I initially had a few worries about this game and I recall a few niggles as I played it through. However, after finishing the game, I realised I'd enjoyed every minute. It's fun to play, gorgeous to look at and focuses on a close group of likeable characters and a simple-but-good plot. There's loads of content, most of which I enjoyed and the photo mechanic is a truly brilliant one.
Minor complaints are that the world was slightly too 'clean' in some respects and there is a lot of background detail which would've benefited from more explanation. The world-spanning catastrophes seem to have few real human impacts and I'm still confused about some of the back-history of the world. But when I compare the breadth and scope of it to games of the past - it's got more than enough.
In the round, a fantastic game for fans and I bet if I'd played this when I first got into the series I'd have loved it just as much.