That's why I never believe statements like that. It's based on opinions really. What makes it look best in your eyes? Realism? Artistic nature? Coloring? It's different for each person really. I mean some think browns and greys and realism makes a game's graphics awesome and out to be the best. Myself, however . . . I look for something . . . anything, different from the the norm.

(Like how some people love the cell shaded style . . . me though, not too much)

I think I am one of the few, if not the only person, who felt FFXII was the best out of them all. I went into it being very open minded and was prepared for anything and everything. A complicated battle system? Check. Weird and slightly-confusing-at-first powering up system? Check. New and unusual characters? Check. I didn't mind the new battle system, the new Summons (I actually really liked them; nice change), or the new leveling up system. And the character development was a slightly lacking, but being as I clocked in over 25o hours of playtime, I pretty much got to know the characters indirectly rather than through fancy cutscenes I don't know why but I had more fun with FFXII than I did with any others. I loveV, VI, VII, and VIII and adore IX and X but XII just stuck in my craw like none of the others. That is the reason why I'm not sure about XIII. I had such a great experience with XII I'm not sure I can do something like that again (note I haven't touched a FF game since I finished XII in Dec. '06). I'll wait and see. If I get it it will really only be for the trophies since I can't be bothered/burdened with another 250hr.+ game.

I honestly couldn't bother getting past the first hour of the game so I haven't a clue about the character developement. And this is very unusual for me and a Final Fantasy game. Love them hate them whatever I have always been a fan. Since the very first one way back on the NES. That was my first RPG experience and I will never forget it. Over the years I have beat that game at least 4 or 5 times. Twice on the NES that I remember once on the PS1 and again on the PSP.

And I have played almost every version of the game since. I played the end bos battle from FFVIII through at least 15 times. Ultimacia trumps Sephiroth any day of the week in my book. And even FFIX which I found boring and disinteresting I at least played through to the final castle. At which point I no longer cared to continue. But never, in 20+ years of gaming have I picked up an Final Fantasy game played to the first save point and turned it off shelved it and never touched it since until I got to 12.

I have hated the stories in some. I have hated the gameplay in some of the off shoots. But if I bothered to buy it I usually played though to a point that I felt I had done everything I cared to do. But 12, I don't know what it is but I wasn't excited to buy the game in the first place. And then I didn't even try to play it for a good month after I bought it, used no less. And when I did play it I lost interest before I even understood what was going on in the game. Something is just off about 12, and for whatever reason I just can't bring myself to care about it.

But 13 has me excited about a Final Fantasy again. It smells of that old flavor. I'm hoping XIII turns out to be another VIII for me. Something that I absolutely love. A story that makes me care about the characters again. Gameplay that keeps me enthralled. And a boss battle that is both exciting and epic feeling.

Koloth you just described FFX-2 for me......holy shit that game was horrible! It's sitting on my shelf, and I damn near feel guilty for never giving it a fair shake.....but I could never get past the costume changing BS.

I bought it, popped it in.....went WTF?! Pulled it back out and never touched it again.

I jumped on the FF bandwagon late......mostly due to personal hatred of Dragon Warrior, I lumped all RPG's in the same net. Anyway, I have FFV and VI to go through next. I've been doing them mostly in order (except all of VII's iterations). As much as I loved FFIV, I think X still takes the cake for me.