Cocoon collapses, and a band of fugitives runs to defy its fate.

Final Fantasy XIII carries a real tension. Attachment climbs ahead of 87% of games, a sign that the characters stick in memory, though on just two votes, to be confirmed. And yet the desert island falls into the lower third, ahead of barely 31% of titles. You bond with it but wouldn't take it along. The soundtrack shows well, ahead of nearly 70% of games, fitting the Square Enix reputation. Fun, rediscovery, and controller feel hover around or below the middle. There's the heart of the paradox: a game that moves you, but that you don't crown as a lifelong companion.

In the lineage of Japanese RPGs, FFXIII always split opinion with its corridor pacing and tightly directed combat, where an FFVII or a Persona breathe more. Its emotion and music remain its strength.

So, who's it for? For you if you love a story that grabs your gut, heroes you cling to, and an OST that lingers. Much less if you want freedom in hand and the game you take everywhere.