FFXIII vs. FFVIII

So, I've needed some distraction from my life recently and I've managed to get it by indulging in the secret, forbidden passion of video games. Specifically, despite my despair over JRPGs in general, I've been playing Final Fantasy XIII, which is for the most part a fairly good game. It took me most of a week (and over twenty hours of gameplay) to realize what about the game bothered me, before I realized that it was basically the second coming of Final Fantasy VIII. And so I decided to complain about it.

Disclaimer: I am not done with FFXIII. I am not even close to done. I am still in the first "half" of the game, as I guess the plot. So I have no opinion on the game as a whole, just what the beginning looks like.

Minor Spoilers for FFVIII follow. Also a great deal of my own opinions.

( Wait, Haven't We Seen This Before? )