I think the main problem with 13 is that it doesn't give the illusion of freedom. I finished FFX for the first time recently (having previously gotten stuck on Gagazet Seymour), and it's almost as restrictive as 13, it just hides it better with cities, temple puzzles, and the sphere grid. In 13 there's no illusion about the fact that you have no choice but to keep running straight down the hallways, and leveling up only at the pace the game allows. A little misidrection or a few minigames would have gone such a long way to break up the pacing.

Totally agree; I started replaying 13 somewhat recently, and just felt worn down after playing for a few hours. The nonstop battles with no real break between them just isn't fun, despite the game having amazing aesthetics.