I can see how hardcore jrpg fans would score this higher, but for me the very slow, linear story that doesn't really pick up until the last chapter held it back. Thankfully the combat, while not amazing, is pretty good and never really gets too repetitive. Probably due to the fact you can see enemies on the screen and avoid them if you want and grinding levels isn't practical due to how experience works. The MC duo is very stereotypical, with Estelle being the vastly more annoying one of the two. Their character tropes are so overdone in games and anime that their interactions with each other and other npc's just seem cringey. If i had to score this out of ten, I'd give it a 6.5. Its a decent entry into the series and worth a SINGLE playthrough. I sometimes can't help but wonder if I would've enjoyed older games like this more had I played them the same year they came out. But as it stands, in 2020, this much lauded game that many people recommend and give such high reviews just seems average to me. I hope the rest of the series has more to offer.
