Square Enix have been releasing a lot of games over the past two years, but none of them have come close to recapturing the success of the Final Fantasy series. Some were great games - like Infinite Undiscovery and The Last Remnant, but failed to really make the player care that much about the characters like in FF.
This latest effort is getting closer, however there are many factors that ultimately stop this from being potentially great. The main issues are related to the visual presentation - this looks like an average ps2 title, with less graphical detail than FFX. Menus are very basic too and the whole thing looks a bit drab. Furthermore the main character isn't the most likeable of protagonists. Finally, cutscenes are hindered by these strange transparent black letterbox bars that distract from the action - it's a really odd decision to put these in.
Ok, now for the why this game is worth having in any avid rpg fan's collection. It combines the best elements of greatest rpg games and does so to great success. The charm of Zelda, battle system of Soul Reaver and setting of Dark Cloud. And then something entirely new is introduced - a soundtrack unlike any other in a video game to date. These tunes are seriously catchy and have vocal melodies that suit the atmosphere perfectly, and in many cases create the atmosphere. Also, the story is memorable and the characters really grow on you, with some genuinely funny moments between them.
So if you're done with Final Fantasy 13 and want a new experience before Versus 13, then this is worth a go. It's an enjoyable adventure that will definitely bring back memories of the great rpgs of the past!!