A brutually honest rating from me.

The gameplay at the start of ARR was probably the worst gaming experience I've ever had...

However!

That changed in the last parts of ARR and post ARR. The cutscenes were compelling, and storytelling for me was a lot easier to understand. It redeemed itself, and I can't wait for Heavensward.

Edit: I will also mention, my friends were the ones who spurred me to play this game. If it wasn't for them, I would've never touched it or been persuaded to continue.