I'd recommend you finish 9 :) that was my favorite FF game ever!
Though 13 is definitely in my top 3, up there with 9 and 10.
As said earlier all very linear for first 20 hours (in my case it was 25 hours), though I liked FF12 - you said it was boring, was it because of the battle system? If so, you may not like 13..
I'd say rent it to try it, but yeah you have to play 20-25 hours before the game "opens up"
First part of game was very linear and kinda boring, walk a bit, fight, get a cutscene, rinse and repeat... I understand the reason they did it was probably to tell the backstory, etc, but would have been nice to have a couple branching paths at the start so I didn't feel so confined.
Hell even mice that run those mazes for cheese get alternate paths ;)
Unicorns ARE real - They are just fat, grey and called Rhinos
