I Don't Get the Complaints around XIII

[Rozaheku]

They are flaws, if you consider that this is

a. A final Fantasy game and

b. an RPG

To not have those RPG elements and to remove more besides cannot be seen as anything but a flaw in the design.

No, maybe from your stand point perhaps, as 90 % of your arguing is about certain aspect being abscent, but since we are talking about both a gaming genre and series that is loosely defined and is going through changes to make them appealing again - especially since we seeing much less of the tradiontial RPG -, your point is pretty much non-existent.

And choice isn't an illusion.

I didn't say that. I said the supposed choices presented to you in Final Fantasy are more often then not, a problem that must be solved rather then an actual choice. I am not claiming that there are not choices at all. There is a difference.

I get to choose in VII if I want to use items or magics and when.
I get to choose in VII if I want to do minigames at Gold saucer
I get to choose in VII if I want to do the sidequests like Wutai
I get to choose in X whether I defeat the Dark aeons or do the monster hunts

Final Fantasy XIII offeres you the exact same amount of choice. Just because it doesn't feature certain extras (because that is what the last three are) it doesn't mean choice is not there.

You can't ride chocobo's in FF IV. Damn it Square, put yourself together, and give me a damn choice.