Ok, I take back what I said earlier. Shit just got real

I agree....turn based and random encounters is fun for mobile games..but right now...i think the compromise is worth it to keep it relevant...Final Fantasy has always been about doing something different but keep something the same...and i think they got more right this time then wrong.

Sales wise for Square Enix? Yes.
Reception wise from the community? Yes.

So definitely a yes.

Well, I will say from what I've seen its in the wrong direction.

I watched an hour and a half last night of someone doing a walkthrough.

Was bored out of my mind and will not purchase the game. Heck, I not only have no plans of getting the game, but I don't see myself watching anymore of any walkthrough.

Even FF13 was better than what I saw of this game and I dispised that game. (but it was still good enough for me to beat it)

First shipment needs to be sold out for the first comment to be sales wise for Square Enix (Since they had the ambitious goal of 10 million)(Plus Media Create and NPD will showcase the sale of the franchise anyways, so they will be better gage than shipment).

 I don't think the reception is any different than 13 (critically it seems to be hovering around the same mark, and really loyal fan base even seem split). However I will say I do prefer this over 13, but it isn't exactly step in the right direction, more like digging itself back up from an early grave of relevancy. 

100% agreed. There are some issues, but there are much more things they got right imo.
Definitely interesting for the future of the saga.
Let's hope the game is a commercial success, so we'll get FF XVI :)

The prevailing theory regarding the bolded is that there seems to be a scaling back of the high scores for this gen no?  Games that last gen would've been assumed as instant 90s are hovering in the mid 80s this gen.  I personally don't see there being any critic-led effort to pull things back, but I think that is a factor for a lot of people.  I also liked FFXIII for what it was, though I don't feel as though it was a great FF game on a whole.

To address the question of the OP, yes I do feel as though the game is a step in the right direction.  The beautiful thing about Final Fantasy to me has always been its ability to keep me engaged in the story and invested in the characters.  With FFXIII I wasn't at all invested with the characters.  With FFXV I find myself very invested.  Hell, I even opt not to fast travel in the off chance I will get to hear another little tidbit about their friendships and their lives.

From a gameplay perspective, I enjoy the shift to ARPG.  My favorite game of the gen prior to this one would probably be Witcher.  I tend to find myself roaming around the wilderness just hoping for a fight to try something new.  Not something I had been doing at all in XIII.

All that said, I don't want this to suddenly become a magic formula for them to follow (much like turn-based combat was for the majority of the series).  Rather I hope they continue to evolve into something else in FFXVI when that comes.

I think I understand what you mean by the prevailing theory, but to me that just is sign of this generation not pushing the envelope. A good game will still get 90s, the problem is a lot of the franchises that getting mid 80s are not really doing anything strongly than the previous entries, and the beautiful thing about final fantasy generally is that it is uniquely different unlike other franchises, so each does ultamitely stand on its own.

It is like the law of diminishing returns but for games, if you put the same assassin creed/call of duty quality title out, reviewers will get harsher, because they seen this and done that. 

Agreed.  Though it is no surprise really with the theory that people who thought FFXIII was shite and pointed to its mid 80s critique as concrete proof are now looking at FFXV with its mid 80s critique and calling it great.

My bad, I meant Ninja Theory. I get the two mixed up.