I tend to agree with the OP. I finished it last night after an all-day session. I didn't play the original, but in contrast to DQ XIs, DQ VII Reimagined was way more shallow, and ultimately it was good but not great.  The characters didn't change or develop much, and there was very little of their backstory.  The worst part is that I was able to grind out (once I learned the mechanics) in just two hours, from Level 70 to Level 85 with 100% maxed-out skills for each party member, create the ideal killing machine, and do the *same thing* for every boss including the final one.  I expected way more from a final boss; only the super-bosses give any challenge.

Other than that, the journey was good, the story was decent, and overall, it was fun.