I actually may like XIII's the best. I know a lot of people said that it was a breath of fresh air when the map finally opened up in Gran Pulse, but it was the complete opposite for me. I loved how the two characters were on a unique mission with a distinct reason for being together. They were both also on an important character arc, something they wanted that was important to them and seeing what happens when they get there or it comes true. I also thought managing two characters at a time was more strategic and made for more interesting choices with party composition. Once you got to Gran Pulse it was about the party's story and the character's internal struggles and aspirations seemed a lot less important.

FFXIII was actually a pretty good game.