Games: Final Fantasy XIII

It's been three years since the 12th instalment of this iconic RPG series landed, bringing with it a vast, expansive game world for players to became lost in. While visually stunning, Final Fantasy XIII takes a massive step back, forcing players down a very linear path and stripping out town exploration, world maps and even conversations with NPCs (non-player character). It's digestible role-playing for the Call of Duty generation and it leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

Veterans of the series will be familiar with the battle combat system, allowing players to issue commands to their team as time passes. However, you are only ever in control of the squad leader and not other members of the team.

Paradigm Shifts are a neat concept, allowing you to switch character class on the fly. The problem is that your entire team must switch at the same time, rather than singularly, which can confuse your strategy.

Despite this the story of warring worlds Cocoon and Pulse, as well as the personal trials of heroine Lightning and her ensemble, are wonderfully told through rich visuals. While its technical prowess has rarely been matched or bettered, the groundwork of the game's predecessors seems to have been ignored.

This article was first published in The Scotsman, Saturday March 13, 2010