The Final Fantasy XIII videos and demo have shown the characters walking along some very linear paths, leading many fans to worry that the game will be too linear. Well, Kotaku have gotten their hands on a (supposed) map showing the area you'll be exploring during the first five to six hours of Final Fantasy XIII and have pointed out that it doesn't look very explorative. Apparently the world opens up much later in the game though.
Go to the source for the map.

Obviously, there will be spoilers for the first part of the game.

This map appeared on the Japanese internet and is pieced together of the various sections players will apparently encounter in the game's first 5 or 6 hours. We cannot yet confirm this, however.

The beginning of the game is on rails, which can be explained in part because a small bit of it takes place on a bridge. But even up to the boss fight, it's straight as an arrow.

However, after that boss fight, the map starts to move and becomes slightly more dynamic. Still, the first 5 or 6 hours are not incredibly difficult to understand. That, however, could very well be point. These linear dungeons might be a design choice on Square Enix's part so that players can focus on the new combat system and the story and not have to worry about where they need to go.

Miss Razz via kotaku.com »