I miss being young and games being so new. The towns in the Playstation era were so cute and fancy. But now, when I go into them, I just think, how small and trivial. Happened to me in IX (although IX didn't help it's cause by blowing half of them up!!!!!!!!!). When I finish IX, I'm going to go back to VIII (my utter favourite in terms of random stuff), but I think I'll find it too has lost its special feeling.

So, I think nostalgia really has a part to play here, although I wish that XIII did have some times to allow you to explore towns (the cutscenes in Bodhum were really cool in giving a sense of home). But I think that XIII was character-driven. You were supposed to like the characters and therefore want what they want.

I think Versus will be including towns, especially as Nomura has strongly hinted/confirmed a World Map. So, I think Versus will possibly be better than XIII. However, I think the positive elements of XIII will be carried forwards to future games, making them much better. XIII could be considered the beginning of the modern Final Fantasy.