I hated the original FF XIII. It was a glorified hallway simulator with an incomprehensible plot (wtf are Fal'cie and L'cie and C'ieth etc etc). I forced myself to finish it purely because I've finished every FF game and I didn't want to break the combo.
Conversely, I really enjoyed FF XIII-2. That game featured an open world with amazing freedom to move between areas. It was liberating knowing that if I wanted to retry an area, I could literally *reset time in that area* and try that area again without losing any of my items or stats. There was never any pressure to get things done correctly the first time around, and I LOVED it.
So when I heard about the "time is running out" mechanics of Lightning Returns, I instantly hated the idea. Why produce a beautiful world with interesting characters and side stories, but then make the player feel like they don't have time to experience them? I waited until I found Lightning Returns in the bargain bin and fully expected to hate it.
But instead, I loved it. I've beat it twice now and I likely will come back and beat it again in the future.
First off, let's just be clear: I promise that you can fully complete every side-quest in the game in a single playthrough without running out of time as long as you utilize your "Chronostasis" skill regularly -- basically, you can temporarily stop time at the cost of "EP" (magic points). Game time is also paused any time you're in the menu or looking at the map so you can take as much time as you want to plot out your course. And believe me, there is virtually no limit to your freedom; after you finish the intro/tutorial sequence, the entire world is instantly opened up. You can go anywhere in the game right from the start, explore every area as you see fit, and even complete the major story arcs in any order you want, The world is your oyster.
This game has very enjoyable fighting mechanics and an excellent skill system. There are literally dozens of skills and none of them are "better" than any other skill. They all have use cases, such as exploiting enemy weaknesses or doing a lot of damage in a short amount of time. You can equip up to 12 on your character at a time and they can be combo'd together during fights seamlessly. Cast deshell, throw a couple fireballs, then cast deprotect, then smash'em with your giant axe in one combo. Ruthless. The "stagger" mechanics add a nice strategy element that keep the fights from being too monotonous.
Like the previous games, the story is still a bit contrived and silly, but it's significantly better than the original FF XIII. Lightning is, unfortunately, still a dull and emotionless character. However, despite being the main protagonist, she doesn't actually talk that much. She's surrounded by characters who are vibrant and interesting (if sometimes annoying), so if you just ignore Lightning herself you can still enjoy the atmosphere.
I could go on, but let me just end this review with a quick summary: if you like FF RPGs but have been hesitating because of the time pressure thing like I did, please rest assured that it really isn't a big deal. The fights are strategic, the story is decent, and the open world starkly contrasts the bland hallway dungeons in the original FF XIII. This game is solid.
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