Final Fantasy 13... One of the most hate/love games I've had the pleasure to play. What do I think of it? I love it.

People complain about how different this game is to any other Final Fantasy game, and how it's so linear it hurts. Well, this game was designed to revolutionize the JRPG genre. It isn't supposed to be like any other Final fantasy game. It isn't supposed to have the old elements, it's supposed to make it's own, and be the new RPG generation.

When you pop in Final Fantasy 13 (both consoles are good) you have to keep a open mind. You can't be thinking about the other game sin the series. you have to think of FF13 as it's own game, remain impartial. If you keep an open mind and remember the games intention in regards to RPG's as a whole, it will be a amazing experience.

Although I will openly admit I love this game, it has it's flaws, like every game. The first one that come's to mind is the first 10 hours and pointless battles. I mean sure, it helps you learn HOW to fight, but, without being able to level up right away, it makes all those fights and progression feel pointless. I mean, I understand WHY Square decided to do this, (it was because of the storyline) but still, they should have made it earlier.

I really, really want to say I didn't mind how the game is so linear, but I just can't. I know that games are linear in general, I mean, they have to be, but In FF13, your always going 1 direction; forward. I didn't think it would be this bad, but I'm on disk 3 (Xbox User I is) and every map has basically been the same. It's really noticable if you always look at your map like me. But if you look at the enviroment, the scenery and what not, it's takes away from how linear the game feels by shear beauty. This game is bloody beautiful. The game play itself looks like a cut scene itself (in other games of course). There isn't a lot I don't like about FF13, but the things that I don't like, stand out.

Should I go over what I like? The list is long but I think you should know.

The absolute greatest thing that I love about Final Fantasy 13 is the characters. Almost every one plays at your heart. Not to mention Lightning (Main Character) was designed to be a female equivalent to Cloud. But I found them to be very believable, especially Sahz. As the player you get so into the character development that you can really feel their feelings. Either its the mourning of a passed on family member, or lover. Or it's the struggle to find who you really are, or, the struggle to do anything for the one you love, it's all there, and it's all real. Each character is unique, and has it's own background, much like Final Fantasy 7 (One of my favorite things about that game is the characters btw).

I also love how beautiful the whole game looks. EVERYTHING looks good in this game! The only thing I found that didn't look good was the characters fingers in game play cut scenes (I pay attention to the little things). I don't even want to get started with the Movie clips. Ever watched Final Fantasy 7 Advent Children Complete? Yea? well it looks just as good. I haven't seen a game look this good before.

I also love the battle system, something I didn't think I would. before the release, I watched countless video's of Battle Game play and just got lost. I didn't understand why this character was attacking 4 times at once and all I could think of was "F***. It's like X-2" But once I played it, and got past the tedious 10 hours I really got into it and now I love it. One of the best things about it is its fast-paced style. It isn't too face paced like X-2, but it's enough that forces you to pay attention throughout the whole battle, especially if you like to pick the attacks you want to use (There is a auto-battle feature that auto-picks your moves if you don't feel like thinking). Also, I love how you can't just grind for hours and hours and then destroy your enemies. No, instead you have to rely on skill and performance to win the battles, how to balance your roles and what not. It makes battles unlike anything we have ever seen, and fantastic.

Although many people complain about this, It is one of my favorites about the game, and it is the story.

Most people say its confusing, simple, overused, but I say, its great. It's like FF12, but with a love story in the mix. The best thing that I like though, is what everyone dislikes. and thats how you have no idea what is really going on the whole time. I'm assuming that everything will come together at the final chapter (I've been told, but I haven't finished the game yet) and that's what I love about it. It leaves me wondering what the hell is going on, and makes me excited to get to the last chapter. I'm hoping it's going to be mind blasting, but we'll see.

So I've rambled on about the things I like and don't like, time to hear what you think of what I have to say.

I've read many many threads on this topic. Many make little sense to me with the whole Ram and stuff, but my opinion is simple; it has to do with consumerism.

People will buy whats popular and new. It's common knowledge and a vast majority of people, especially kids and teenagers fall under this catagory; people want the newest and greatest things. Either its for bragging rights or if it's overall just better, who knows.

The DSi is better than the DS, there is no denying that. The DSi sold a lot more than the DS did when the DS was released. Almost 3x that. We can't deny that, its facts.

With this being said we can only conclude that the DSi is a popular, wanted system, and we all know what happens when things are popular and wanted; more people want it. Not only that but Nintendo has the power to make DSi huge, and they are dong a good job. Countless threads across the World Wide Web, all about the DSi makes it even more popular, even if people don't read them. If history repeats itself which we all know it does, no nintendo system has had more than one update. and DS to DSi will not break this cycle. For example:

GB -> GBC

GBA -> GBASP

DSP -> DSL

These are updates. There isn't any change in the hardware, but just the look. (With the exception of GB to GBC of course. This is obvious though)

DSi is completely redesigned, a new menu with new features, better hardware (or so we think) the only thing is, it didn't change its name, or the look. Seems to me that the DSi is the one system that screws with past patterns.

I bet Nintendo is loving us all bickering about this, and this is all some grand scheme. These arguements are too early for one, they are hypothesis' for another thing, and honostly there is no wat we will ever know whats actually going on in the heart of Nintendo. It's pointless and laughable.

we have people who are pro Dsi and would fight and argue about it till the sun goes down.

We have people who are pro DSL and would fight and agrue about how its better till the sun rises.

Then we have poeple like me who can't help but to read all the arguements.

But thats my opinion,,,

Many times I think about how to improve the already awesome games known as the pokemon series and I came up with a brilliant idea. Make one game (maybe for wii) and it can be your character collecting all the badges from all the regions.. and meetign all the professors, gym leaders in the process. It would be amazing, you could fight each antagonist group within each region, and then have them all team up at the end for one final struggle to rule over the pokemon. And you oculd have just one pokemon, the god of gods, the Zeus of pokemons appear when all the antagonist groups come together. It would be epic, it would be amazing, and honostly I think even if you weren't a big pokemon fan you would go out and buy this game. IT makes me wish that someone on the inside would think this way too.