Anybody that plays or enjoys RPGs because of their battle system should end up liking this game - it's definitely the best part of XIII and I think they did a really good job with it.
Story wise, from what I could understand and from what I've read, it's average at best, but I highly don't the polished gameplay, great graphics and Final Fantasy name will get this game much lower than a 90. It may have a few years ago, but it just seems to me that reviewers tend to be much more favorable this generation than in the past.
I personally thought the game was really fun based on the battle system alone - some of your guys hating this game should probably give it a try before you start condemning Square-Enix. The game may be disappointing in certain aspects, but it isn't a bad game.
Essay Pro