I'm tempted to bring up all the titles on this list that are better and more important than FFXIII but really I just salute you, BoB, for giving a game its chance and liking it for what it is instead of taking to the cynical temptation to unfairly scrutinize it on a message board.

A big part of what I love about FFXIII is absolutely the cast. These were undoubtedly the most fully fleshed out characters in the series to date.

And the music... I think this was the first video game I played in digital surround sound. The detail, subtlety, and overall mastery of dts proved to me that regardless of their reputation, SE most certainly still has some of the most talented people in the business.

Anyway, sure, it was linear, but in the sensational way that a roller coaster is. With its fun combat and emotional story, XIII was a great ride, one I'll definitely be taking sometime again.