i wasn't bothered with the doing away of conventional towns in this game. i almost never even thought of it once. the fact is, there are people to talk to, saying there isn't is just ignorant. i mean, going into someone's house you don't know, harassing them for information and then taking their belongings never made sense. and it most certainly wouldn't make sense given the characters situation in FFXIII. it wasn't something i took for granted in other FFs, and it's not something i criticize this one for lacking. as for minigames, there are a few, and to say there are none also would be ignorant. but fortunately, minigames were never something i was concerned with in other FFs or rpgs either. Blitzball? only played what the story forced me to. Gold Saucer? only to get cloud's ultimate weapon. i don't think ive ever even rode the shooting coaster, and i couldn't care less. i don't look for these things in a game to justify me playing it or thinking that it's a quality experience. obviously there are people who do look solely for that sort of thing, and that's fine. to each his own. what the developer's did wasn't lazy - they trimmed away the fat and presented a streamlined and enjoyable experience, slightly flawed as it may be. but almost every game has flaws - i have yet to play one that doesn't have one. whether you choose to enjoy the experience is up to you, but i for one am a fan.

this is the first HD final fantasy, and there were some things that had to be sacrificed in order to a)retain the overall quality of the project, b)make sense within the game's world and sutuation and c)release it sometime within this decade because we all would've whined more if they didn't. they're working on trying different things in VERSUS because the designers will have had more experience in working in this medium and with crystal tools. i mean, look at the significance in the change of graphics and features from FFVII to FFVIII! Astounding. it's about trial and error and learning to utilize the engine to the best of its abilities with each new game. so...i dont really know where im going with this, but ya either like this game or ya dont!