The XIII series is about the macro strategy rather than the micro strategy. Which is how the game differs from the rest of the series, which focused on micro play. There is still strategy and tactics, they are just painting with broader strokes. Lightning Returns is a fantastic game though, best in the series for combat and only comparable to X-2 for best combat in the entire series. Since you solo the game as only Lightning, it's back to the micro play and not macro play. It takes everything that was solid about XIII and eliminates the AI, so you're in full control of the entire situation. It's easily one of the best FF from a gameplay and enjoyment standpoint.

But yes, we'll need to see more of the combat to get a real sense of things. But there is a defend option as people have pointed out in the menu, which for an action game would seem like a strange thing to include. Because in an action game, defend would just be a button you press, not an action you take. So I'm getting the sense that this is going to be more menu driving than people are giving it credit for. For all we know, everything they showed is turned based ATB, just that is what "Attack" combat command looks like now. Just because people aren't on lines, doesn't mean it's not still possibly some sort of ATB. Remember, XIII was still a ATB game, it wasn't an action game, it just used ATB in a different way than people were used to seeing it.