Lol. FFXIII is objectively bad. The sales, review scores, and overwhleming negative public opinion don't lie. 

Is that sarcasm? The sales, review scores and public opinion say otherwise.

EDIT: That doesn't mean XIII is objectively good either.

That fellow with the Link avatar explained it well.  You can objectively say if a game mechanic is bad depending on it affects the game.  Like in NHL 94, every wrap around was a goal.  That is objectively a bad game mechanic because it made the game way to easy and boring.  You can say the same here with the combat and overall game design.  Combat is too easy and becomes monotonous for 90% of the main game campaign; which is unfortunately 40 hours.  This is due to the way the game caps your progress, prevents you from taking control of other characters, gives you no breaks, and has a low level ceiling of difficulty.  That's objective.  

huh? Those facts aren't correct 

It got an 83 on meta, and 76 user score.

That isn't bad, it's worse than other FF's though, and definetely not spectacular .It's higher than Gran Turismo 6 though for instance.
Though that means nothing... LR is a much better game than the other 2 mechanically  imo, and it's way lower in both.

This game has issues I like it. Though it's not my favorite FF objectively bad or no.

Combat is easy (despite difficultness being something also subjective, but I'm going to give you this one) -> objective. =/= bad game.

Not liking that the combat is easy and thus becoming monotonous for 90% of the game -> your own personal experience with the combat = subjective. = bad game.

Prevent you from taking control of other characters -> objective =/= bad game.

Not liking that you can take control of other characters -> subjective. = bad game.

Giving you no breaks -> objective =/= bad game.

Not liking that you don't have breaks -> subjective = bad game.

You can objectively explain a mechanic of a game. You can't objectively comment about it. You didn't like the combat, or the fact that you couldn't control other characters. I didn't mind not taking control of other characters, and the combat did not get monotonous for me, I enjoyed it.

Game is objectively a game. Subjectively for you, it's bad. For me, it's good.

So what about people who like both oldschool and new FFs? Is their taste screwed up beyond help?

I never said it was bad, I'm not as harsh on it as Runa.  I said it was a bad Final Fantasy.

Depends how you break it down but your comments can be objective.  Though I'm really curious how you played the game for 45 hours fighting THOUSANDS of enemies way below your level that could stagger within seconds using two Ravagers and finished off with a commando all within 10 seconds, for hours at a time until a cutscene, which would last roughly ten minutes, just to go back to those 10 second fights (6 hours of cutscenes leaves 9 minutes of cutscenes for every hour for a 40 hour game).  I mean, I actually tried to run past enemies but the corridors are too tight to avoid very many fights (until Pulse, but Pulse is a small portion of game that branches into very tight and small corridors).  Like, don't take this as an attack against you liking the game cause I'm not.  I'm just really curious as to why you'd waste your time with any of the other paradigms when they weren't necessary and slower, save for a few fights (Juggernauts come to mind). 

And here's why you're wrong.

That's called Diversity. (lol!) 

There's also an H in Barthandelus as well. (oops)

Good job. (j/k)

^Hmmm I'm seeing a trend here, anyone else ever played where's waldo?

OP = 1. The Story Makes No Sense.

You don't say haha. :)

SPOILER ALERT!!

Final Fantasy 1 was completely linear.

And if you think FFXIII is linear then you obviously never made it to Gran Pulse, FFXIII-2 or FFXIII LR for that matter. Did you ever play uhm, Final Fantasy One on the Nintendo 8 bit entertainment system? You know, the original game! (Oops I guess you missed that.) I loved months ago when people just like yourself (one's who claim to hate it) said like you of the story sucks, and I'm like the story is only 2/3's through (and completely amazing) what is wrong with these people? (This is a trilogy, think "Luke I am your father." and not "May the Schwartz be with you.") That's problem 1 with you guys, that you masses couldn't even understand it was a 3 part story. Anyhow...attempt to mentally grasp that this is a trilogy for everyone elses sake that would like to check it out. At least if they dig deeper they can see how judgementally off your whole FFXIII clan actually is because they couldn't even mentally grasp the concept of a trilogy used in a JRPG story. Obviously if it's a trilogy then the 1st installment will have questions unanswered and you have to come back for the rest of the titles to fully grasp "THE STORY"!

Why do I have to explain this simple concept time and time again? I must have took a time gate to the paradox of trollville while playing FFXIII trilogy.

Now I've played since FF1 NES to FFIV SNES then 6 and 7. The first 2 were great! After that 6 and 7 became extremely been there done that, bought the t-shirt, wore it out for myself. I bought 6 and 7 as a kid/teen anyways based on 1 and 4, and 7 for the cinematics and graphics. They both promised to be more epic than IV. Maury Povich and myself determined that was a lie, it was a excersise in poopsterbating. They did nothing for me as far as a more epic story/ or gameplay they just made the game longer and put in more characters. Don't get me wrong FF6 tried so hard, the first 30 minutes and even few hours introducing the characters was well done, but it fell apart half way through. Can I get a Rick Flair Woo? Nope, good. I don't want your Woo's anyway haha!

FFIV killed it in all departments, and that game was linear as all hell. Phantasy Star 2, FFIV, Lunar Sega/CD, Chrono Trigger is the Grandaddy of these type of JRPG's today not your precious FF7.  

In FF4 until you get the Red Wings/Lunar Whale the game is extremely linear. Then after that point you can do as you please, but by that point in the game you have been to 9X% of the map and the game is almost over. FFXIII is similar as a twin in spirit to 4 and 1, in those regards, and imo those are the only games it NEEDS to remain faithful too. Which it does, it remains faithful to PS2, FF4, Lunar, CT (Sorry but FF7 sucked imho it was "only" amazing graphically for about a year. Then almost every game looked like it, and we see it for what it is, average and forgotten by Squaresoft.)

See... this is when haters arguments disappear for myself, and you realize who's played the game, who's played the old games, and who's trolling.

But you already knew that didn't you OP, because you only like the old FF's. (Roll eyes) 1 and 4 were the innovative titles in the series for me and history. 7 is the sell out, most over-hyped FF to date. FFXIII is the complete opposite. Same with 1 and 4. The rest in the series milked it, till it died imho. Then 13 came along like a Lightning Bolt, and reinvented the series entirely. But ohh how the FF7 crowd came out like rabbied up rodents ready to knaw at those who recognize how great FFXIII is , and oh have they expressed their dislike. All because they don't know JRPG history like this older more mature team. These folks just jumped on the FF7 bandwagon and can't let it go.

So FFXIII Trilogy was a kick in the nuts to them FF7 followers (haha I love you guys at Squaresoft! Keep mentioning and tweeting do you guys want a FF7 remake, oh that is the best trolling on the internet for me. Sadly FF7 crowd doesn't get "it") It's also nice that the newer designers kicked all the old generic poopsterbating that had been generically done excessively after Final Fantasy 4. You guys really think they're gonna do a FF7 remake? (hhaha just kidding with ya)

Anyhow 6 and 7 are huge offenders of this excessive poopsterbating. The series has been reborn new imho, for the better with roots in FF1,4, PS2, Lunar, Chrono Tigger. with 1080p native support and very nice graphics for a console released in 2006. To bad for you it's *gasp* worse.

Masashi is the man. His piano arrangements and knowledge of classical music theory and orchestration is very pleasing to my ears. He also has a grand use of counterpoint and will often contrast the styles for instance on the track Giant Impact. Techno drum roll with dark keys, then halfway through the piece it has shades of beauty/melody then falls back again. It's a more modern sound than Nobou. Nobuo has a great sense of melody but his problem for me is he milks the melody like a farmer in the great depression. Nobou is the man, a man of a certain time stamp. Square wanted fresher more modern musical ideas, for a more modern take on FF. Noel's theme is very reserved and relaxing Nobouish. Then there's more catastorphic tracks like "Run" which I really enjoy. The cymbal crashes and the electric guitar, then the slow violin solo. That track is probably inspired somewhat by Pink Floyds Echoes and the amazing violinists Japan creates. That is something Nabou would not take on or do/attempt imho. He is a master of the 8/16 bit sound, and FF9 was definetly his last great epic. But listen to it, it sounds like a 16 bit game only on CD. It's also so much of a retread, that in spots it becomes very uninspiring. His innovative time is sadly over imho. Last Story you ask? Well it sounds boring, sorry if that offends you guys but for me it is. I'm glad he is gone honestly IV was his best, that's when he peaked in 1991/1992.

In closing....I love linear games like FF1, FFIV, and FFXIII were. XIII-2 is more like a Chrono Trigger in presented design and far less linear. In Chrono Tigger you could just go from 1 time period to the next and back but basically the goal is to get to the end of time, that was it. In FFXIII-2 you can jump between time periods at will if you find artefacts that open various time gates, and even jump into time paradox's or years onknown! You have to find out is anyone else messing with the past and future, because what is done in the future effects the past, and the past effects the future. Why did Cocoon really fall? Was someone behind it all? It's also juxtaposed in this dream/deathlike from Serah's p.o.v. experience which mirrors real life to me spiritually speaking, sometimes you don't know what you should believe. I enjoy the bonding of siblings in this story between Serah and Lightning, best of it's kind imho. Has it really even been done in JRPG? In PS1 Alis brother dies but this is different and a bonding experience not a revenge story, or FF4 had Cecil and Kain and Golbez but that was opposite to this game. It's difficult to explain so just play it! I'm playing it and my imagination is running wild actually, it is an amazing game/story for this genre imho. It continues to borrow from the great JRPG's of the past that came before FF7. Which are my favorite in the series, and the only ones I replay through often usually are the linear type JRPG's. I hope to play and buy FFX-X2 Remaster soon after the trilogy because of the designers. I'm playing FFXIII-2 right now and in the game 25 hours deep. I have to say this picks up on Chrono Triggers design and use of Time Travel and CT battle system but extremely fast paced. It's so AWESOME! 

Just don't bother with them. With your name no one will take your points seriously anyway.

Just be happy that you are able to immensely enjoy a game on which others just spend time looking for flaws.

Yes FFXIII has its flaws but people try to spin it as if these flaws were the essence of a Final Fantasy game when it's really just about the experience.

You do know what the difference between Linear and Nonlinear is, right FinalFantasyXIII? I mean, yeah, the story is linear (one event follows another, and the story remains the same), but the GAME in Final Fantasy I through XII was all nonlinear.

The STORY of Skyrim is Linear, in that one event triggers the next, but the GAME allows you to go and do other stuff at your own will. Same with most Final Fantasy games. Take Final Fantasy VII for example (Overrated, but still good). Once you leave Midgar, the goal is to go to Junon, but you can do a lot of different things. you can focus on adding abilities to your enemy skill materia, you can visit the chocobo farm, you can head south and find yuffie, you can go fight midgar zolom, etc. You can explore the world map, you can do side quests, you can do a lot of different things. that is nonlinear gameplay, even if the story is Linear.

Contrary to popular belief, Final Fantasy X had similar elements. yeah, it's a bit more constrained than previous Final Fantasy games, but there are still lots of things you can do. you can play Blitzball, you can explore lost ruins, you can collect and hunt creatures, find your weapons and their unlock abilities, etc. Point is, it's linear, but it has nonlinear elements all the way through. There are side quests and minigames to be had pretty much from Luca onward. Also, the sphere grid followed similar patterns: Each character HAS an area and sequence to follow, but you can easily go about and do whatever the fuck you want, cross paths, explore, etc. The Expert Sphere grid intensifies this feel of freedom.

Final Fantasy XIII doesn't have that. If I beat a hard boss and decide I want to chill by playing a minigame, I cannot. There are no minigames. If I want to go explore Coccoon, I can't. if I want to search the world for rare items, I Can't. I can only do precisely what the designers decided I would do in the order they wanted me to. THAT is the difference between linear and nonlinear, at least as far as gameplay is concerned.

Let's go back to skyrim as an example of Nonlinear gameplay. The beginning and end of that game both have pretty constrained, linear sections. The opening is all tutorial, explaining how the menu works and introducing you to trace elements of story and gameplay. There's one entrance and one exit to Helgen, and one sequence of events; however, once you leave, you can do virtually anything you want, go wherever you want. You can go to riverwood, or you can go in the other direction and visit Falkreath. you could advance the story by heading to Whiterun, or you could go unlock the secrets of the Falmer. It's up to you.

Final Fantasy XIII is almost all tutorial. you don't even have the ability to chose your own party until 20 hours into the game. That's longer than most games, and that's how long the tutorial is! I'd argue 70% of that game is restricted, linear tutorial. That's linearity to a fault.

I'd be okay with it being that linear if the gameplay and story were well done, but they are not.

And as for Wright, based on your responses to others as well as my own, I think you once again misunderstand the subtle differences between objective and subjective measures. You even say:

"Giving you no breaks -> objective.
Not liking that you don't have breaks -> subjective"

So what you're saying is that if there are objectively bad things about the game, it doesn't mean it's bad. Stuff like "Not being able to control your allies" is objective, but doesn't mean it's a bad game. However, "Not liking that you can't control your allies" is subjective, and therefore...*head hurts*

You are inconsistent, to say the least.

But yes, elements like not being able to control your allies, having a remarkably limited ability pool, dying instantly if your team member dies, not being able to explore, the incredibly constrained crystarium, and complete and utter lack of freedom to do anything of your own volition are all objective reasons why it's a bad game. You can feel free to be okay with that and even LIKE the linearity, but given the medium it's in, those measures make it an objectively bad game.

Example: I love the transformers movies. the editing is terrible, the cinematography is a violent mess, the racism is ignorant and lowbrow, the writing is laughably bad, and the acting is also bad, but I still like them because BAMF! Explosions and pretty special effects! Robots! fights! Stupid humor! Hot chicks in low cut tops and high cut shorts all sweaty!

It's still objectively bad. I may have enjoyed it for what it was while being able to ignore its faults, but it's still bad. You and many others have the same leniency with Final Fantasy XIII. it has objectively bad elements that were poorly integrated, broken, or inappropriate writing and narrative for its form of media, but you're entitled to like it. If you are okay with reading an in-game encyclopedia to get most of the story, then that's all good for you. Reading hundreds of pages of exposition is great in a novel, it's terrible in a game. If you're okay with a battle system that's more style than substance, you're entitled to that, but it doesn't change the fact that the gameplay is shallow and gives you very little control over your character.

Do you see now, or are you so sure of the game's quality you can't see its faults for what they are: Faults.