Xenoblade was the last RPG I put any real time into (about 100 hours or so), and most every bit of it was enjoyable. The only exception I had were some of the typical lame fetch quests, but there is enough streamlined assistance to make those less of a chore. Traveling around the map is as easy as pulling up said map and clicking on the way points (once you find them the first time that is), no need for padding the playtime with long retreaded treks while backtracking.
The battles are fun and engaging, switching out your lead and your team members makes for dynamic set-ups that change the feel of the battle system enough that grinding is not really an issue. You'll actively seek out battles for the fun of it themselves rather than the just the rewards.
Plus you get XP for just exploring the world and finding key points on the map. I did that often enough that I found myself always leveled a few levels above of the key boss fights with minimal grinding (which I mainly did for items).
Also, you can save (mostly) anywhere in the game, so it makes for playing short bursts possible and still progressing through the game. The only consequence death has is setting you back to the last checkpoint (or to your last save if you remember to do that often), you keep your XP and items / money, so minimal frustration in that regard.
Finally, the art and music are awesome, so just visiting the new areas is incentive enough to keep playing.
