5) Battle system is okay. Only problem I have with it is that they stuck it in a the main FF series. The battle system in the series has always "evolved", but never away from the turn-based menu system. It's like swapping out someones soul, it just doesn't go there. While it may be "inventive", I can't agree that it is anything close to "the most satisfying" in the series. IMO, it is the least satisfying.
4) Towns and overhead maps are another FF staple. Taking things out of FF that make them FF makes the new FF less FF. Get that?
3) What's the hurry? People that still like JRPGs don't mind waiting for the next tidbit. That's what playing these games is about. Get a little story, adventure, find clues, fight through the next goal, then more story.
2) The character developement in XIII is so formulaic(?) that it's almost sickening. It's like they got a soap writer to list the 6 major conflicts and just went with it. None of their conflicts naturally tie into the story. It feels very cut-and-pasted.
1) Multi-plat only makes it a "reason to be the best in the series" to people on the other plat.
Sounds like you are another gamer that wants to consider themself a JRPG fan, but doesn't like JRPGs anymore. If you don't like all of these things, why not move on to a different genre instead of cheering when the one we love is dying? If you wouldn't go back and play FFIII or FFVIII or any of the previous FF now, why would you buy a new one in the series? For all of the things you mentioned, it sounds like Heavy Rain or some other action/adventure game would be more 'your kind of thing'.
