I've been playing it for an hour now, and I'm still not too impressed.   It really is an exceptionally beautifull game, but so far, there is very little involvement in it.  I've just been walking along very linear generic (but pretty) walkways, getting into some incredibly dull fights.  I have won every fight so far by just pressing the X button continously (and using a potion twice).

So when does it start to feel more like a game?  Does it get a bit less linear?  When does it actually become challenging?  I really WANT to like this game, and it is VERY beautifull, but I don't want to walk down linear corridors all the time or win every fight by just continually pressing X (and occaisionally using a potion!!)

From what i read, it takes some 10 hours before the full battlesystem can be used. I suppose then.

15 hours, is what I heard.

~15 hours

I actually heard 20 hours.

Chapter 3-4 (2-5 hours in)

Check the VGCritic in the official thread
http://www.vgchartz.com/forum/post.php?post=3229961&page=58&postnum=28

This scares the shit out of me, 15 hours is basicaly 4-5 days of play for me, if I were to sit during that bored out of my mind waiting for the fun part...

It's interesting from the get go for me. It feels like Final Fantasy and the new game play mechanics are awesome. Maybe I'm old hat at FF, but it starts off like most... I'm actually surprised in how they started this one with all the different characters. I think it's setting up the game story well :D

Just for Laughs... I think it starts to get more interesting on the 2nd disc :P

15-20 hours in is where you have access to everything. It's not like you're stuck using the same two moves into the double digit hours. At least I hope not...

I'm still in Chapter 1 and I know what you're feeling.

Chapter 3...before that its just tutorial stuff