It's a bit confusing at the beginning and the intro is really long. It took me over 2 hours and I was still running tutorials. I think they should have shortened it to 1 hour. So far, I've been a bit confused over the beginning but I'm expecting more as the game goes along. I've not faced any technical difficulties yet and I'll update my review as I play more of the game. I do not use fps as a gauge for whether a game is good. The gameplay is currently way too simplified for my liking, "Just Press A".

I would say that this game has fallen short of my expectation. I have spent the first 7 hours doing boring grinding. It's so boring that I actually skipped the cutscenes. I was still doing tutorials for 7 hours and there was no world map in sight. I will update the review as I complete more. However, I may change my review status soon. Changed to Negative. Wow. There is no World Map. It's just a linear level generator over and over again. It is that crappy. I am so disappointed in Motomu Toriyama. I want Yoshinori Kitase (Final Fantasy 7) instead. I think I can understand why the series has slipped since FF9.

9 hours into the game and I'm stuck using only 2 heroes, Lightning and Hope, and I can't change my leader. I have only 1 summon, Odin.

The more I play, the more let down I feel. Honestly, this is not the FF that I used to enjoy. It's strange but the feeling I get is that I want to stop playing the moment I reach the next save point. I don't have that same feeling of wanting to go onto the next level in the old FF games. I just want to find the save point and say "Finally!".

PROS
1. Story
I want to know more despite the bad start. I have a certain expectation of the Final Fantasy series.

2. Innovative Creatures
a. Zwerg. So cute. The little square hoop is so funny.
b. Pantheror. Mecha-panther.
c. Myrmidon. Nice
d. Flandagoras

3. Cinematics
Very nice. I enjoyed the Nautilus Park one a lot.

4. Nautilus Park
Not up to my expectation but pretty good.

CONS
1. Auto Combat System
It's so dull. The AI basically controls your actions and you just control 1 hero.

2. Paradigm System
Now, everyone's action is fixed? That's kind of boring. You're not longer playing an FF game. You are basically juggling a few classes. Commando, Ravager, Saboteur, Medic and Synergist. Every single character has 3 of the classes. Despite the fact that there could be up to 25 different combinations, each character is limited to just 3, thereby leaving you with only 9 (3*3) possible combinations.

Horrible Experience with the Anavatapta Warmech. It was invulnerable to spells and the game changed my paradigms so there was only 1 Commando who could attack.

3. Single Leader Death + Can't Change
What? If the Leader dies, you lose the battle? What happened to all the Phoenix Downs that you're storing up? Can't change your leader in the beginning. You can only change it when you get Battle Team options.

4. Convoluted Intro
Huh? Pulse L'Cie? L'Cie? It doesn't really make sense and it's pretty convoluted at the beginning. It's basically the Sanctum L'Cie vs the Pulse L'Cie, 2 giant statues killing each other.

5. Automatically Removing Weapon Attacks for Spellcasters
The Paradigms are fixed to a system where the Spellcasters do not get to attack physically. Since spellcasters, like Vanille or Hope, do not have the Commando Paradigm, they can't use Physical Attacks. So, why in the world do you give them the Strength stat? You waste the weapons like the Boomerangs that Hope has.

6. Spells/Abilities Systems Doesn't Enhance Choice
The main idea is to beeline and find the skills + Accessory slots. Anything else is irrelevant. So, where's the planning or value in customising your character?

7. Too Many Bombastic Words
Crystarium, Paradigm Shift, Gestalt, Eidolon, L'Cie. The L'Cie (Lucy) is extremely over the top.

8. The Shop and Save
I hate it. The look and the idea of a Windows 8 appearing in the middle of nowhere is super dumb. They don't have any meaning at all. It reeks of the developers just chucking out the first save page they could think of.

9. Repeated Models
During the fireworks display at the beach, you can see character models that are carbon copies of each other. This negatively affects the viewing experience. E.g.
a. The Tin Can Man with the energy core
b. Slimes
c. Tiny Penguins
d. Horsemen
e. Dancing Birdmen
f. Slugs
g. Bombs

10. Repeated Hero Moves
Commando Lightning is the same as Commando Snow and Commando Fang. All of them use the same abilities. E.g. Launch, launching a staggered enemy into the air

11.Delay in Actions
First, you have to change your Paradigm, followed by choosing your skill. You can't use another Paradigm's skill. E.g. Provoke, requires you to change Paradigm first.

12. Demo vs Actual Product
What happened to Snow's Grenade ability? Did somone important leave Square Enix?

13. Weird Placement of Spells
Quake is in Techniques? WTF? Why does Quake (an Earth spell) end up in the Techniques instead of the Abilities?

14. Weapon Models Do Not Change
Even if you change your weapon, you're still going to have the same weapon model. It only changes in combat. I would prefer if the weapons change out side of battle as well.

15. Abhorrent Placement of Skills/Items/Spells
If you want to use Cure and you're in Commando Paradigm, you can't just open the skills menu and choose Cura. You have to first shift to a Medic Paradigm, open the new skill list, then choose Cura and the target. I didn't even include the wait time.

16. Pre Emptive Strike
There is no need to attack all the creatures if you're not doing any damage. The staggering only affects the first creature you attack.

17. "Data Loaded" box
The additional Click is not needed.

18. Medic and Synergist AI
Extremely badly done.
a. Overhealing 1 single target instead of spreading the heal over 2 targets
b. AI not using Raise
c. Casting Barthunder/Barfire/Barwater on the same hero when only 1 Bar can be used at a time
d. Single target buff/heal spells instead of whole team spells.
e. Manually casting Esuna can cause 2 Esunas to be wasted on 1 person

19. Upgrading of Weapons
Horrible. In order to do a proper upgrade, you need to have a guide so you won't waste XP upgrading. It is actually possible to waste thousands of XP if you don't use the x3 multiplier and know where the XP limit of each weapon is.

20. Summoning
It sucks. Only your leader can summon. This is one of the dumbest ideas ever. Also, once you summon only 1 hero can appear on screen.

1. Staggering
I am unsure whether this is good or bad. For one thing, it reminds of the exploiting the weakness of the bosses', I like that part. However, I find that it's too simplified, as it's just a simple formula of Relentless Assault and Tri-Disaster. You use Commando to slow the rate of decay for the Stagger bar and you use Ravager to increase the Stagger Bar fast.

SUGGESTION
1. Combat System Upgrade
a. Dodging,
b.Timing,
c. Choice of modes early in the game (Hope and Vanille can't do Commando or Physical Attacks)
d. Choose your Leaders
e. TP/Limit Breaks for All Heroes (Not a common 5 TP pool)
f. Choose your party
g. Running/Sprinting

2. Better Gameplay
11 Hours doing 2 person modes, when you could have been doing 3. FF games are much better with 3.

3. Better Healing AI
Just like Attacks, the AI should know how to cast healing on another target when its primary target has been fully healed or if its primary target has died. E.g. Lightning healing Hope when he's knocked out.

Splitting its healing is also good.

4. Actual Jumping/Crouching Instead of Jump Points
This would help navigate a much larger map and help with avoiding monsters and setting up Pre-emptive Strikes. The jump points are not fun and do not help to setup the world. This would also add in the added element of Jump Puzzles. Don't forget HAND GRIPS.

5. Pre-Emptive Strikes
Seriously, this is totally dependent on where the enemies are facing.

6. Initiative Meter
I prefer the Initiative Meter from Child of Light (It's a beautiful game). It lets players see who is moving next in turn order, has a stun-and-delay system and is easy to understand.

I would combine guarding with this option so that if you guard, you take 30-70% less damage, depending on your hero, but your initiative slows down.

7. Unique Character Skills
Perhaps a hero who has a special access to certain paths so that you can surprise the enemy? Like a hacker who can hack the doors and enter through another path.

Perhaps a hero who can detect invisible traps and see where invisible enemies are?

Perhaps a hero with a rope gun that can reach special locations and swing to special paths?

Perhaps a hero with exceptional strength that can push heavy objects out of the way?

Perhaps a hero with exceptional sniping skills that can hit levers and objects that are out of reach?

Perhaps a hero that can speak with animals and plants?

That way you will be enticed to switch out all the heroes and use all of them.

Man, I am giving you high quality ideas Square Enix, I ought to charge you for this suggestion.

8. Better Puzzles
Remember the piano puzzle in FF7? That was a good puzzle. Compared to opening a floating orb, it is far superior.

9. Better Hiding Options
How about brush? Like long tall grass that you can hide in?

As for Deceptisol, as least make the hero turn semi-invisible. Why do you need Deceptisol? It destroys the "stealth/surprise" experience. Certain enemies are just positioned in a way that can't be surprised.

10. Codex
Create a codex to reference creatures / characters / items.

Add a little image to show what they look like, instead of just a word.

11. A Different Form of Staggering/Weaknesses + Libra
I would recommend using a weak spot instead of the "keep-wailing-until-stagger-occurs" strategy. E.g.Shooting a creature in the soft underbelly instead of its tough shell. Attacking the battery pack of the machines to expose the energy core.

Libra should allow you to see where the weak spot is and what types of attacks are effective on it. E.g. The weak spot is immune to fire but weak to water.

12. Special Effects for Each Element
Currently, fire, water, thunder, aero, frost, physical, non-elemental and earth, are just 8 different colours. They have no unique traits about them. E.g. Thunder could be extremely fast attacks.




Additional Reference
http://www.wired.com/2010/03/final-fantasy-xiii-review/ (Note that I read the report after playing the game)

The Process
You've likely surmised by now that the basic process is this: build up the EXP multiplier to x3, then use synthetic components to give the item a whole lot of EXP all at once. You would be correct. There are specifics to this process, though, that differ depending on where you are in the game. I'll divide this section by the two most popular times for weapon upgrading: Chapter 9, and Chapter 11 through the endgame.
---Upgrading in Chapter 9
Chapter 9 is the first time you have access to abundant gil due to Credit Chips and Incentive Chips that drop in plentiful amounts from the PSICOM enemies you fight. This makes it a natural time to focus on upgrading your weapons somewhat, as you finally have some gil to burn. You won't yet have access to R&D Depot, but that's fine, because those components are overkill. All you need are Crankshafts. Each Crankshaft provides 215 EXP with no multiplier. That means that with a x3 multiplier, each Crankshaft will give an item 645 EXP. Here's how to go about it:
--1. Use 36 Sturdy Bones, Barbed Tails, or Vibrant Oozes. This will bring the multiplier from zero to x3.
--2a. Use as many Crankshafts at once as you like. If you use them all at once, they will all take advantage of the EXP multiplier--it only lowers after the upgrading is done. This means that you can save yourself organic components by using synthetic components en masse.
--2b. Use as many Ultracompact Reactors on the item at once as you need to. Remember, you get the most EXP for your gil by using them all together, as you will save organic components.

Weapon Analysis
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/950899-final-fantasy-xiii/54014417

---Transformation Catalysts
Every weapon has a specific transformation catalyst, and I'll make sure to indicate which those are. You'll find many fo these as you progress through the game, and all of them can be purchased from either The Motherlode or R&D Depot.
---Ultimate Weapons
Let's talk a bit about ultimate weapons. Every one of a character's weapons will reach the same form in the end--at least, in name and appearance. In reality, even though all of Lightning's weapons will become the Omega Weapon when fully upgraded, every Omega Weapon is different. An Omega Weapon upgraded from the Blazefire Saber will be a balanced weapon, while an Omega Weapon made from the Lionheart will be weaker but have the Quick Stagger ability. Every character's ultimate weapon will also give them a sixth and final ATB level.
It's also important to note that upgrading a weapon to its ultimate form will make it lose its synthesis group. I would discuss synthesis groups in detail here, but frankly they deserve their own guide. For now, just note that every item belongs to a synthesis group, and equipping multiple items with the same synthesis group will provide special bonuses. The only items that do not belong to any synthesis groups are the ultimate weapons.
One more note: every weapon, without exception, uses the Trapezohedron as its transformation catalyst to become its ultimate form. Unfortunately, Trapezohedrons are very rare (they drop from Adamantoises and their cousins) and very expensive (they can be purchased at R&D Depot for a whopping 2,000,000 gil each). There are other guides available as to the best ways to acquire Trapezohedrons for the purpose of making ultimate weapons.