abscence of mini-games don't make any game bad. That's super nitpicky.
No, it is a fault with the design. To not include something that VII, VIII, IX, X and even XII managed to some degree is a glaring fault. It isn't nitpicky to suggest that having so much of the substance taken away is a bad thing and taking choice away is a bad thing., Your position on this is frankly, utterly absurd.


Correction, what you think makes an RPG. Genres evolve over time whetever you like it or not.
No, correction, what the creator of the RPG genre says it is.

GZay2Stay's reader review of Final Fantasy XIII for PlayStation 3


"If the main selling point of the software is the non-interactive story scenes rather than the actual gameplay then it's not a game." ~ Shigeru Miyamoto (Director: Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time)

"If a games designer chooses to have the story be the most important part of the video game then they must find a way to tell it interactively to the player. Even if it's a strictly linear and pre-scripted story, there needs to be some form of interactivity from the player when it's being presented. To have the most important part of a video game not require any interactivity from the player is a serious game design mistake." ~ Fumito Ueda (Director: Ico, Shadow of the Colossus)

"The most important part of a RPG is the player feeling like they are taking the role of a character in a fully realised fantasy world. They can explore, visit various towns and places, talk to people, customise their character, collect various items, and defeat monsters. The story is not the focus of the experience and is only there to make the atmosphere of the fantasy world more interesting and engaging during the course of the game." ~ Yuji Horii (Creator of the JRPG genre/ Supervisor: Chrono Trigger)

"Although the FF series has greatly advanced over the years, it's still a RPG. FF tends to be mostly story driven so I always try to balance the experience by putting more effort into the RPG gameplay." ~ Hiroyuki Itou (Director: FFVI, FFIX, FFXII)

An RPG is a criteria of things and if you miss out a lot of that then it is no longer an RPG. In fact XIII design team Toriyama: Final Fantasy XIII Is Like An FPS | Game Stooge did suggest that this was designed with FPS in mind.

Genres do evolve, but they generally expand and improve on a winning formula, something this game DID NOT DO. FACT. FF7 expanded and improved on FF1. FFXIII does not improve on VII or X or even XII gameplay wise.

I notice you don't come back at any of these faults accepting that to leave them out is a bad thing. You want me to accept that to have LESS is better or normal and that I should just accept it all as cool and progress? GET REAL! What an absurd position to hold. It is just absurd! ABSURD.