(10/9/10/10, 39 points): A bit of a surprise here, as the PSP FFXIII spinoff (one that hasn't gotten a ton of hype overseas) just misses out on a perfect score. "The very serious story, which tries to get you crying right from the start, vividly portrays the fact that this is a deep, intense FF experience, something beyond just a side story," one editor said. "The follow camera works great and the game's overall a stressless experience. Co-op is novel and very useful, and it's addictive in how accessible it is."

"The hard-boiled setting, the large number of main characters, and the action-oriented battles make it a very different FF," another added. "It's filled with great ideas for a portable game, including the co-op, which can get triggered at any time, The amount of volume here is overwhelming, too -- you get the idea they really did everything they wanted to with this title."