Seem, I always defended the game just based on “linear isnt bad”, not really thinking about the reasons why its linear.
Ive also always been confused why FFX is well liked despite… also being very linear up until it opens up at the end? But XIII got memed for hallways???
I mean on top of the linear gameplay it just never gave me any reason to care about the setting. Lots of games are linear but they don’t feel that way as much if the world is fleshed out and different places feel different. FFXIII had very few NPCs and anything interesting about the setting was buried in mountains of text. There was like, one time where you’re at some kind of festival, but otherwise I didn’t really get the impression that a world exists outside of the hallways. It’s been a long time since I played it but I remember hardly anything about the story or the villains or why anything was happening. The characters had their arcs but they never really felt connected to a larger world, in part because there was little indication that a larger world existed.
I’m a huge defender and fan of the game but I agree with most of this criticism. Its just kinda hard for a group of fugitives who are on the clock before they turn to diamond to dilly around and talk to NPCs lol. Which is the point the chat message is making.