After putting some time into this game, I'd probably go with the idea that this is not a game where playing to win, and playing to have fun coincide with each other, due mainly for such a high disproportion between low and mid level play with its combo, spacing, and meter mechanics. Enjoyment from this game as far as the raw fighting mechanics will greatly depend on what type of gamer the player is vs. who they normally play with. I see this game as one I can def. play around with friends who aren't super hardcore into fighters like I normally am since we can mess around with the different characters, along with the low level of execution for the special moves. That fun can greatly dissipate once someone plays the game at a higher level simply from how fast the game is once combo strings, chains, and stuff get put together.
That said, the amount of time and effort they put into story/challenge modes respectively should be a gold standard for future fighting games to come, although will most likely be one not met by eastern developers due to their shift in focus and design, especially with console ports.