A worthy successor to the fabled franchise.
Let me make things clear though. This isn't Final Fantasy VII reborn. It is a whole new breed and a welcome change.
The game does throw a curve ball at you in difficulty though. It progresses rather smoothly then suddenly turns you inside out. But, I enjoy games that do this. It makes it all the more exhilarating. After all, I don't pay $60 for a walk in the park.
But, my pet peeves about the game was that the general assumptions that make up Final Fantasy (chocobo's, the silent, massive sword wielding dude, etc) seemed like an afterthought more than anything else. The game clearly wanted to present itself as an evolved product, suiting popular tastes and not working on general assumption.
Change is welcome, but I did not understand why they had to change useful/interesting subjects, such as towns. Adding a couple towns here and there would have truly made this a masterpiece and would have enabled the developers to craft an overarching storyline.
At its heart though, Final Fantasy XIII is a game that shows you the revolving themes of love, hate, sadness, and redemption. It bundles it all together and leaves you a heartwarming experience, something that you don't see much in the real world.
And that is where I find this game's greatest strength. If only for 60 hours, it allows you to delve in, explore, and find passion in the making.