It's a really underrated game in the series, mostly because people try to compare it to games that came out decades ago. Things change drastically as time goes on, so it's pointless to expect the same formula in every FF title. It's not the best FF game ever, though it's a bit close-minded to hate on it because it tried something different.
For what it was, I enjoyed it. Sure, it was a bit too linear up until Disc 3 and didn't feel much like a Final Fantasy game, but it was still fantastic. The story was decent, the soundtrack was memorable and on-par with Nobuo Uematsu's work, and the overall visuals were appealing. A few of the characters were annoying, though I became attached to them by the end of the game.
The battle system takes a bit of getting used to, though it's way more engaging and intense than the turn-based gameplay from older games. My only complaint was that you can't control the rest of your party, but the AI was competent enough to make this a minor peeve.
Can't say the same for XIII-2, though. It lacked the charm and dedication of the first game, and I would have preferred to play as the original cast again. XIII-3 looks interesting so far, and hopefully it'll amend the mistakes from its predecessor. I'm really digging that SOLDIER costume so far. xD
