good

You may have heard a lot of bad things about this game, and over all, pretty much all the criticism is valid. I won't mince words, the gameplay in this kinda sucks at times (although the strategic element does come into fruition towards the end). The levels really are walking-simulator-tunnels. The tone might get a bit sappy at times, the main protagonist might rub some the wrong way with her broodyness and there are not a lot of RPG-esque choices to be made. It is overall not a very great game.

However, behind this friction lies a truly great vision of an underappreciated art piece. A creatively written and interestingly executed story with timeless themes, set in a world whose rules and ideas keep you on your toes, whose setting makes you sit through every mediocrity just to find out what more lore there is to offer. The breathtaking art direction oozes 2000's nostalgia without ever seeming too corny, Hamauzu's stunning aetherial soundtrack hits the highs of Uematsu frequently and even surpasses it at times. The incredible world design makes you stop in your tracks to look at the timeless 7th-gen-crunchy graphics that still look beautiful to this day (!). Final Fantasy XIII is an experience, I just can't ever forget about.

In a weird way, the contradictions between the narrative mantle and the gameplay aspects make this a really unique game that shines not in spite of weird and subpar game design, but because of it. The clash between the often tedious combat and disengaging levels with visual design that keeps you hooked with a story whose dialogue hits a perfect balance between personality and philosophy creates a unique love-hate relationship that will stick with you if you want to or not - a unique complex feeling that hooks you, makes you seek out more, nests itself in the back of your mind. The overall piece of art that emerges from all these aspects really is one of a kind, and even as it may be hard to approach this game as just a gamer, I think everyone should have tried it at least once, just as art-loving humans.

As games are more and more accepted as an artform over just pure entertainment, I predict Final Fantasy XIII will regain both popularity and acclaim.
If this outlook resonates with you, I can wholeheartedly recommend this game.

I can also recommend playing the whole trilogy, which thematically ties everything up nicely and elaborates more on the strongest aspect of FF13, the lore. Still, the game works quite well on its own as well.

Overhated, it has a lot of problems but people acting like this is the worst thing ever made is just stupid there's a lot to like.