Full disclosure: Square Enix sent me a free copy of Final Fantasy 13-2 for this article.

I kind of suck at role-playing games. There, I said it.

Beating Final Fantasy 6 (the first entry of the long-running RPG series I experienced) took me 45 hours. That is what the in-game timer registered, but it didn’t record the countless times I had to replay tough areas because bosses kept slaughtering me.

I’ve played every major release in Square Enix’s fantastical franchise since then, and Final Fantasy 13-2 is by far the easiest due to the following factors.

Simplified Crystarium
The Crystarium system from Final Fantasy 13 is back but tweaked to allow actual leveling up. You may use Crystogen Points (gained from winning battles) at any time to grow your party members’ Paradigm roles (jobs). And lucky for me, enemies drop Crystogen Points faster than Foxconn loses employees.

In Character Designer Tetsuya Nomura's world everyone is prettier than you.

Need a souped-up medic to cure or revive fallen teammates early on? No problem. I’m less than seven hours into the game and my Noel is already a level 50 Commando and level 20 Medic, with an attack power of 142 and 1,112 HP (hit points).

Mog Clock
The free-roaming enemies from Final Fantasy 12 and 13 are gone. Instead, monsters randomly materialize around you in a circular area. A dial appears at the bottom of the screen. If you strike baddies while the dial is green, you’ll earn a preemptive strike at the beginning of the battle. If time runs out, the creatures gain the upper hand.

It’s super easy to strike first, and if you don’t feel like fighting you can simply exit the danger zone and walk away.

Playing Ring Around the Rosie with a wild behemoth is not a great idea.

Instant Paradigm Shifts
It’s possible to switch Paradigms on the fly. Feel like an opponent is about to strike with a powerful attack? Quickly change to a better-suited role. Battles are faster now and a lot more engaging.

Party leaders lose their egos
In FF13, you lost the battle if your team leader ran out of HP, even if the rest of your party was alive and kicking. Not anymore. You may now continue fighting as long as either Serah or Noel is still breathing.

Chocolina
Yes, her name and appearance are stupid, but Chocolina is your new best friend. She sells powerful weapons, special items, materials, and more at very affordable prices. The chocobo cosplayer shows up everywhere. I’ve even seen more than one feathered lady in the same map.

She may look cute, but Chocolina hides a terrible secret. I've already said too much....

Autosave
Say goodbye to save points. FF13-2 has autosaves...a real godsend in an RPG. Explore to your heart’s content without fear of losing experience points, time, items, or stamina. Like in the previous game, your heroes begin each battle with full health. I have yet to use a single item in my quest...not even a Phoenix Down.

Easy mode
Mean critters giving you a rough time? Turn on “easy mode” from the settings screen to lower enemies’ health by 20 percent. Only one PlayStation 3 Trophy and Xbox 360 Achievement are associated with "normal mode," and you can switch between the two whenever you want.

Hardcore RPG geeks need not be alarmed. I’m sure the challenge will rise as you dig deeper into Final Fantasy 13-2, and I can confirm the existence of legendary, hidden bosses to keep you busy. But less skilled or even casual gamers can enjoy Square Enix’s latest adventure without curling into a fetal position.