Should that really be considered a negative then since the open endedness of the first chapters kind makes party interaction not possible by design?
I think that depends on if you see an RPG as only the interaction between the eight main characters being meaningful conversations. From what I've played in the demo, there was plenty of interesting interaction between the characters and their supporting cast in their introductory chapters, and the other 7 travellers might play a greater or lesser part depending on how much you come to rely on them, if at all. Hell, in some RPGs I've left half the party as voiceless ghosts on the subs bench for half the game that might as well not have been there, just for being annoying, usually mascot kids and furries while more interesting local supporting characters get a couple of lines then are never seen again.
After hundreds of JRPGs, I'm happy to see one try something a little different rather than have a clear divide in status and worth between the words of party members and those npcs that don't have a face on the box.
Having said that, I know a lot of people missed party chat in the DS DQ game where it was left out, and I agree, it can add a lot when camraderie on the road is part of an RPG, but these characters are, perhaps more than most (at least initially), a group of ships passing in the night.