That’s the biggest negative review I’ve seen of the game thus far. I was actually mildly anticipating the arrival of my copy, and now I’m disappointed.

These games are about two things: Plot and Micromanaging your characters. If you don’t get to micromanage your characters, why didn’t they just make a movie?

I was never concerned about the “railroading”. Plenty of Final Fantasy and FF-like games have a long (dozens of hours) lead-in before you get to make any choices beyond dialog. For some reason people are saying that about FF13 like it’s new and different.

I couldn’t agree more!

I’m just about the same point in the story right now that you are.. just getting into Chapter 4, and thus far the game has done a better job of teaching me exactly what to do, and how to go about it. At only one point did I frown, and consult the internet for some additional help — at the first eidelon fight. and it turns out I was doing exactly the right thing, I just wasn’t doing it fast enough.

Also, I absolutely love the paradigm shifting mechanic, and it’s given me a ton to think about in terms of party roles, group behavior, and a fresh look at what we think of has the holy trinity template.

Outstanding game design, and breathtaking visuals.

I also don’t mind the rails.. but then I’m always the sort that only takes a few quests at a time because I like to finish what I’m working on before I tackle more.

It’s definitely a game that I’d play if I could, but I’d not want all my games to be that rigid. It’s great sometimes, and it’s good to hear these guys are getting it down (I’ve read it was a conscious choice to use this sort of iron-fisted design) and still making it fun.

Sometimes a tailored experience is all you need to make your character feel heroic again, instead of being lost in the mass of players all doing the same thing.