I loved the game but now that time has passed by I can see why people have issues with it. The previous Final Fantasies just had a lot more substance to them. The world of FFXIII isn't fleshed out. It had an interesting premise so its a shame that we weren't able to fully explore Pulse and Cocoon. Also the cast had a very different dynamic than previous FFs (7-12). It didn't really have a main male and female character... Cloud/Squall/Zidane/Tidus/Vaan and Aerith/Rinoa/Garnet/Yuna/Ashe.

IMO XIII shares a lot of problems with other Final Fantasies

-Cheesy dialogue (FFX)
-Linearity/levels made of corridors (FFX)
-Simplistic/uninteresting character customization (FFIX)
-Blah summons system (FFXII)
-No world map or controllable airship (FFX, XII)


But it also has many issues unique to it

-Little exploration and few things to discover
-No towns, few NPCs, universe not fleshed out
-End game content is not varied
-Little variety in equipment. Many accessories seem kind of useless.
-Really? No dungeon puzzles? Just walk straight through?
-Mini games and side quests are few and do not add much to the experience.

Despite every FF game having its share of flaws, they usually have awesome innovations that make up for them. Unfortunately, XIII is only strong in a few areas.
Example: many fans did not like the art style of Final Fantasy IX. But the game still had awesome mini games (chocobo digging, Tetra Master). It also had many side quests and things to do and cool and unique characters.

Example 2: Many people did not like how different XII was... political storyline, different aesthetic, different music, different battle system... BUT it had tons of exploration, enemy variety, "epic loot", secret bosses, awesome hunts system, easter eggs, and a ton of character customization.



The great things about Final Fantasy XIII:

-The graphics are GORGEOUS
-Seamless transition from CGI to real-time
-Wonderful music
-Amazing battle system
-Well developed cast of characters
-Good story

But even these positives come under fire from fans. The battle system is fun, tactical, and fast paced but many feel that you sacrifice control. Some fans feel that the graphics came at a price... the price of better gameplay and exploration. The music is not Uematsu and its different. The cast of characters is also different than what we normally see in an FF... plus Vanille and Hope annoy fans. The story is good but it was convoluted in a way that you would expect from a sci-fi anime and not a Final Fantasy.

Yet, after saying all this, I still loved XIII. But I can see why fans were disappointed...