Maybe the reviewer didn't utilize the individual battle command-thing in battle? Though I hear even with that, the combat can sometimes get to be a bit much.
In the quote, he stated that micromanaging is unrealistic so I would assume that yes he did.
I'm jaded towards Level 5, as everything they touch seems to become a stale turd in the story department. White Knight Chronicles was like that, Rogue Galaxy was like that, and so on. So, with what I've seen in the reviews so far this is probably, and ultimately, going to be a fantastic looking game with an average story, a so-so combat system, and not nearly as much Ghibli influence as people are expecting.
I'll have to wait and see, though.