I prefer the more linear approach of FFX as opposed to this open mission structure, however making you go area by area through Spira like in FFX would have been just too similar to FFX. There's also the fact that at the end of FFX we had airship access to Spira, and removing that privilege could be considered a step backwards. The fact FFX players already know the world has its ups and downs. On the one hand it's nice to revisit areas to see what has become of them since FFX. On the other hand, it does significantly remove the exploration aspect which is usually a big part of any RPG.