I hated ff13 and ff13-2 was too boring so I gave up after 5hrs. But lightning returns is absolutely my favorite jrpg of 2013. Combat is lots more fun than before, a variety of gears to collect and customize, plenty of places to explore etc. To me, its feels more like an RPG than the first two ff13. I do agree about the time limit tho, its annoying, but if you play the game in easy mode (they call it easy, but its still challenging and it is meant to be played the first time) , I can promise you that there are more than enough time for you to explore and finish all the main\side quests.
Shadownk's comments