Why Final Fantasy XIII Gets a Bad Rap: A Deep Dive into Gamer Sentiment
A frequent criticism leveled against Final Fantasy XIII is its linear structure, a quality that players yearn for a more meandering journey but instead experience as a monotonous walk down an endless tunnel. To put it simply, one player described it as “feeling like a long corridor to me,” and he hurried through the latter part of the game because he wanted it to end. This sentiment is shared by many, who expected an open-world experience, which is usually a hallmark of Final Fantasy games. In contrast to titles such as Final Fantasy VII or XII, where players can roam through expansive landscapes and interact with the world freely, XIII can feel constricting, causing one player to voice their disappointment given the high expectations set by previous installments. The feeling of being “trapped in a hallway” encapsulates a frustration that echoes among many fans, often leading them to label it as a low point in the series.