The Final Fantasy series has a huge following. Renowned for its amazing graphics and FMV, FFXIII doesn’t dissapoint. However, its almost as more time has gone into the FMV than the game itself, as you’ll trawl through hours of cut-scenes with the occasional chance to actually pick up the pad and press some buttons. The game’s other downside? It’s highly linear. Of course RPGs are always going to have a certain level of that, but in FFXIII it’s plainly obvious.

If you can live with these bugbears however, FFXIII will give you the chance to be part of an epic experience. Although it often plays like an interactive movie, if you put in the hours (and there’s a lot of them) you’ll be thrown into a vivid, immersive world of conflict, a world the characters, thrown together by destiny, must save.

Combat is now in real-time, and has many levels to it, therefore suitable for beginners through to the RPG elite. Auto-fight or choose your every move, then use paradigms to change your overall fighting tactics from full out beat-downs through to defensive heal-fests. Of course there are FF mainstays – the new levelling system is the Crystarium, where you use Crystal Points to learn new abilities and progress, and summons return in the form of Eidolons.

Be warned, this game is huge, but if you like beautiful things and epic RPG adventures, FFXIII still has what it takes.

We reckon… 4*