I wonder if anyone here has opinions regarding that clusterfuck of a series... :-X
The combat is definitely fun, though a lot of people seem to disregard it as just mindless button mashing. I personally disagree, it's frantic and satisfying and still requires some strategy, especially when bosses get difficult. XIII-2 took everything XIII did right in its battle system and refined it, and that's the one I've been revisiting these past few days.