This has been discussed in all places, TVTropes. So the article isn't news to me.

Frankly the linearity doesn't bug me half as much as the hand-holding the game does. Want to develop your own paradigms early on? Want to to decide your party composition? Tough, we'll let you when we're good and ready.

Then suddenly you get to (SPOILER)Gran Pulse and suddenly you can wander right up to an Adamantoise. Talk about whiplash.

This is both the easiest and hardest FF I've played. I've lost count of the number of times I've gotten killed, yet the game instantly lets me try again from right before the battle instead of back to the last save. It's maddening but highly addictive, especially since I can finally start wandering around doing side quests.