SE had said before the game launched that the first half of the game would be more open, which implies relying less on story elements to push you along, while the latter half of the game is more linear which implies greater story focus.

Personally, I'm taking the game slow. It took me ages to clear chapters one and two because I was clearing up all the side quests and hunts I could before opening the blockade that initiates chapter 3. I'm enjoying learning about the side characters and having the opporunity to learn the combat system's ins and outs outside of imperative moments. In chapter 3, a lot of stuff just opened up, and I'm probably going to make sure I unlock Chocobos if possible at this point before digging too far into them.

@OP: Magic is actually surprisingly involved. It requires experimentation to yield better potency, higher level spells, and varied effects using drops from monsters and other items. Near every item has some impact on a spell's potency, type, or number of castings. I don't really suggest giving it to your team as their secondary arm though since they use magic relatively indiscriminately and will burn through potentially resource heavy spells with reckless abandon against weaker foes. I made a Fira with 100+ potency and 10 castings in early game, and it saved my bacon a few times as a strategic spell I kept equipped to Noctis.

Welp, this has officially gone on my "don't buy" list.

It sounds like it has some good qualities, but some bad ones also. I'm not really willing to put tons of hours into a FF game before the story "really" kicks in. Will maybe consider getting when its discounted down to $25-$30 or so.

To be fair, the story goes as fast as you want it to. It dismisses the slow start of most FF games where you kind of crawl through exposition for the first few hours before gaining true freedom to start the game, and instead leaves you choice from the start to pursue side quests or pursue the story. Realistically, you can make it through chapters 1 and 2 in just a few hours with very minimal side questing, both chapters of which act as essentially the abandoned pure exposition phase in favor of a more interactive experience. Someone in another thread mentioned beating the game in about 25 hours, so you can get through the story as quickly as you want to, and of course, like just about any RPG, you aren't privy to the core plot until later in the game.

This is honestly one of the best RPGs I've played in awhile and I don't even remotely regret buying the Deluxe Edition.

If you do play the game though, I suggest playing the game up until the beach when you are going to board a boat in chapter 1 (you have to speak with someone named Dino to fully move on), watch Kingsglaive, then move on. It helps the end of chapter 1 and the start of chapter 2 make worlds more sense. A shame the movie feels necessary, and you can get by without it, but it basically outlines everything that happens after Noctis departs Insomnia at the start of the game and establishes the character of Lunafreya.

The story is amazing the plot is good. Honestly best plot since FFX, maybe even better than that, but different people will have different taste. 

For instance, IMO Final Fantasy Tactics has far and away the best plot of any FF game. 

I am not saying the plot is mindblowing or amazing, just good. It stands up well to most any other JRPG I have played. 

oh man good tip. I never watched the movie. Gonna have to do that now. 

Story takes off after Chapter 8. Prior to that it is more loosely told. 

Such a long ways off, but I guess my final verdict will be after that. 

XII is awesome but on this game don't blame ya. We are getting better games in 2017 with Nier Automata and Persona 5. XV is a game that wants you to be invested in all these characters but it ends depressingly. Things do sorta work out but they don't at all.

I feel like I am too high level at 50 on Chapter 8 and about 30 hours in. Lots of minor gripes I have with this game. But it was definitely worth my $60 day one.

ya, at level 50 you can play the story the rest of the way without worrying about doing more sidequest. You can always come back and clean up and take care of bounties endgame.