Not a classic "old school" RPG but still noteworthy for Innovation
Stand alone without the Final Fantasy name tied to this game, Square-enix's 13th installment of the series is amazing. A flood of reviewers from critics to Final fantasy lovers hated on this game for all the change. Rather, this evolution of a series many of us love shouldn't be frowned upon.
If you love classic old school RPG's undoubtably I can see where this game wasn't your cup of tea. But to say that someone is a fan of this series but dislikes change in this manner is doing themselves and the game a huge injustice.
As far as the story is concerned it was good but not great. Each character has a past which becomes increasing important as the game goes on. Even characters i genuinely found distasteful like Vanille had a backstory which made her more interesting. The story was memorable and kept me wondering what the satisfying conclusion would be like.
Towns in FF13 are nonexistent and the open world doesn't really come about until about mid way through the game. I found this to be an awesome change for square to make. Particularly having no towns was one of the most creative things I can imagine an RPG to do. Personally i came to appreciate the lack of towns as a fresh way to play a lengthy RPG. Towns and exploring them is always fun (Elder Scrolls comes to mind) but I don't think it's needed in every game (Demon's/Dark Souls). I commend Final Fantasy for trying something new, it is unfortunate that those who call themselves true fans cry when a new installment in this long running series is more than just a polished JRPG carbon copy.
Pros
*The Paradigm system works wonderfully each class has its use and, this keeps the battles fast paced and engaging while all maintaing simplicity
*Jaw dropping cinematics
*Really interesting and design of the world, great detail
*As always the music doesn't disappoint
*Pacing familiarizes players with the simple system allowing the depth of the game to develop with the players skills
Cons
* Certain party members were particularly annoying
*Takes a long time to have entire party together
*Linearity of customization,
*some items seemed utterly useless
Truthfully if this game didn't have the Final Fantasy name it would be a top RPG of this generation. Old School gamers beware, this isn't your classic favorite FF!V or FFV!. If in general you like RPG's and are looking for something solid to play, give this game a whirl. As far as new comers as concerned i highly recommend this as a game to play to start getting into the Series and work yourself backwards through some excellent titles.