my impressions after 15 hours of playtime:
Yes, it is linear almost to the point where you could probably just push forward on the control pad until another cutscene/fight starts. Due to the linear-ness, characters only get about 5 steps up the road before another baddy is encountered. For some reason this hasnt completely enraged me yet. The new battle system is actually quite interesting, it is almost like it is being linear too. Currently, battles are pretty easy it is automated to the point that your character will choose what it wants to do. This can be tailored to the enemy by scanning them for weaknesses. Once scanned, your characters will attack using the most effective methods (wind magic on flying creatures etc). When an ally gets low on health, just change to a medic and all the healing happens pretty automatically. It has potential, but right now battles are very straightforward. I have no idea why I am supposed to be saving the world. Sorry, just because some 16 year old chick told me to is not valid reason enough! The story descended into lets save the world kind of thing way too quickly and seemingly for no reason...needed more of a buildup.Ok so all those points are a bit negative.
As I mentioned, even though it seems a bit easy and linear it hasnt got tedious or boring for me. I think this is due to the simply AMAZING graphics and presentation. The cut scenes are quite simply, stunning. I have been amazed a great many times already at how smooth and gorgeous it all is. There was this one bit about an hour or so in where all your crew gets marked as the bad guys
(this where the save the world bit starts 1 hour into it?!!) and I have to say I have never seen anything like it. The cut scene was dark and all you could see was this great hulking baddy made up of moving screw like devices and whirring cogs and stuff, all glinting in the low blue light very impressive. I wish there was a function to re-watch it!Having re-read this it likes like all that is good about FF13 are the graphics.
Not sure this is true as a lot of other things appeal to me but I cant really remember/describe them. Despite the stupid start to the storyline, I am pretty certain a twist is coming up that should spice things up a bit im also starting like some of the characters.Oh, thats another thing.
One of the playable characters is a young girl about 15-16 and the voice acting cracks me up constantly as when she is running along in cut scenes or climbing up stairs etc, she is panting and giggling and generally being out of breath I swear they just recorded a girl having you-know-what and used that as some of the samples! Good lord, it sounds like shes continually pleasuring herself....very bizarre...Hows that for a games review?!
I even managed to get $3x references in there! I deserve a job at IGNOh, I completely forgot to mention that FFXIII is the perfect FF for me in this day and age!
Save points are so frequent and regular that you can literally play the game for 30 mins and not have to worry about losing progress and you can pretty much guarantee that a save point will be around the corner within 5 mins of you wanting to stop playing.
The whole setup is just geared towards casual gamers that just want to fight some dragons when they get in from school/work before their mum/girlfriend/wife gets home and wants to use the TV to watch Coronation Street perfect for me! Certainly wouldnt have been able to do that in any previous instalments....especially FFXII (you needed to allow a minimum of 2 hours to play it).