Mm, “it plays itself” is a common, reductive argument against turn-based combat that I don’t think is helpful.
Otherwise, I think this review is mostly okay for those new to the series (or the genre). Saying that he had a motivated start is interesting, as the story’s notoriously slow start is a frequent complaint about the earlier versions (and the series in general).
It’s good to see a new player in the mix, though the reviewers who are familiar enough with the original games to outline what is missing were the most valuable to me. The missing content makes this a “wait for a sale” purchase for me.