There is no doubt that this game is amazing in many ways. But it doesnt compare to some of the previous FF games.
Putting the Final Fantasy games in order of how they good they are is almost impossible, but I'd have to say XIII is towards the lower middle of all the games as follows: X, VIII, IX, VII, VI, XII, XIII, IV, V, II, III, I.
This game has so much that makes it great so I will discuss this first. The graphics and visuals are just amazing. The animated cutscenes are just mind blowing. They look like something out of the movies. All images are crisp and clean. All the areas you visit are so detailed and great to look at. The scenery and background to each area you visit is just great. It deserves a 10/10 for visuals. Truly amazing. You wont see graphics like this anywhere else.
The sounds of the game are also a treat. The OST is not on par with some of the better games in the series like VIII, IX, and X. There are a few notable tracks like Hopes Theme, Vanille's Theme, A Will to Fight, just to name a few. Overall the soundtrack is amazing, just not on par with others in the series. The voice acting is also amazing. The best I've seen in a game so far. All the voices match the characters perfectly. The mouths move in perfect sync with the words of the characters. Another 10/10 on this part of the game.
Now the gameplay is where the game really shines in my opinion. It adds all the best parts of each Final Fantasy game into one. It has a class system (Commando, medic, and Ravager are some of the classes. Which really means Commando = Warrior, medic = white mage, ravager = black mage. There are no random battles. It is done in an active time battle style. You are given a gauge that fills up. As the bar fills up you can fit attacks or spells on the gauge. and once the bar fills up you can release the attack. It keeps all battles very fast paced and really keeps your mind thinking. You need to consider which attacks to use, whether you need to change a party members class, or use an item or two. It also is a challenging system too. It never gets too easy. You take control of one character. if they die you get game over. You also cannot run from battles. This is the best battle system in any Final Fantasy game. It keeps things quicker and more entertaining that past games.
Now there are a few minor areas where Final Fantasy XIII has some shortcomings. The first one, which everyone is talking about is linearity. I didnt have an issue at all with it being linear. I like to just move from point A to point B to progress in the story and enjoy the game more. But this game was SUPER linear. You literally walk down a skinny hallway with enemies than enter a new area. Progress the story in the new area by watching cutscenes, then move down the next skinny passageway to the next area. I dont mind being limited in where i need to go, but dont make that path there super limited and absolutely no room for exploration.
Also I found the story to be interesting but also confusing at times. it never really madw 100% sense to me. Like I understood what they were fighting for and i enjoyed the story, but there were times when I was lost in the dialouge and didnt know what to think.
But thats it. I loved the characters in this game also. Lighting, Snow, Vanille, and Fang where super likeable and so intersting to watch. I love the austrailan accents on Vanille and Fang too. I know the characters seem cliche at times but they are also unique in their own ways too.
Overall this is an amazing game. One that will be hard for anyone to forget. Once you get into the game it will be hard to stop. The only warning I have for people is that if you've played Final Fantasy X, IX, VIII, or VII then dont expect it to be as good. It doesnt hold up as one of the best final fantasys but it definitely holds as one of the best games out there now.