Don't get me wrong – Final Fantasy XIII is an incredible title. Sure its a bit slow and chatty at the start but that doesn't mean that it isn't an RPG force to be reckoned with.

While there many things to praise this latest FF title for: the jaw-dropping cinematics, its stellar voice acting and lovable cast, its Paradigm and Crystalium systems, something is still lacking from Square Enix's latest RPG title.

Growing up with the Final Fantasy franchise, I looked forward more than anything to the new magic and summon spells, primarily the graphical effects and animation. There was a time when casting spells and summoning creatures would mean that the camera would focus on the caster and the targeted enemy, making these moments all the more memorable. With FFXIII, as it was with its predecessor FFXII, cinematic spell casting has taken a back seat to the fast-paced battle system, happening just as quickly as Attack commands and without the cinematic flair of FF titles like FFVII-X. Sure you can catch a glimpse of the cast spell, but it just isn't what it used to be. The same can be said about Final Fantasy XIII's summon effects. Lengthy intro scenes have replaced the majesty of a summon creature's ultimate attack, making their inclusion something of an afterthought. And do we really need to momentarily control these summoned creatures? This gimmick was okay in Final Fantasy X but it just doesn't feel right anymore.

To me, an FF Summon meant a small moment of wonder where a fantastical creature was called to the battlefield from some alternate plane of existence to deliver a devastating attack. With FFXIII, these attacks just aren't as cool as they used to be and aren't nearly as eye-appealing when compared to some of the Final Fantasy franchise's earlier summon effects and animations – with Final Fantasy VIII & IX having some of the most involved summon sequences ever crafted by Square Enix.

Maybe I'm just nitpicking here, but I miss the days where magic and summon effects took center stage in the battlefield. Sure the action happens really fast but there is a certain loss to be had with this seamless battle system. How do the rest of you Final Fantasy fans feel about this?