I think Tales of combat is good... for some hours. I really think the Tales series shallow as fuck, don't like their games and animu characters. It's the type of JRPG I don't like. I hope the combat feels more like old Castlevania titles, where the whip is strong. They could add moves that hit certain types of monsters, but that's it.
I didn't notice your post before, but Tales, shallow? Really, if you pay attention to the story without being spoiled anything, then you'd be thrown around for a loop. The Tales Series' strength story-wise lies in deconstruction, while the story may start off looking like a cliche storm it ultimately subverts and deconstructs many tropes it uses, which is why it has lots of fans.
And regarding the combat system, it's one of those "easy to learn but hard to master" things, you'd be surprised at the impressive combos that can be pulled off if you've completely mastered the system.
So yeah, Tales is anything
but shallow.