I can finish X in like 18 hrs.That's not long....I didn't do many sides though.For XII the thing I liked least was the battle system actually.It didn't even feel like I was playing the game.And Ashe was annoying?7 slashing Ashe annoying?Fran was a hot furry but Ashe annoying?The Story of XII was pretty grown up.The characters understood responsibilty and did what was needed.No teenage dramatics,no identity crisis all the characters held sense of self.No holes in the plot and side questing isn't at all necessary.You can do the main story fights with your being at like lvl 50 at the end of the game(should actually 62 or so) and finish it.It's really about the way you manage you team.Switch equipment that suits the part of the fight and stuff like that.