It's hard for me to think of a more unfairly maligned game in recent memory than FFXIII.

The first (and only) mainline Final Fantasy game to release on Sony's PS3, XIII distances itself from its predecessors by taking a much more streamlined and linear approach to its design, to many fans dismay at the time. Gone are the towns, the shops & npc's, the overworld and many other jrpg genre hallmarks, in favour of a more direct and cinematic experience that somewhat redefines what a 'Final Fantasy' title can be.

Border-line avant-garde, seemingly dedicated solely to the premise of presentation above all else, XIII is a graphical and aesthetic tour de force. A daring synthesis of old and new, endeavouring to be different and drive the series in to uncharted territory, in a time when a safer follow up in the style of FFX would have been much easier pill to swallow for purists of the series. A ballsy move no doubt, but with hindsight one that I think pays off in spades.

Quite possibly the most breath-taking game ever made from an audio-visual standpoint (no small claim but something I stand firmly behind), FFXIII combines a kaleidoscope of beautiful sights and sounds to feast your senses on- from its jaw dropping backgrounds and lovingly rendered character models to its sweeping, luscious musical score and out-of-this-world FMV cutscenes, there's rarely a moment in this stunningly crafted title that fails to inspire awe from an artistic standpoint. These production values extend all the way down to the gorgeous UI and menu screens, which are animated with little visual flourishes that makes the presentation feel so polished and refined, making even the simple feat of navigating menus feel lavish and memorable- just look at this, and this.

So damn sexy.

Featuring a leaner, more responsive and dynamic battle system than seen before thanks to the new 'Paradigm' mechanic, which assigns each party member an offensive, defensive, or healing role and allows you to switch between them on the fly by executing 'Paradigm Shifts' to create various combinations of the three, combat feels immediate and exciting but also layered with strategy and easily rivals the best of the series previous offerings. These advancements to the battle system ultimately result in a delicate dance between you and your foes, with rhythm and timing playing key roles to victory. It's a seriously fun and addictive gameplay loop that rewards experimentation and finding optimal setups for each encounter. Helped further by the various quality of life changes, such as auto healing your teammates in and out of battle, and a generous checkpoint system, the game feels slicker as result and cuts out a lot of busy work, making tough battles and boss fights more forgiving and approachable overall while still retaining the strategy and challenge the series is known for.

And what of the story? Undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of the series. Well, it may not quite reach the heights of some of the heavy hitters in the franchise, but the world of Pulse is actually remarkably unique and offers a great canvas for the narrative and characters. Unfortunately, the story fails to completely land and at times character actions and motivations feel awkward and confusing- not helped by the fact the lore is buried under mountains of text and data logs. The characters are a mixed bag but generally likeable, and it's notable how their relationships actually evolve and change convincingly throughout the course their journey- shout out to Sazh in particular who steals the majority of scenes he appears in. The main antagonist is pretty forgettable by Final Fantasy standards but does at least offer a few particularly challenging boss battles. So really then, the uniqueness of the setting, some decent character moments and the fantastic presentation helps make up for any shortcomings I had with the story. The feeling of awe when landing on Gran Pulse after hours of navigating long, linear sci-fi corridors and being greeted by a vast open expanse of nature to freely roam around was a masterstroke of game design imo and well worth the long pay off.

I'll be the first to hold my hands up and say- I was wrong about this one and wish I hadn't listened to the general consensus for so many years. Maybe if people hadn't complained so much about XIII the series wouldn't be in the rut it is now, struggling to find an identity in the current gaming landscape.

I adored this game.

Disclaimer: The words 'fal'cie' and 'l'cie' will be etched in to your brain permanently by the time the credits roll.