I bought this the day it came out and absolutely loved playing it. I played the hell out of the original Nintendo ones when I was younger and a few of the Playstation ones as years went by so I am familiar with dynamics and lineage of the series. The graphics and environments are amazing. I find myself stopping sometimes just to listen to the music. I love the Crystarium level up system and just back tracking and building up components and trying to five star all battles with enemies. Folks do complain that it is too linear or they have ruined the series with this one. Personally... I feel they have given Final Fantasy a new start in a sense and opened some new doors to future installments of the series. The only thing that turned me off at first though was all of the emotional garbage and brotastic hair styles.. I guess I stopped playing before they steered the series into emotown either that or I just got old and forgot. Still I recommend this!!!

Although many people complained about the characters and the linear style of gameplay, Final Fantasy XIII is actually a really good game. Beautiful graphics, amazing music, and a great story will keep you hooked if you can get past the linear paths of each chapter. The new battle system introduced is very, very good, still turn-based to an extent but you have to act fast with moves or you will suffer casualties! Recommended!

Loved this game and couldn't wait for the huge title Final Fantasy to finally come to XBOX! It is a great story and the graphics are amazing! It has enough story to keep you interested. The worlds are HUGE and there is room for plenty of exploring. Get this while you can!