This was my first Final Fantasy game. I didn't know what to expect while going in because I am a big WRPG gamer since the 90's but by the end of the game it was definitely one of the best games I have personally ever played. The game filled me with a sense of awe & wonder. The imaginative locales, lore of the world, the depth of both worlds explored in the analects within the datalog. The way the characters had to live under the feeling that their death was imminent, it did many things in its plot that I haven't seen in a videogame.
The gameplay was refreshing for me, never played anything like it, the focus on teamwork & using your party members was very well done. In many games if I am powerful I forget what my party members are doing, but in this game I had to work in a team & in some battle one wrong paradigm switch meant it was the end. The battle music during it was phenomenal as well. I see many people putting the game down for focussing on graphics in parts but the sense of immersion in those parts is unmatched due to the art style, music & all those forms combining.
Its not without its flaws though, the writing is bad, no doubts about that. The story could have been much better told & could be more compelling if they hired better script writers.
The game opened a new genre for me & made me try out FF12 (liked mildly) & FF10 which I am enjoying right now.
