Final Fantasy XIII Gameplay - The Beauty of Gran Pulse (Archylte Steppes) Chapter 11, FF13 FFXIII

So here's the story. (possible spoiler alert) When FF13 was initially launched in the US, I was SUPER excited, although I expected some disappointment. After playing it for 7 hours, I felt horribly disgusted with the game. Hated the battle system, hated the dialogue, and I'll be honest, I got really turned off when I saw that Snow's girlfriend looks like a 14 year old anorexic stick with arms that are an inch in diameter. I pretty much immediately sold the game. Fast forward to April 2011. I went to a Distant Worlds orchestral concert. One of the unannounced pieces they performed was "Blinded by Light," FF13's battle theme composed by Masashi Hamauzu. It was absolutely brilliant. By the end of that concert, I decided that I HAD to give FF13 another try. I re-bought the game and made sure I'd play it with a completely open mind, and tried not to pass judgment too quickly this time. I'm glad I decided to do this. The first 11 chapters of the game are as linear as it can possibly be, but once you get past that, you get to roam huge expanses with a ton of little areas to enter. It's breathtakingly beautiful. Now, it does take a lot of commitment of effort and time to get to this point in the game, but what really helps is the MUSIC. I'm absolutely blown away every time I hear "Saber's Edge" and "Blinded by Light," among a few others, and they definitely helped me get through the game. Also, the battle system grows on you after a while. Initially, I was disappointed because of the lack of control I felt over the characters' actions. However, I feel quite the opposite now.. the battle system takes some real strategy and you REALLY have to be on your toes and be quick with your decisions. I wouldn't say that the characters are very well developed, but there's certainly an effort, at least with some specific characters. And I have to admit, Fang and Vanille's relationship really intrigues me. No matter what others say, I'm CONVINCED that they are lovers/romantically involved. Their love and trust in each other is really quite beautiful and uplifting. I'm not saying this because they are a girl and girl couple- I would have said the same thing if they were a guy/girl couple. Anyway, to those who threw this game aside like I did, I recommend giving it another try with an open mind. You might find yourself enjoying it!