Some people have previously pointed this out, I think FFXV really does suffer from a lack of identity as a whole. When one looked at games like say Nioh, he/she can quickly see the vision of the developer and what they are trying to do with the game. With FFXV, it's like if you don't follow the game's development at all, the game don't make a whole lot sense. The cast and their bizarre all-black getup, the weird art clashes between modern and fantasy environment setting, the story which alternates back and forth between four dudes road tripping and some apparent political conflict between kingdoms. The main characters all looked utterly out of place when they're riding chocobos.
Compare that to:
One looked like chocobo was shoehorned in the game because apparently it's not a Final Fantasy without chocobos. Another looked like chocobo naturally belongs to the world that these characters live in, and the characters need these chocobo to move about.
To quote this guy on chocobo riding in FFXV
Gameplay-wise, the game is like wanting to be weird hybrid of action and turn-based game. It's action yet you hold button to attack/defend. It's (kinda) turn-based when you could pause, assign target/command, unpause. It's actually more like real time w/ pause.
Square is trying to do too much with the game, yet they're also half-assing things a lot (IMO of course), making it quite messy and unfocused as a result.