i was told to come here to read both reviews from places unknown...

reading...

So far, to what i understand its basiclly final fantasy 10 in HD with its linear design eh?

Hmph... still reading...

@Seraphic

It has huge similarities to FFX, mainly because it's done by the same team as well XD

FFX was also criticized due to it's linearity, but mainly because it took off the world map and overworld exploration, one of the stapleholds of FF.

so far from what i read, i dont like this "the game picks characters for you" thats very off-putting, im the gamer, i chose who i want to use or dont want to use, this is a big issue for me since i dislike most characters in ffxiii.

still reading though, only half done with perprides and getting to jins later.

Yeah I agree, that's a bit of a turnoff, even though that's a return to the old days of FF, especially FF IV, where you would constantly bounce around partners.

Even though starting from chapter 11 the game opens up the possibility of managing your own party, it will be annoying for some FF fans

@ Seraphic, it really isn't a big deal. Since this method will allow us to connect with every character, for the best or for the worst. We also get a better insight of the optima system, and allow us to create strageties with the characters we got so by the 10th chapter we have a proficient grasp of the optima system and what characters, roles work together.

the game picks the character for you will be annoying for me

especially as I see some characters as less powerful than others, I stay in that perception & treat those characters as less powerful & don't try to play properly with them

in ffxiii that character will be vanille & hope....I just see them as weak already :( :(

Starting from chapter 10 you can manage you own party，if only it weren't too late...

IMO it's reasonable that the game picks the character for you，you can familiar with every character separately，so when the manage system opening up，you may already decided your own party before.

Thanks for the correction ;) 

As you said, it happens a bit like in FFIV, when you can only make up your own personal party after you get the Lunar Whale. I didn't mind that system and I won't mind it on FFXIII, but some people, especially those not familiarized with older FF's will have a harder time with it. 

Yeh，maybe it's annoying for someone that the system opens up too late，there are 12 chapters in all，you must  bear using some characters you dislike in fisrt 9 chapters.