are going to love if you can see past auron, tidus, yuna, cloud and tifa.    … Expand
  22. CloudTheValkyre
    Mar 10, 2013
    10
    Almost as good as X and VII. Very well, made, as well as being a beautiful looking and sounding game. Like the previous installments, It has a wonderful story, and well developed characters. Some people, on the other hand, say it is to linear. I say that if you don't like it, go play another game.
  23. MattiasP
    Mar 14, 2010
    3
    I really, really wanted to like this game. But after 13 hours of play I finally gave up and threw away my controller in disgust. FFXIII is the worst title in the series and possibly the worst game I've played in ages, and that's saying something considering I've played most of the previous Final Fantasy titles and enjoyed them immensely . No amount of pretty graphics can I really, really wanted to like this game. But after 13 hours of play I finally gave up and threw away my controller in disgust. FFXIII is the worst title in the series and possibly the worst game I've played in ages, and that's saying something considering I've played most of the previous Final Fantasy titles and enjoyed them immensely . No amount of pretty graphics can hide the fact that FFXIII is a tedious, shallow and linear game that flounders in its own horrible game design. While the Final Fantasy games have always been linear by nature, FFXIII takes this to an entire new level. 90% of the time you just run along a single corridor or path, moving from point A to B, fighting monsters along the way. At point B either fight a boss or see a cutscene/cinematic. If that wasn't bad enough the new combat system is downright horrible. While there are a new interesting ideas (such as Paradigms and Staggering), they are sadly so badly implemented that the final thing makes you want to cry. For the majority of the fights you'll only use two or three of the available Paradigm roles, making the majority of them extremely underused. In addition, the game automatically controls your companions and most attacks can be automated through auto-chaining. The game does such a good job at this that for the most time you can win simply pressing the X button at all times. The combat ends up as a tedious, dumbed down affair that feels more like some kind of Tekken game. Heck, even your summons (Eidelons) are controlled by different controller combinations, like special moves. I get the feeling that Square Enix wanted to create a more action paced system suited for a new generation of idiot gamers used to 1st person shooters. Tactics and brains are not required. If that wasn't bad enough, the story moves at a snails pace. Even after 13 hours nothing of interest has happened except for some boring flashbacks. No interesting plot twists, villains or events. It's more fun to watch paint dry. The characters are also for the most pretty uninspiring. Lightning feels like a female copy of Cloud or Squall from the previous titles. Vanille is so damn annoying that I wanted to bash her brains in and toss her cold, dead body from a cliff. Suffering hours of her silly giggling and overly cutesy voice made me grind my teeth. The only character I did like was Sazh, perhaps because he doesn't come across as so convoluted. However, the major problem with FFXIII is not what's there. It's what's missing. Square threw away everything that makes a good roleplaying game. In fact, I can't even call FFXIII a roleplaying game. It's more like a cinematic fighting game, and a bad one at that. There are no towns to explore. No buildings to poke around in. No silly or interesting NPCs to talk to. No mini-games. No really well-hidden secrets. Nothing. The game feels shallow, empty, void. So barren and desolate that the pretty graphics are more like window dressing rather than something that could immerse you into an interesting world. Since I can't really interact with the world in any real sense it ultimately also means that I don't care for it. What made the previous titles so engaging compared to FFXIII is that they immersed you into the world, the protagonists and the plot in such a grand way that you felt part of it. FFXIII makes me feel disengaged from the world of Cocoon, like I'm some kind of voyeur. The world is abstracted into tiny details that end up being explained in the games Datalog. FFXIII may look pretty, sound great and it will dazzle you with its cinematics. But in the end it's like eating cotton candy. All sugar, but no filling.… Expand
  24. 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
  25. IsaacS
    Mar 14, 2010
    3
    Bad points: Chaotic combat system halfway between action and turns, totally linear, absolutely no sidequests except some "hunting" missions, no relevant NPCs, no cities, no exploration, cliched characters, hours and hours of cutscenes. Good points: Good graphics, sorta good story. This is not my Final Fantasy, this game is just the peak of current generation problems: Nice graphics, bad Bad points: Chaotic combat system halfway between action and turns, totally linear, absolutely no sidequests except some "hunting" missions, no relevant NPCs, no cities, no exploration, cliched characters, hours and hours of cutscenes. Good points: Good graphics, sorta good story. This is not my Final Fantasy, this game is just the peak of current generation problems: Nice graphics, bad everithing else. Totally not recommended unless you like 60 hour movies.… Expand
  26. IanA
    Mar 9, 2010
    0
    Worst first hour of gameplay ever. The dissapointment of realizing that shops were relegated to save points and that until I finish all the achievements and sell this thing back to some other unlucky sod I'd be going through endless, tedious dungeon crawling through an overly-detalied superficial coating of glitter and polish on a long, dark tunnel of shite. The battle system has Worst first hour of gameplay ever. The dissapointment of realizing that shops were relegated to save points and that until I finish all the achievements and sell this thing back to some other unlucky sod I'd be going through endless, tedious dungeon crawling through an overly-detalied superficial coating of glitter and polish on a long, dark tunnel of shite. The battle system has been completely dumbed down in favor of "simplifying and streamlining" combat which critics praise as "thrilling" and I call boring. I'm sure in the next game not only will party members be AI, but so will the lead character, towns will continue to be absent and all dungeon exploration will be automatically enabled so that all the player has to do is push the power button and just watch the computer play itself. The developers seemed to have realized how terribly pointless the battles have become, what with the lack of levelling and re-hash of X's sphere grid as done by a control freak with Down Syndrom, and so enable the player to completely sneak by a great deal of enemies and offer rewards by way of the new rank system for getting the fight over with as quickly as possible. The voice acting has a strong mix of barely competent and terribly irritating, the game over screen is a lie becuase it just re-starts you right at the beginning of the last initiated battle, and the terribly unrelateable characters all have silly names that, while totally acceptable to a Japanese culture, suffer something terrible in translation to a western audience. As much as I kept waiting for an orgasmic "O WAIT, THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT!" moment I'm sad to say that it never came (hurr hurr) and that I won't be darkening my shelf with this game much longer. If you're a fan of JRPG's in the style of Druaga you might find some appeal here, but for fans of the series as a whole or the wider array of JRPGs just give it a miss and dig out your old copy of Suikoden and tell yourself that game developers will get it right again, some day. Until then, Avatar syndrom will keep its hold on everything; as long as its pretty enough or have a long-standing franchise (LOOKING AT YOU, SQUARE-ENIX) you can have a boring a plot and as stupid a cast of characters as you like and people will buy it.… Expand
  27. AdabrianA
    Mar 13, 2010
    0
    This game would be a 5/10 actually but the lack of soul, the terrible character designs, the ridiculous adolescent plot, the linear and boring gameplay, and everything else on a game with the Final Fantasy pedigree deserves a zero. XII with all its faults, was way better than this. Stay away if you are mentally older than a insecure 16 year teenager or you will despise this game.
  28. You-Know-Who
    Feb 4, 2012
    10
    Despite being a polarized Final Fantasy, especially for letting many elements of previous titles aside, there is much to enjoy in Final Fantasy XIII. With a fast and functional battle system, flawless artistic direction, great narrative and a high quality soundtrack, Square-Enix proves that traditions are not necessary to forge an excellent game in the series.
  29. Arthemesia
    Feb 18, 2012
    10
    Yet again another amazing story line, i was disappointed in how linear it was, but the story so made up for it, FF XIII - 2 had an amazing gameplay but even so still a good story, but not quite as good as ff XIII, IX still has the best story of em all, then VIII is second, id say XIII is third and VII being fourth
  30. Carlitoxic
    Mar 5, 2012
    9
    A FINAL FANTASY at a height of the saga. It is possible that it is linear in excess but in the rest of other aspects it dazzles. Very nice the history of lu´cie and the fal´cie, Cocoon, Pulse, Lighning and Serah. The beautiful recreation, your powerful sonorous band, the intelligent system of combat or the emotion of your prominent figures, complete an excellentA FINAL FANTASY at a height of the saga. It is possible that it is linear in excess but in the rest of other aspects it dazzles. Very nice the history of lu´cie and the fal´cie, Cocoon, Pulse, Lighning and Serah. The beautiful recreation, your powerful sonorous band, the intelligent system of combat or the emotion of your prominent figures, complete an excellent game. It is not FFVII, not X, but it is Final Fantasy undoubtedly.… 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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