The trailer is soooo awesome.  I readily admit that.  Glad you enjoyed the game. 

I'll take your advice and let it go.  Like the game, I will forget this thread ever existed--just like I did before you quoted me.

oh snap lol.

It certainly isnt the best, its not even in the Top 3. I highly doubt its in the Top 5 either.

while not the best, it's the firast game since 7 where I like ALL of the characters.  8 pissed me off for reasons I won't get into, 9 had some awesome characters like Vivi and Steiner, but others like Quina were crap, X had about 4 characters I didn't like etc.... great well thought out cast, and I have no idea where the hate for Vanille and Hope comes from.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *angry face*

i agree in all except in the no town thing, that the best thing i like in rpgs, the towns.

You know, I think this game in terms of character development FFXIII is definitely best game (finally a grown up Final Fantasy game?) in the series and the streamlining helped this. Plus, the story is geopolitically prescient which is something new in the final fantasy universe. Okay, let me qualify that, the beginning is prescient: the purge. What I think the writers did was obviously draw off of past events but I don't think it was inspired Nazi Germany considering the religious tone of the game (the timeless theme of fear and revulsion of the "other", it's very psychological and something we can all learn from). It seems to have been inspired by Nitsche: in order to gain free will man must destroy god. Character development is key as each character begins from a different stereotypical archetype but what made this story really interesting is how each changed as the game rolled along. Lightning was of course the stereotypical " sexy cool" character (with a real violent streak...she likes to hit things which is actually kind of attractive, I like aggressive women) and yet by the end of the game she's as much all heart and caring as the others once the ice queen (mostly) melts. Sazh begins as comic relief and yet by the end of the game he's shown heart (by not killing himself in his darkest hour...or Vanille for that matter) and toughness along with wisdom. Snow is in my opinion probably the most typical type of character: arrogant, grandiose, and all talk and yet...a nice guy, wha? By the end of the game, however he's a lot more focused and stops calling himself hero because he finally faces up to the unintended consequences of his actions and looks beyond  himself. Hope IS the most annoying character...not because he whines, because that's actually pretty justified. If memory serves he's 15 and watched his mother die...not many 15 year olds (or really anyone) in a single parent living situation could watch their parent die and not seek vengeance upon his/her killer (it's called a vengeance cycle for a reason). Mostly, he's annoying because he spends most of the game focused on getting Snow and then when the chance strikes...he doesn't have the sand to do it, yet he can save the world? 

Vanille and Fang are.....interesting and obviously a couple; not that this fact alone makes them interesting per se; although Square could have been a bit more courageous portraying their love that could not speak its name. Vanille is kind of a strange and annoying character because she seems less mature than Hope even though she's a few years older. Yes, I know there are many 19 year olds who still act like children but I think Vanille PROBABLY could have used a bit less childish dialogue and spacey action. I've read a few comments on her and a lot of people were confused as to her age thinking she was a child (making Fang eligible for prison time...) and that's the writers fault there. Fang, on the other hand is very mature (maybe they wanted a Yin/Yang?) and doesn't take crap from anyone, except for Lightning who slaps the hell out o' here at one point. Fang is the most impressive character but what made her not be one dimensional though was the thing with Vanille. I call it "the thing" because again the writers weren't courageous enough to go whole way in...Final Fantasy XIII isn't a kids game even though unlike with Bioware, Square still seems bound to certain rules they should just abandon and acknowledge who their likely audience is (foul language, Vanille and Fang sharing a loving embrace and kiss would have been at least adult enough and not very controversial...)

This game was really good and the linear nature didn't bother me because of the story which took center stage. The battles were thrilling and you're right...the paradigm system saves everything by making the battles surprisingly deep and tactical. Old school gameplay may very well be dead judging by the success of this game along with the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series...the graphics are amazing too. But anyway, I've said enough....FFXIII didn't win many game of the year nods because it was so radically changed but for the better in my opinion. I'd like to see a little more exploration in subsequent releases but Square needed to freshen this series and they delivered. Finally, the game characters show depth (not just "I'm an Emo out to save the world even though I hate it and I'm miserable") and subtle nuances in interactions. The story is very adult and makes us examine our bigotry and prejudices (especially the greatest horror to a bigot: you become what you hate and must deal with it) and I'd like to see Square keep taking these bolder, more mature steps forward and once and for all abandon the cutesiness. The voice acting was definitely a good thing (especially Lighning and Fang...rooowww on the throaty, tough-sounding Lightning and the Aussie in control Fang) and the graphics and CGI are easily some of the very best of the current gen (you can tell the developers worked hard on this one...it's not the least bit buggy, either).  This game was for all these reasons the best in the series even though it has some major shortcomings... and one of the few Final Fantasy games that wasn't just a guilty pleasure of sorts to own.  

I like the free roaming incorporated into the battles, the way it was done in FF12, the best vs. the old "cutscene into battle mode" used in all other FF games including 13.  I wish they would have used that newer style battle system in 13.  Also as others have stated, visiting the different towns was always fun in FF games, not having that is a downer.  So I say 13 is not the best FF ever.

i can't even imagine how someone would consider ff13 the best in the series

Me either, I liked 3, 9, 10, and 12 much better.